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ELCA FOOD STAMP CHALLENGE
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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What is the ELCA Food Stamp Challenge?
- Can $1 curb your hunger? The ELCA Food Stamp Challenge
is an opportunity for you and your congregation, campus
ministry or outdoor ministry site to live for one week on
the national average Food Stamp benefit of $1 per-person,
per-meal. What will you eat? How will you feel? Is it
healthy? Are you hungry?
What can my congregation and I accomplish by participating
in the Food Stamp Challenge?
- By participating in the ELCA Food Stamp Challenge you
have a terrific opportunity to learn through experience what
it is like to live on Food Stamps. By being a part of this
journey you stand in solidarity with nearly 25 million
Americans who weekly count on Food Stamps to feed their
families and themselves.
The ELCA Food Stamp Challenge is not only just an experiment
to see if you can ‘do it’, but it is also a call to action.
During your week living on Food Stamps you are encouraged to
let your voice be heard by contacting your member of
Congress. Share with them your experience and what Farm Bill
reforms you believe are necessary to ensure that access to
healthy foods is possible for those to rely on Food Stamps.
By inviting a group from your congregation or community to
participate in the Food Stamp Challenge, you have a
wonderful opportunity to host an educational event about the
Farm Bill and how it directly affects agriculture and
nutritional programs around the world. Educational resources
are available at:
www.elca.org/hunger and
www.elca.org/advocacy
How do I participate in the Food Stamp Challenge?
- Visit
www.elca.org/advocacy and click on ELCA Food Stamp
Challenge. Here you will find the Leaders Guide and Food
Stamp Challenge guidelines which outline how to participate.
Do I need to register myself or my congregation for the
Food Stamp Challenge?
- As a church, we’ll have a bigger impact in the media and
with our members of Congress if we can tell them how many
congregations and individuals are participating in the ELCA
Food Stamp Challenge.
Please let us know if you or your congregation participates
by e-mailing
hunger@elca.org.
You are also invited to read about others’ experiences and
share yours on the official ELCA Food Stamp Challenge blog:
www.curbyourhunger.blogspot.com
What is a blog?
- A blog is a website that provides commentary or news on
a particular subject such as food, politics, or local news;
some function as more personal online diaries. A typical
blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web
pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for
readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an
important part of many blogs.
Be sure to visit the ELCA Food Stamp Challenge blog at
www.curbyourhunger.blogspot.com. Here you can share
about your Food Stamp Challenge experience and read about
others. Visit often because updates are posted frequently.
Are there resources to help me prepare and plan for the
Food Stamp Challenge?
- Yes! ELCA Food Stamp Challenge guidelines, leader
guides, congregational activities, congressional contacts,
and Farm Bill/Hunger resources are available at
www.elca.org/advocacy.
We also are offering a series of online orientation sessions.
Currently we have four offerings:
+ Saturday, July 28th @ 1PM EST/10AM PST
+ Thursday, August 1st @1PM EST/10AM PST
+ Wednesday, August 15th @ 7PM EST/4PM PST
+ Monday, August 20th @ 12PM EST/9AM PST
To sign up or request additional offerings, e-mail
christopher.carpenter@elca.org or call 1-800-638-3522 X-2815
Are there resources available on advocacy and the Farm Bill?
- Please visit www.elca.org/advocacy. Here you’ll find
information on the ELCA’s mission as a public church speaking
for the common good in government and resources to learn more
about the Farm Bill.
Are there ways to engage my congregation, neighbors, and/or
co-workers in the Food Stamp Challenge?
- Yes! Visit www.elca.org/advocacy to download The Fellowship
Hour Food Stamp Challenge guide. Here you will find all the
information you will need to host a community/congregational
meal activity which perfectly compliments the ELCA Food Stamp
Challenge.
What does the Farm Bill have to do with Food Stamps?
- During the Great Depression, President Roosevelt introduced
several bills to support struggling farmers at the heart of
rural America. That was the beginning of the Farm Bill. But
today the Farm Bill isn’t just about farmers or farms. There are
nine titles in the 2002 Farm Bill which cover issues ranging
from energy to conservation to nutrition. The Food Stamps
program is included in the nutrition section of the Farm Bill
and accounts for more than sixty percent of the spending in the
bill. Decisions about who can participate in the program, how
much those persons receive, and the type of assistance offered
through the program are all decided in this important piece of
legislation. And the opportunity to influence these decisions
happens rarely; Congress only considers the Farm Bill every 5 or
6 years.
Why is there a September 15th deadline to participate in the
Food Stamp Challenge?
- Congress has taken up the task of writing a Farm Bill to
replace the 2002 version. Already, the House of Representatives
has voted and passed a Bill that will now go to the Senate. If
we want to influence our Senators to pass a Farm Bill that
strengthens the Food Stamp program and our nation’s commitment
to people who are food insecure, than we must do it while the
Senate is still debating the issues. It is expected that the
Farm Bill will be a priority for the Senate after their August
recess and come to a vote before the middle of September.
