By Rachel Muir
Egg with unbuttered toast for breakfast, a plain turkey sandwich and water for lunch, and pasta with sauce and water for dinner--no meat, fruits, vegetables or dessert. That was Timothy Kane’s meal plan for a week. He was trying to eat on a budget of $4.11 a day.
Mr. Kane, director of the Office of Community Service, participated in the University’s first Food Stamp Challenge, part of GW’s observation of Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, Nov. 16-21.
He says the challenge proved a powerful lesson about the choices those at the poverty level face and the consequences for their lives and health.
“Participating in the Food Stamp Challenge has reminded me of the connection I share with everyone around me: namely our need for food and our reliance on the Earth and each other to meet that need,” says Mr. Kane. “I spent much more time planning my menu—how can I possibly shop for and eat for about $4 a day?—as well as evaluating every food item in consideration.”
Mr. Kane found he had to leave behind many of his favorite foods and return to “basics”: bread, eggs and pasta.
For student Emily Baer, the challenge was harder than she expected. “At the beginning of the week, I was determined to ‘overcome the odds’ and actually live without cheating on a food stamp budget,” says Ms. Baer, who serves as the Neighbors Project coordinator for special service events. “But I was trying to complete the impossible. It has become harder and harder as the days have gone by.”
Ms. Baer says she’s been eating a lot of bread, pasta and potatoes—she has been able to afford very little fruit or vegetables, not to mention coffee. Her typical meal this week has included “a lot of yogurt, peanut butter sandwiches and bananas, all of which I'm really sick of.
“In terms of nutrition, my diet has suffered a lot, and my ability to stay alert and work has diminished,” says Ms. Baer.
Peter Konwerski, associate vice president for student and academic support services and adjunct professor of human services, found the challenge “meant going with less food and making very different choices,” including forgoing “a normal diet of organic eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt and, my own personal pleasure, a daily dose of orange juice.
“In the end, the challenge forced me to think about the small stuff I missed in our effort to make the most of $1.36 per meal,” says Dr. Konwerski, who wrote about the experience he and his wife had with the challenge in the GW Hatchet. “This included salt and pepper to flavor a chicken, parmesan cheese on my pasta, sandwich bags, napkins, dish soap and salad dressing. To meet the challenge we went without, because these items were beyond our budget.”