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.

Bread, Freedom, Dignity

(the first in a series)

By Phoebe Farag Mikhail

Bread. Freedom. Dignity.  The three words that should describe any effort towards making people’s lives better. And the well-known rallying cry of the inspiring Egyptian Revolution that started on January 25^th, 2011 and toppled the 30-year regime of Hosni Mubarak. Unfortunately, to date these three demands have not been met in Egypt.

This series on my blog may touch upon the current events in Egypt every so often, but there are many astute analysts found at Jadaliyya, EgyptSource, and MEMRI already writing and talking about Egypt. I focus instead here on how the “Bread, freedom, dignity” demands can be met by people (individuals, organizations, governments) working with the poor and the oppressed everywhere.

Today I’m going to share two examples of the amazing outcomes that can come about when poor people are treated with dignity and respected as important members of their communities.

A food pantry in Ohio chose to have its clients choose their own food, rather than giving them a pre-packaged box or bag.  The outcomes: when people choose the food they want, there is less waste, and the pantries are able to then serve more people:

  

Far from depleting its stocks, Journey's End has seen its cost per person drop as well as a six-fold increase in users since switching to client choice in 2008. Factory closings drove up the numbers, but so did giving clients dignity, Gore said. "We made it much more comfortable for them to shop." (“Let People Shop,” http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2010/december/1.14.html)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/metrukjod/224752885/sizes/m/in/photostream/

In Schenectady, New York, homeless people are paid to stand outside of businesses there—not to beg, but to work. While many urban economic revitalizations often drive out the lower-income and poor people who lived in those areas, in this case, the work of social service organization City Mission helped the economic developers realize that these residents were assets, not liabilities: 

We worked with Proctors Theater and created the Downtown Ambassadors Program. City Mission residents who have been through Getting Ahead training go out every night there’s a show and greet the guests that are coming in. They have uniforms and flashlights, and they help people across the street, direct them to parking, get them to restaurants, hold the door open—it’s really like a sidewalk concierge service. This went so well that the economic development agency offered to pay our people if they’ll continue doing this. So now Proctors has a contract with us, and other businesses nearby want ambassadors to work in front of their businesses.” (“Paying the Homeless to Stand Outside Your Business: Schenectady Bridges Project Turns Poverty Upside Down,” http://www.ssireview.org/articles/entry/from_vision_to_action#When:22:29:00Z)

The outcomes: The homeless and low-income residents of Schenectady have jobs, and the patrons of the downtown businesses benefit from their much-appreciated services.

When poor people are treated with dignity, with the right to make choices, and with the understanding that they are an important part of the community, not to be driven away, you get these kinds of positive outcomes.

So I consider a nonprofit to support or volunteer with, I don’t just consider the organization’s financial health, or its overhead vs. its program expenses. I consider how it talks about and works with its program participants. Are the participants “charity cases,” or are they treated with dignity? Do they respect their participants and recognize them as contributing members of their communities?

What do you consider?