Signing up for SNAP benefits

Yesterday, I spoke with someone at Human Services about SNAP.  If someone has just lost their job, they don't always qualify for SNAP because they may still have income coming in that after the final calculations puts them over the income threshold.  There will be final paychecks and perhaps a severance package.  If they DO qualify, they don't always qualify for the total amount of benefits because the formula to determine qualification takes into account the amount of people in the home, childcare costs, energy costs, disabled or elderly family members, etc.  It isn't just a matter of a person going in because they just can't budget well and having to get food stamps.

If there is no income coming in, the person/family can get an express application where they will be issued a card that day with enough benefits on it to get them started.  Otherwise the application takes 30 days to go through the system.  Meanwhile, many of them go to organizations that deal with hunger insecurity:  food shelters, community meal programs, churches, etc.  SNAP is supposed to be supplemental, but it turns out that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program often needs to be supplemented.

Through my time on this challenge, however long I last, I will go into the different parts of the hunger network and see how they work together to help keep people fed.  I will be focusing on my area of western Wisconsin and will try to get stories from cities and small towns.

As for my own time on the challenge...I've had popcorn on the stove for dinner two times this week.  I'm afraid to eat too much because I can see everything that is left for the month.  I have my own shelf of groceries in the house.  That's right--shelf!  I also have my own shelf in the freezer downstairs because I figure a lot of families don't have a freezer to store extra food in, so they usually have only what is attached to their refrigerator.

As for the feeling of frustration and anger that comes with being hungry, my Human Services friend said that they refer to it as being hangry.  I wonder how much bad behavior nationwide is due to hangry people?

Hungry = Cranky

Fair warning folks, hungry makes me cranky.  My brain does not function well without nutrients and that makes me frustrated and edgy.  It's only day four and I've committed myself to at least 30 days.  I wonder if it becomes a way of life after awhile.  I wonder how long it takes for the human body to get used to a decrease in the amount of food ingested?  Hmm...

I envied someone sitting in the lunchroom at work eating a big ol' takeout burger and some fries.  I don't like fast food, but it smelled SO good to me.  I wanted to sit at his feet and beg a french fry.  At that point, I would have probably held it on the tip of my nose if that's what it took.  I left the room before I embarrassed myself.