2011 3SquaresVT Challenge: Day 7

Congratulations, it’s the last day of the Challenge – you made it! Hopefully, this week has given you some things to think about and has sparked some good conversations. Any final thoughts to share?

What You Can Do: Stay aware and engaged! To end hunger in Vermont and across the globe, we all must be aware of the problems and work together – individuals, communities, and our government – to find solutions. Sign up for the Hunger and Nutrition E-Update to stay informed on the latest research, materials, events, and legislation related to hunger and nutrition programs in Vermont. Learn more about 3SquaresVT at www.vermontfoodhelp.com.

Taking the Challenge?
Post a comment to this entry below and tell us about your experience!

Here are instructions on how to post:

Click on the text that say “5 comments” below (that number will go up as more people post—so it may have a different number before “comments” by the time you are reading these instructions). This will take you to the field below the existing comments where you can post your own Challenge experiences. Please type in the box below “Post a Comment” and select either “Anonymous” or “Name/URL” from the “Comment as:” drop-down menu. If you select “Name/URL”, you don’t have to include a URL if you don’t have one.

Feel free to contact Alida at Hunger Free Vermont (802-865-0255/ aduncan@hungerfreevt.org) if you have any trouble posting and she will walk you though it! Thank you!

2011 3SquaresVT Challenge: Day 6

Only 2 days to go – how is your food budget stretching? Have you had to turn down any food along the way, invitations to eat out, joining in a potluck, or that coffee on the go? What are the social consequences you’re seeing this week as you make these choices? What would it be like to make these tough choices all the time?

What You Can Do: Many Vermonters still do not see the “hidden hunger” in our state. Tell a friend about the issue; share these hunger facts. Use social networking to inform people – invite your friends to be fans of Hunger Free Vermont on Facebook.

Taking the Challenge?
Post a comment to this entry below and tell us about your experience!

Here are instructions on how to post:

Click on the text that say “0 comments” below (that number will go up as more people post—so it may have a different number before “comments” by the time you are reading these instructions). This will take you to the field below the existing comments where you can post your own Challenge experiences. Please type in the box below “Post a Comment” and select either “Anonymous” or “Name/URL” from the “Comment as:” drop-down menu. If you select “Name/URL”, you don’t have to include a URL if you don’t have one.

Feel free to contact Alida at Hunger Free Vermont (802-865-0255/ aduncan@hungerfreevt.org) if you have any trouble posting and she will walk you though it! Thank you!

2011 3SquaresVT Challenge: Day 5

Ok, be honest, are you still enjoying the Challenge at this point? Tired of the choices on the shelf? Craving a little something extra? Your family complaining at the dinner table?

What You Can Do: While 3SquaresVT benefits are intended to supplement a household’s food budget, the reality is that many families rely solely on 3SquaresVT for their food money, and it often runs out before the end of the month, forcing them to visit food shelves, borrow food or money, or find other ways to get food. Donate money or food to your local food shelf – they often run low on nutrient dense foods. Don’t know how to find your local food shelf or when they are open? Call 2-1-1 or search the 2-1-1 database.

Taking the Challenge?
Post a comment to this entry below and tell us about your experience!

Here are instructions on how to post:

Click on the text that say “0 comments” below (that number will go up as more people post—so it may have a different number before “comments” by the time you are reading these instructions). This will take you to the field below the existing comments where you can post your own Challenge experiences. Please type in the box below “Post a Comment” and select either “Anonymous” or “Name/URL” from the “Comment as:” drop-down menu. If you select “Name/URL”, you don’t have to include a URL if you don’t have one.

Feel free to contact Alida at Hunger Free Vermont (802-865-0255/ aduncan@hungerfreevt.org) if you have any trouble posting and she will walk you though it! Thank you!

2011 3SquaresVT Challenge: Day 4

We’re more than half way through the Challenge – how is it going? Many people take the Challenge to see if it’s possible to eat nutritiously on a limited budget. How are you trying to make it work?

What You Can Do: Nutrition is key to good health. Doctors are often a liaison into people’s lives. Encourage local physicians and other medical providers to ask their patients about food insecurity and to provide information and referrals to food resources.

Taking the Challenge?
Post a comment to this entry below and tell us about your experience!

Here are instructions on how to post:

Click on the text that say “2 comments” below (that number will go up as more people post—so it may have a different number before “comments” by the time you are reading these instructions). This will take you to the field below the existing comments where you can post your own Challenge experiences. Please type in the box below “Post a Comment” and select either “Anonymous” or “Name/URL” from the “Comment as:” drop-down menu. If you select “Name/URL”, you don’t have to include a URL if you don’t have one.

