The Faces of Food Stamps + DVD Giveaway (Read till the end!)

By Phoebe Farag Mikhail

It didn’t hit home for me till I read about an adjunct professor at Duquesene University in Pittsburgh who died almost homeless, in absolute poverty. I’m an adjunct professor. If I had to live alone (thank God, I don’t) on the average salary of an adjunct professor at almost any university, I would be eligible for food stamps – and I would need them.

And then I read an essay by a US war veteran on food stamps. “I didn’t risk my life in Afghanistan so I could come back and watch people go hungry in America,” he writes. “I certainly didn’t risk it so *I* could come back and go hungry.” This veteran is not alone. At least 5,000 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants (the official name for food stamps) have identified themselves as working for the armed forces, and many more are spouses and children of people serving in the armed forces.

If the idea of college professors and US war veterans using food stamps isn’t surprising enough, the makers of the documentary “A Place at the Table,” (nowavailable on DVD), have created a website highlighting SNAP “alumni” – people who once used food stamps and who are now leaders in their communities. They include actors, members of Congress, state governors, authors, athletes, teachers, lawyers – and all of them have one thing in common – they used food stamps at some point in their lives, and this crucial government support when they needed it most helped them move on to the important leadership roles they play today.

Perhaps the most important face of food stamps is the face of a child. Currently, 45% of food stamp users are children, and another 26% are adults with children in their homes – making children the largest group of beneficiaries of the SNAP program. I personally know many working families who rely on the SNAP program to keep food on the table for their young children while trying to make ends meet. Kayla Williams, also a US war veteran, was one of them. In her article about SNAP she writes:

Kayla Williams, Author/Veteran

Like many on public assistance, my family was made up of a working single mom struggling to make it and provide for her child. She was a small business owner, an artist who ran a series of galleries ... There were good years ... then the economy sagged, and there were lean years – years of food stamps and bland government cheese, Christmas presents from charities, peering around the corner to watch my mother sobbing into piles of bills, wondering if the landlord would get fed up with how often we were behind on the rent and kick us out. Even when I was young, I could pick up on the looks we got when buying groceries with food stamps. In high school, it was mortifying to hand over tickets for free or reduced-price school lunches. Those tiny colored scraps of paper might as well have been a scarlet "P" sewn to my shirt, announcing to the other teenagers that I was poor.

Last week, the US House of Representatives passed a Farm Bill that cut the SNAP program by $40 billion. There is still time to save SNAP and invest in the potential of these children by ensuring that they do not go hungry. The Bread for the World blog provides information on how to continue to take action on this matter. I will be contacting my Representative to express my anger at his vote on this bill.  

In addition to taking action on the Farm Bill, I am spreading the word about the SNAP alumni website and the documentary, A Place at the Table. I encourage everyone to explore the website and watch the film, which not only talks about the overall hunger problem in America, but puts a real face on the people that live with hunger, and who are trying to get out of poverty. If you would like to win a free copy of the DVD, there are two ways to gain entries: 1- You can comment on this post below AND share the post via Facebook or Google+ and 2- You can subscribe to my blog via email and verify your subscription using the form below. The winner will be randomly chosen on October 4th, 2013, and contacted thereafter. Please note that I can only ship to US addresses.

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What are you doing to end hunger in your community?

Black-Eyed Peas and A Place at the Table

by Phoebe Farag Mikhail

She choked back tears and eventually, just could not speak up, in response to a crass statement by a high school classmate: “People on welfare are just lazy.” Her single mother struggled to raise her and her sister to make ends meet, and relied on benefits that included SNAP (then known as “food stamps”) to do that.  I don’t remember the conclusion of that conversation, or even how I engaged in it, but I remember my friend, and how she struggled unsuccessfully to denounce what her classmate had said.

I’m still in touch with her and she’s doing well now, working, married, and expecting her first baby. She might not even remember this incident, but I do, because I interact with many families receiving SNAP benefits, and none of them are lazy. They are, like most people, hardworking, trying to make ends meet for their families, and desperate to make sure their children are healthy and well fed. And they are many. One in five children in America struggles with hunger.

The new documentary, A Place at the Table, out in theaters on DVD and on-demand, engagingly addresses hunger in America, and one comment in it struck me – the culture of blame. Somehow, many Americans have the idea that people who are impoverished “deserve” their lot in life because they must not be hard-working enough, educated enough, etc…. My experience working with people from all walks of life, in America and outside it, indicates the opposite. Most people have and want to maintain their sense of dignity (I talk more about this here), regardless of their economic situation. Most people who are suffering from poverty want to get out of it. And even those people who seem lazy on the outside are often struggling with despondency for their lack of options, or even depression.

And regardless of the reason a family is impoverished, even if it is laziness, their children should not have to go hungry. If you agree with me, take action here to prevent Congress from enacting deep cuts on federal nutrition programs that include SNAP. Then, go and see A Place at the Table with your friends (watch the trailer here). Finally, consider volunteering at, and/or donating to, your local food pantry.

This week I’m sharing a budget-friendly recipe, not because I have officially converted to food blogging, but because I am joining Food Bloggers Against Hunger this week and donating my blog post in response to A Place at the Table.  

What follows is my version of my mom’s recipe for black-eyed peas. Black-eyed peas are full of fiber, protein, and folate, while naturally low in fat and calories.  We usually serve this dish with rice, but this recipe would work well with pasta or bread. I suggest preparing this by buying a 14 or 16 oz bag of dried black-eyed peas and soaking half the bag overnight, saving the other half for a future meal. This is more economical and a bit healthier than canned beans, but if you’re short on time, canned beans work well.

Black-Eyed Peas with Tomato Sauce (4-6 servings) Ingredients ½ bag of dried black-eye peas, or one 15.5 oz can 1 large yellow onion, chopped 1 fresh tomato, chopped (optional) ¼ cup vegetable oil (I used corn oil) 1 can of tomato sauce 4 cups of water if using dried beans, 2 cups if using canned beans ½ teaspoon pepper (or more to taste) 1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste) Pinch of cinnamon (optional) Pinch of chili powder or cayenne pepper (optional) Preparation If using dried beans, soak them overnight. The next day in a large pot, simmer the onions in oil until soft.  If using a fresh tomato, add it and cook a few minutes longer with the onions. Add beans, tomato sauce, and water, and bring to a boil. Add spices (pepper, salt, cinnamon and chili powder or cayenne pepper, if using), lower heat (medium-low), and cover. Cook for one hour if using dried beans, or ½ an hour if using canned. Stir occasionally while cooking and add water if necessary. Serve hot with rice, pasta, or bread.