How do I contact my member of Congress about the Farm Bill and
Food Stamps?
- If you don’t know who your Representative is, visit
http://ga6.org/elca_advocacy/leg-lookup/search.html
- You can visit your Representative’s Web site by going to
www.house.gov and typing their name in the search box. On their
Web site you’ll find contact information to the Representative's
Washington D.C. and state offices, including phone numbers and
addresses.
- You can call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask
for your Representative’s Washington office directly.
- Letters are an effective way to reach Congress, but take a
long time to arrive at the desk of your Representative. If you
want to send a letter, we suggest you also fax a copy to the
office so they receive your message immediately. Fax numbers and
office addresses are again found on your Member’s Web site.
When I contact my Member of Congress, what should I say?
- Introduce yourself: Tell them your name, that you’re a
constituent from [your city], and that you’re a person of faith
who belongs to [your congregation/faith].
- Explain why you’re calling/writing: Describe the Food Stamp
Challenge briefly. Provide background on why the Food Stamp
program is an important issue for you and the country. End with
a simple reflection on your experience to personalize the call.
- The Ask: Tell them that you would like to see your
Representative support:
- Increasing food stamp access and benefits so that more
low-income families can participate and can afford to purchase
healthier foods.
- Eliminating restrictions in the Food Stamp program that
disadvantage savings accounts.
- Removing the five-year waiting period for eligible legal
immigrants to qualify for food stamps.
- Funding community food security grants that support local
initiatives to combat hunger.
- Conclusion: End by thanking the person for their time and
assuring them you’ll be attentive to the Representative’s action
on the issue.
I think I can eat on $3 a day. Isn’t the current food stamp
allowance enough?
- The food stamp program's original purpose was to supplement
Americans’ income when they lacked the resources to buy adequate
food. However, with the rise of housing and cost of living in
the last 20 years, and degrading wages, more families and
individuals are relying on the food stamp program to put food on
the table.
- The truth is that $3 a day can buy a healthy meal. But that’s
not the real question. This exercise isn’t about being creative
with beans, rice, lentils, pasta, and other cheap food goods.
It’s about what $3 represents. Here’s the real question: is $3 a
sufficient response to our sisters and brothers who need food
assistance? Does $3 embody our commitment to providing a just
food system, even for those who are poor? What things, including
dignity and respect, are we denying our neighbors in need by
providing $3 for daily sustenance?
- And the significance of this allowance isn’t only the “$”
sign. The experience of people who participate on the program is
unique to their circumstances. Often, it takes longer to shop
for cheaper goods; low-income communities have fewer grocery
stores and sometimes only over-priced convenience stores;
healthy options for eating on a low budget rarely include
produce; there are rare opportunities to purchase local or
organic products on a limited budget; and additional stresses of
living in poverty may be compounded if shopping for food is so
limited and restricted.
- Maybe you can do it, but should the people who are
participating in the food stamp program have to survive this
extreme challenge every day? What does $3 say about the value we
place on the vulnerable of our community?
I cannot participate in the Food Stamp Challenge for health
reasons. Is there anything else I can do?
- Absolutely! Host a Food Stamp Challenge meal activity,
write/call your member of Congress and encourage them to ensure
that comprehensive reform to the Farm Bill occurs and/or make a
contribution to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal. Even if you do not
participate in the Food Stamp Challenge you have an opportunity
to make a difference!
My congregation has decided to participate in the Food Stamp
Challenge. How can I get some local media attention?
- It is definitely possible to get local media attention
for your Food Stamp Challenge! For an example of a great
article written about an Episcopal Church participating in
the challenge, visit
http://www.newsobserver.com/105/story/651145.html
- Here are some tips for working with your local media to raise
awareness of this issue:
- Before you contact the media, plan your Food Stamp Challenge
event to be media-friendly. Make sure you have good visual
appeal. Have colorful banners, or maybe have the Sunday School
class draw pictures related to hunger and put them around the
room where you'll be hosting the Food Stamp Challenge meal.
- Prepare a one-page press announcement that includes the event
name, specific location (including address and location within
the building), time (start and end), and purpose. (Refer to
www.elca.org/advocacy for the purpose.) Be sure to include one
person's contact information (including a cell phone number if
possible) in case the reporter has questions. Be sure to include
details of the visually appealing aspects of the program - i.e.
children's pictures, family involvement, etc.
- About a week before the event, e-mail or mail the press
announcement to the editors of your local newspaper, radio
station, and
television station. If somebody does a community blog, send it to that
person, too.
- Call to follow up a few days after you send the announcement
to make sure the announcement was received, and to answer any
questions about the event.
- At the event, have some printed materials from
www.elca.org/advocacy
set aside and give them to the press who attend, and point the
press people towards folks who are comfortable speaking on the
issue (including the pastor). Offer to answer any questions or
help them if they need assistance.
Download this FAQ
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