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SALT LAKE CITY — Some people on social media are criticizing actress Gwyneth Paltrow for taking the challenge to eat on a $29-per-week food stamp stipend. Anti-hunger advocates in Utah said Paltrow is helping to raise awareness to the reality some people live every day.
According to its website, the Food Stamp Challenge "is one of the best ways to learn about the nutrition hurdles that low-income Americans face every day. The challenge usually entails eating on a budget of roughly $1 to $1.25 per meal (per person), an amount that approximates the average allocation of food stamp benefits."
The Utah Department of Workforce Services reported that "there is not a "standard" flat-rate allotment amount per person. Allotments are based upon household size, income and allowable expenses (i.e. rent, utilities.)
When it comes to food stamps, it's one thing to know you don't have to use food stamps to eat every day.
"I did the food stamp challenge last year, and it was hard," said Marti Woolford, nutrition initiatives director for Utahns Against Hunger.
Woolford said her clients rely on food stamps, and the challenge for families is eating healthy.
"I did great for about three days, and then by the end of that week, I was resorting to eating Top Ramen because I needed more calories," she said.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP — commonly known as food stamps — is designed to help families for a limited amount of time.
"Unfortunately, a lot of people are living on such low wages and low fixed income that they don't have a choice but to use food stamps to supplement their entire food budget," Woolford said. "So this (food stamp challenge) gives a really good look at how challenging it is for people to get by and to have enough food."
An improving economy could slow down the number of families participating in the SNAP program, according to the national Food Research and Action Center. The agency's website reports that "SNAP participation was 46,252,064 persons in December 2014, a decrease of 11,302 from November 2014. A larger decrease was seen over the year with 530,020 fewer persons participating, or 1.1 percent, from December 2013 to December 2014."
I did great for about three days and then by the end of that week, I was resorting to eating Top Ramen because I needed more calories.
–Marti Woolford, Utahns Against Hunger
Utah anti-hunger advocates say despite an improving economy, times are still tough for some Utah families. Some of these families rely on emergency food pantries such as the Utah Food Bank.
"Unfortunately, the jobs they have now are perhaps not what they had prior to the crash of the economy," said Ginette Bott, chief development officer for the Utah Food Bank. "Sometimes one, if not both, of the adults in the household are working and actively trying, but it's tough to make ends meet."
Bott said people from all walks of life are using the SNAP program.
"You can't tell by looking at someone if they're hungry," Bott said. "It could be a senior citizen, it could be a child, it could very well be a young working adult … pantries are popping up on college campuses across the state."
Bott said hunger is also hitting rural communities.
"Some of these small counties' entire population of communities can utilize the pantry," she said. "Some of these rural communities don't have jobs available, and big companies aren't coming into some of these smaller towns."
The Utah Department of Workforce Services reported that there are currently about 230,000 individuals in Utah receiving food stamps. Roughly 104,000 are men, 128,000 are women, and kids ages 0-10 are the biggest age group.
The report also said English speakers are the vast majority of food stamp recipients, about 186,000, with the next biggest group being Spanish speakers, at 13,000.
Most food stamp recipients are white, 122,000, with the next biggest group being American Indians at 7,000, the report said. The average household in Utah gets $301 per month, based on DWS numbers for March 2015.
For those thousands of Utahns using SNAP, the reality of eating on a Food Stamp budget sometimes isn't enough. The program is designed to help families for a limited amount of time. Adult men are only allowed to use the program for three months — within a three-year time period.
Jonathan Ricks is a client at the Crossroads Urban Center. He said the stipend is not enough for three meals.
"You could perhaps extend it out to maybe a week or two weeks, but you're not eating well," he explained. "I'm talking about having energy from the food you eat. The $29 (food stamp budget) will give you enough energy for a good three days."
Anti-hunger advocates said Utahns are extremely generous when it comes to donating food and other items to food pantries. However, there is one thing everyone can do more.
"Just have a little more understanding for people," said Bill Tibbitts, associate director of the Crossroads Urban Center. "Your stereotypes about why somebody needs help just may not be … probably aren't true."
In addition to taking on the Food Stamp challenge, advocates suggest Utahns continue to donate time, food and other items to community organizations that will benefit Utah's hungry families.