Feel free to contact Alida at Hunger Free Vermont (802-865-0255/ aduncan@hungerfreevt.org) if you have any trouble posting and she will walk you though it! Thank you!

2011 3SquaresVT Challenge: Day 3

Almost 1 in 6 Vermonters receive 3SquaresVT benefits and live this “Challenge” every day. What choices are you making this week that may be helping you see hunger in Vermont from their perspective?

What You Can Do: Help strengthen 3SquaresVT so that Vermonters can get the nutrition they need all day and all month long. Tell your lawmakers in Washington DC to strengthen, not cut, 3SquaresVT (called SNAP at the national level). Tell them it doesn’t make sense to cut benefits that are proven to decrease hunger and improve health, especially during a recession. For more information on this message, go to www.frac.org.

Taking the Challenge?
Post a comment to this entry below and tell us about your experience!

Here are instructions on how to post:

Click on the text that say “6 comments” below (that number will go up as more people post—so it may have a different number before “comments” by the time you are reading these instructions). This will take you to the field below the existing comments where you can post your own Challenge experiences. Please type in the box below “Post a Comment” and select either “Anonymous” or “Name/URL” from the “Comment as:” drop-down menu. If you select “Name/URL”, you don’t have to include a URL if you don’t have one.

Feel free to contact Alida at Hunger Free Vermont (802-865-0255/ aduncan@hungerfreevt.org) if you have any trouble posting and she will walk you though it! Thank you!

2011 3SquaresVT Challenge: Day 2

1 in 5 Vermont families struggled with hunger at some point last year. How is your 3SquaresVT Challenge experience changing how you think about this number?

What You Can Do: Help increase access to food resources for food insecure Vermonters. Make sure that public areas (town offices, libraries, churches, community centers, etc.) post information on 2-1-1, 3SquaresVT, school meals, and local food shelves.

Taking the Challenge?
Post a comment to this entry below and tell us about your experience!

Here are instructions on how to post:

Click on the text that say “2 comments” below (that number will go up as more people post—so it may have a different number before “comments” by the time you are reading these instructions). This will take you to the field below the existing comments where you can post your own Challenge experiences. Please type in the box below “Post a Comment” and select either “Anonymous” or “Name/URL” from the “Comment as:” drop-down menu. If you select “Name/URL”, you don’t have to include a URL if you don’t have one.

Feel free to contact Alida at Hunger Free Vermont (802-865-0255/ aduncan@hungerfreevt.org) if you have any trouble posting and she will walk you though it! Thank you!

2011 3SquaresVT Challenge: Day 1

And so we begin the 3SquaresVT Challenge. How does it feel? What was it like to go grocery shopping on a limited budget; what choices did you have to make in the store?

What You Can Do: When you were shopping for the week, did you happen to notice if the grocery store actually accepts 3SquaresVT benefits? Ask you local store if they do, and if so, ask them to display the “We Welcome 3SquaresVT” cling-on decal that Hunger Free Vermont sent them (we have more if they need them). If they don’t accept benefits, give them the retailer flyer and encourage them to become authorized.

Taking the Challenge?
Post a comment to this entry below and tell us about your experience!

Here are instructions on how to post:

Click on the text that say “5 comments” below (that number will go up as more people post—so it may have a different number before “comments” by the time you are reading these instructions). This will take you to the field below the existing comments where you can post your own Challenge experiences. Please type in the box below “Post a Comment” and select either “Anonymous” or “Name/URL” from the “Comment as:” drop-down menu. If you select “Name/URL”, you don’t have to include a URL if you don’t have one.

Feel free to contact Alida at Hunger Free Vermont (802-865-0255/ aduncan@hungerfreevt.org) if you have any trouble posting and she will walk you though it! Thank you!

3SquaresVT Challenge 2011

WHEN: Tuesday, November 13th-19th as part of National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week

WHERE: In your Community, grocery store, and kitchen

HOW: Register on our website and live on a 3SquaresVT budget for a week – spend only $38 on food for the week (for a single person, guidelines for larger households Challenge Packet). Then share your experience with others here on our blog. All registrants will be entered into a drawing for a gift certificate to Bluebird Tavern in Burlington so sign up for the Challenge today!

WHY: 3SquaresVT (formerly food stamps) is the nation’s single most important program in the fight against hunger, designed to improve the nutrition and food purchasing power of people with limited incomes. The program makes a difference in the lives of 45 million Americans (93,000 Vermonters) every day, but in some cases, the benefits are too low to allow families to purchase nutritious food on a consistent basis. The 3SquaresVT Challenge seeks to help us understand first hand what it is like to try to make ends meet on the average 3SquaresVT benefit — approximately $1.80 per meal (for one person) – and encourages us to work together to raise awareness about hunger and build a strong nutrition safety net for those in need.