TO LIVE ON
$4.20 A DAY FOR FOOD, WOULD YOU
BE ABLE TO DO IT?
THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT ONE OF THE
LEADING KOSHER FOOD PANTRIES IN
THE NATION IS CHALLENGING YOU
TO DO.
JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT A
FOODSTAMP DIET CHALLENGE IS
LEEANN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
THANK YOU FOR COMING IN THIS
MORNING.
>> THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME.
>> TELL US ABOUT YOUR MISSION.
>> YET EZRA WHICH IN HEBREW
MEANS HELPING HAND, OUR MISSION
IS TO PROVIDE FREE KOSHER
GROCERIES TO LOW INCOME
FAMILIES LIVING IN SOUTHEASTERN
MICHIGAN.
>> PEOPLE OFTEN TALK ABOUT THE
ISSUE OF HUNGER IN OUR COUNTRY
AND HERE IN MICHIGAN.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE HOW BIG
OF AN ISSUE IT IS HERE?
>> IT IS MORE OF AN ISSUE THAN
PEOPLE REALIZE BECAUSE IT IS
HIDDEN AWAY.
YOU DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE --
WHAT PEOPLE HAVE INSIDE THEIR
HOMES OR INSIDE THEIR KITCHEN
CUPBOARDS . 1,400,000 PEOPLE
IN MICHIGAN ARE ON FOOD STAMPS.
THAT IS ONE IN 7 PEOPLE.
IN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY, 5
PERCENT OF PEOPLE ARE IN NEED.
WE SERVICE 1300 FAMILIES EVERY
MONTH REPRESENTING 3000 PEOPLE.
THAT IS A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS
COUNTRY -- IN THE STATE GOING
WITHOUT FOOD .
>> THAT IS STAGGERING TO THINK
ABOUT.
TELL US ABOUT THIS FOODSTAMP
DIET CHALLENGE.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
>> CONSUMPTION IS THE
GOVERNMENT INSTITUTE -- THE
FOOD STAMP PROGRAM -- THE
ASSUMPTION IS , THE GOVERNMENT
INSTITUTE -- THE FOOD STAMP
PROGRAM WAS BECAUSE TO HELP
PEOPLE IN NEED . THE TRUTH OF
THE MATTER IS, A LOT OF
FAMILIES RELY ON FOOD STAMPS
BUT THEY ARE NOT GETTING A LOT.
THE AVERAGE BENEFIT FOR AN
INDIVIDUAL IN MICHIGAN IS ABOUT
$120 A MONTH.
WHAT WE SAW LAST YEAR WHEN WE
WERE REGISTERING APPLICANTS
ONLINE WAS IF THEY WERE LUCKY
THEY GOT $16 A MONTH.
YOU CANNOT LIVE ON THAT.
IT'S CRAZY.
>> AND THEN YOU'RE TALKING
ABOUT $4.20.
THIS IS WHAT YOU BOUGHT FOR
$4.20?
IT IS SOME SWEET POTATOES AND
YOGURT --
>> I MADE A POINT.
SINCE I HAVE DONE THIS BEFORE I
DID IT WITH MY SON AND MY
HUSBAND AND WE BOUGHT A LOT OF
WHITE FOOD BECAUSE I WAS SO
CONCERNED ABOUT THEM FEELING
FULL SO IT WAS A LOT OF CARBS
-- EMPTY CARDS -- CARBS.
THIS TIME SINCE IT WAS JUST
ABOUT ME I DECIDED TO GO
HEALTHY WRAP -- ROUTE.
I HIT MOST OF THE FOOD GROUPS
BUT THIS IS IT . I DRINK CAR
FEE AND THERE IS NO -- COFFEE
AND THERE IS NO COFFEE
ALLOTMENTS HERE .
>> HOW CAN PEOPLE GET INVOLVED?
>> WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE PEOPLE
COME ON TUESDAY TO THE MEYER AT
7:30.
I WILL BE THERE GREETING PEOPLE
AND EXPLAINING THE IMPORTANCE
OF THIS AND SEND THEM OFF
SHOPPING FOR 24 HOURS SO THEY
CAN SEE WHAT IT IS LIKE.
ONCE YOU HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING
OF HOW DIFFICULT IT IS, THE
HOPE IS THAT WHEN LEGISLATION
IS UP FOR RENEWAL WITH REGARDS
TO THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE, THE
PEOPLE TAKE A STAND -- THEY
CONTACT POLITICIANS AND SAY,
THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.
THERE IS ENOUGH FOOD IN THIS
COUNTRY TO FEET EVERYONE.
NO ONE SHOULD BE FOOD INSECURE
IN THIS COUNTRY.
WE ARE HOPING THAT BY
EXPERIENCING IT THEY WILL GET
MORE INVOLVED.
>> A GREAT WAY TO LEARN.
YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOU DO FOR
THE COMMUNITY.
