Over the next seven days, my family and I will be taking the SNAP Challenge. In an attempt to gain perspective on the experiences of millions of Americans, we will live on a food budget of $4.50 per person per day or about $1.50 per meal. As we do so, I will keep this blog to document our experiences and also to share general information about SNAP.
What is SNAP?
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, is the US's largest hunger safety net program providing assistance to millions of low income individuals and families. To qualify for SNAP benefits, applicants must meet a list of tests that include resources, income, deductions, employment requirements, and immigration status.
In brief, to qualify for SNAP benefits, an individual can only have up to $2000 in countable resources (or up to $3250 if the individual is over 60), earn a gross income that is lower than 130 percent of the federal poverty level, and be registered for work or taking part in an employment training program. Those without a job are only eligible for 3 months. SNAP is available to legal immigrants if they have lived in the country for at least 5 years, are receiving disability-related benefits, or have children under 18.
How many people use SNAP benefits?
SNAP participation has increased about 2.5 times over the past 10 years. In 2001, 17.3 million people participated in the program while in 2011, there were 46.2 million participants. That translates into nearly one in seven Americans. The recession that hit the United States in 2007 explains much of that growth, but also applying for the benefits was simplified in the 2002 and 2008 Farm Acts.
Kentucky had about 635,000 participants in the FY2008 and almost 850,000 in FY2012. With about 4.4 million people currently living in Kentucky, that is fairly close to the national average of 1 in 7.
What are some general characteristics of SNAP participants?
About 49% of SNAP participants are children under the age of18 of which two-thirds live in households with a single parent. 76% of benefits go to households with children, 16% to households with disabled persons, and 9% to households with senior citizens.
SNAP participation breaks down as follows by race/ethnicity: 43% white, 33% African-American, 19% Hispanic, 2% Asian, and 2% Native American.
And now a little about me and my family...
We are a household of five: Mom, Dad, and 3 kids. Our children are Nora, age 9; Clare, age 7; and James, age 4. Josh (a.k.a. Dad) works in Michigan during the week, so the first part of the challenge will be done by me and the kids. He will join us over the weekend.
While we do not eat strictly organic food, we have definitely jumped on the whole-food bandwagon. We focus on "real" food doing our best to avoid overly-processed foods. We make most of our meals from scratch and consume loads of fruits and vegetables. We try to incorporate plenty of whole grains in our diets, and we limit what we drink to pure beverages like water, milk, coffee, and tea. The grown-ups of the household drink wine and local beer. We buy local meat and dairy products down the street at Lexington's food co-op, Good Foods as well as our eggs. We very rarely consume fast food and only eat out occasionally. While not perfect, I think it's fair to say that we eat an exemplary diet.
We are all in good health as well. We are physically fit, of average weight, and only suffer from general health complaints (occasional colds, stomach bugs, and the like). We regularly see our physicians and are up-to-date on immunizations. We do not smoke. None of us has asthma or any other respiratory ailments. The adults drink in moderation. Josh's family has a history of heart disease, and my family has a history of hypertension and stroke.
As for me, I am in my second to last semester of the Master of Public Health Program in the College of Public Health at the University of Kentucky. My concentration is in the Health Behavior Department where I have focused on nutrition issues pertaining to childhood obesity. My capstone will assess the effectiveness of nutritional guidelines of school lunches based on actual consumption by elementary students.
This semester I have taken an independent study with Dr. Mark Swanson on the social determinants of health with a special emphasis on how they are linked to overweight and obesity. We have discussed how health is affected by socioeconomic factors, social capital, and race. We will also discuss matters of gender and place as the semester progresses. Doing the SNAP challenge and writing about my experience will be the final project of the independent study.
Please keep visiting me throughout the week as I explore how to shop, keep 3 kids fed and happy, and not compromise our regular diet on a strict budget. It's going to be a challenge!
James, Clare, and Nora on Halloween Night
In brief, to qualify for SNAP benefits, an individual can only have up to $2000 in countable resources (or up to $3250 if the individual is over 60), earn a gross income that is lower than 130 percent of the federal poverty level, and be registered for work or taking part in an employment training program. Those without a job are only eligible for 3 months. SNAP is available to legal immigrants if they have lived in the country for at least 5 years, are receiving disability-related benefits, or have children under 18.
How many people use SNAP benefits?
SNAP participation has increased about 2.5 times over the past 10 years. In 2001, 17.3 million people participated in the program while in 2011, there were 46.2 million participants. That translates into nearly one in seven Americans. The recession that hit the United States in 2007 explains much of that growth, but also applying for the benefits was simplified in the 2002 and 2008 Farm Acts.
Kentucky had about 635,000 participants in the FY2008 and almost 850,000 in FY2012. With about 4.4 million people currently living in Kentucky, that is fairly close to the national average of 1 in 7.
What are some general characteristics of SNAP participants?
About 49% of SNAP participants are children under the age of18 of which two-thirds live in households with a single parent. 76% of benefits go to households with children, 16% to households with disabled persons, and 9% to households with senior citizens.
SNAP participation breaks down as follows by race/ethnicity: 43% white, 33% African-American, 19% Hispanic, 2% Asian, and 2% Native American.
And now a little about me and my family...
We are a household of five: Mom, Dad, and 3 kids. Our children are Nora, age 9; Clare, age 7; and James, age 4. Josh (a.k.a. Dad) works in Michigan during the week, so the first part of the challenge will be done by me and the kids. He will join us over the weekend.
While we do not eat strictly organic food, we have definitely jumped on the whole-food bandwagon. We focus on "real" food doing our best to avoid overly-processed foods. We make most of our meals from scratch and consume loads of fruits and vegetables. We try to incorporate plenty of whole grains in our diets, and we limit what we drink to pure beverages like water, milk, coffee, and tea. The grown-ups of the household drink wine and local beer. We buy local meat and dairy products down the street at Lexington's food co-op, Good Foods as well as our eggs. We very rarely consume fast food and only eat out occasionally. While not perfect, I think it's fair to say that we eat an exemplary diet.
We are all in good health as well. We are physically fit, of average weight, and only suffer from general health complaints (occasional colds, stomach bugs, and the like). We regularly see our physicians and are up-to-date on immunizations. We do not smoke. None of us has asthma or any other respiratory ailments. The adults drink in moderation. Josh's family has a history of heart disease, and my family has a history of hypertension and stroke.
As for me, I am in my second to last semester of the Master of Public Health Program in the College of Public Health at the University of Kentucky. My concentration is in the Health Behavior Department where I have focused on nutrition issues pertaining to childhood obesity. My capstone will assess the effectiveness of nutritional guidelines of school lunches based on actual consumption by elementary students.
This semester I have taken an independent study with Dr. Mark Swanson on the social determinants of health with a special emphasis on how they are linked to overweight and obesity. We have discussed how health is affected by socioeconomic factors, social capital, and race. We will also discuss matters of gender and place as the semester progresses. Doing the SNAP challenge and writing about my experience will be the final project of the independent study.
Please keep visiting me throughout the week as I explore how to shop, keep 3 kids fed and happy, and not compromise our regular diet on a strict budget. It's going to be a challenge!
James, Clare, and Nora on Halloween Night
Poor James, Clare and Nora.
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