The final day...

I have never been more excited for a Thursday in my entire life. Today is the final day of our Challenge and I for one am hoping to not have to eat another peanut butter sandwich for a very, very long time.

After my lunch today, I will have the following food left:
1 egg
9 slices american "cheese product"
1 heel of bread
2 pkgs ramen
small amount of peanut butter

For dinner tonight I plan on using the ramen and PB to make delicious "thai" peanut pasta - I will cook both packages of ramen, drain them and add the remaining peanut butter and some soy sauce (courtesy of the sushi counter at Giant Eagle). Delicious!

So tomorrow when I wake up will I continue to eat on $3 a day? No. Why not? Because it is not realistic. It is not realistic to assume that I could continue this, nor that anyone else should have to. $3 a day is simply not enough money to buy nutritious food. But I will wake up tomorrow, as I have every day for the last 7 days, with a renewed appreciation for what families in Northeast Ohio and across America face every day. This is not a 7-day Challenge for them. It is a 365-day Challenge.

As the Challenge ends, we must continue this project in other ways:
-For those that are financially able, make a donation to programs like WSEM that provide families with hot meals, pantry food and outreach services.
-Educate yourself about hunger issues. The Hunger Network of Greater Cleveland's website is a great resource to start with.
-Volunteer at a local food pantry, hot meal program or the Cleveland Foodbank.
-Take action! Write a letter to your congressperson to voice your concerns over the food stamp program. The recently passed Farm Bill of 2008 was a small step forward in getting the qualification levels for food stamps lowered while increasing food stamp benefits, but there is much more to be done. The cost of food continues to rise at a pace far greater than the increase in benefits. Additionally, recipients need to be provided with more information on how to make healthy, nutritious choices with the benefits they receive. You can write to any of the three U.S. Representatives on the House Committee on Agriculture: Zach Space, Jean Schmidt or Robert Latta. You can also write to U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, who is a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry and a member of the Subcommittee on Nutrition and Food Assistance.

Thank you to everyone for their support of this Challenge!

-Ann