Today is the first full day of the Hunger Challenge.  I have $28.91, $4.13  a day, to buy food for the next 7 days.  When you think about what you typically spend over $4 a day on, a cup of coffee for example, it is pretty easy to see why this will be a challenge.

The Hunger Challenge is a part of Hunger Action Month which is September.  The purpose of the month and the challenge itself it to reflect on the challenges of those who struggle everyday to put food on the table.

When I took a look at some of the realities of hunger in Missouri, it only made sense to try to help the problem.  Missouri ranks in the top ten states with the highest food insecurity rates.  In 2008, nearly 13% of Missourians were food insecure which basically means 13% of Missourians struggled to find enough food for them and their families.  As of May 2009, the State of Missouri had more than 1 million people enrolled in the Food Stamp Program, an 18% increase over May 2008.  This 1 million people includes senior citizens on fixed incomes, the disabled, and working families.

When Food Outreach reached out to me to join in the challenge I was happy to join their cause to help raise awareness.  Food Outreach, located at 3117 Olive St., helps provide for some of the most vulnerable in our community; individuals with limited financial resources who are also battling a life‑threatening illness.  They have been St. Louis’ provider for people living with HIV/AIDS since 1988, and expanded in 2006 to those with cancer.   In 2008, Food Outreach provided more than 371,000 nutritious meals to men, women and children living in 37 Missouri and Illinois zip codes.  They are on pace to provide more than 410,000 meals this year.

Those with HIV/AIDS and cancer are especially at risk for hunger because of the costs of treatment. According to a 2006 USA Today/Kaiser Harvard Study, 25% of families affected by cancer say the experience led them to use up all or most of their savings.  For individuals without consistent health insurance nearly half used up their savings and 40% were unable to afford daily household expenses. Treatment for early stages of HIV can reach $14,000 annually and increase to $40,000 at more advanced stages.

Additionally, proper nutrition can add years to the lives of those with these horrible diseases.  According to the National Cancer Institute, up to 40% of cancer patients die of malnutrition, not the disease itself.  The American Cancer Society stresses the importance of nutrition. The International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care has also advocated the importance of nutritional health which can help delay the progression of HIV to AIDS.

Example of groceries for less than $29

To recognize Hunger Action Month and those that struggle finding food, I will live on the $4.13 a day as nutritiously as possible.  I’m currently working on coming up with a grocery lists of healthy and filling foods that are inexpensive.  After talking to some of the past participants, they recommended oatmeal, fresh fruit for Soulard Market, pasta, and pinto beans.   I’ll have some help figuring out what to eat as Food Outreach has asked some of the area’s chefs to develop easy-to-prepare recipes using inexpensive ingredients.  Those recipes can be found at their website www.foodoutreach.org as well as a blog highlighting my and other participants experiences over the next week. 

If you are interested in participating yourself or donating to the cause all that information and more is available on their site.  It will be a challenge over the next 7 days, but this cause is well worth passing up that cup of coffee.