Editor’s Note: Bellevue Reporter staff writer Lindsay Larin is participating in United Way’s Hunger Action Week, in which she only can spend $7 a day on food, the amount a person would get who is on food stamps. This is the first of her reports after day two of the quest.
Halfway through day two of United Way’s Hunger Action Week, I am beginning to understand the hardship of living off just $7 a day for food. This week marks Hunger Action Week, a challenge proposed by United Way of King County to raise awareness for those living on food stamps and in need of the services provided by community food banks.
In 2007, more than 13,000 individuals were served by Hopelink, a community action agency, and 2,822,223 pounds of food were distributed to the food banks.
With the recent decline in the economy, more and more individuals and families are turning to local food banks for help. When school is out for the summer, many of the 11,000 children in north and east King County who receive free or reduced cost meals during the school year are faced with the reality of going hungry.
United Way is taking a stand to raise awareness about hunger in our community.
From Monday, April 24 through Friday, April 26, the challenge is to live on $7 a day for food with the option to buy in bulk upfront or use the alloted money each day. Rules stipulate you must eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner on only $7 a day without accepting any free food. The dollar amount increases for group or family participants.
Although I have enough to eat, the variety is slim and my typical daily eating habits are non-existent. Considering my morning Starbucks coffee cost me nearly $5 every day and lunch out adds up quickly, I have my work cut out for me.
I went grocery shopping on Sunday to the start of the challenge and purchased my week’s worth of food. I bought canned tuna, beans, rice, oatmeal, pasta, tomato sauce, bananas and apples. My total bill came to $27.85. Not bad, but it makes me a little worried I will run out of food before Friday roles around. I am saving the leftover $7.15 to buy myself a treat during the week; perhaps an iced coffee on a sunny day.
Lindsay Larin can be reached at 425.453.4602.
To learn more about United Way’s Hunger Action Challenge Week or to join in, visit http://www.uwkc.org/newsevents/events/haw/hungerchallenge.asp.
For information about volunteering for Hopelink, contact Hopelink’s Volunteer Coordinator: 425.869.6066 or visit volunteer@hope-link.org.
