Food Outreach

WOW! What an experience this has been. I am so glad that I participated in this hunger challenge (and I have to admit I am equally glad that I have completed it!) The shopping alone was an experience. Price winning out over taste with each purchase. I was happy that I had the skills to put together a healthy variety for the week and still stay in budget I couldn't help but think how difficult it would be for some to put together a healthy menu within this limited budget. When I got to the checkout, I did go over by a few dollars so I had to put some items back. I let the checkout girl know what I was doing and she was great. I couldn't help but think how embarrassed I might be if I REALLY couldn't afford it all and had to put items back.

During the week, I really didn't feel hungry, I felt more bored. My husband Derek, who also did the challenge, and I were eating out of a few grocery bags while our four kids ate out of the entire pantry and refrigerator. I never thought of what a luxury that was. The sad thing was, our kids wanted what we had (plain pasta with sauce, cheap canned juice, etc) and we wanted all the foods they were eating. I'm embarrassed to say that by the end of the week I was actually bargaining and trading foods with my five year old. We were both thrilled!

Other realities that hit home this week was that food was just a small piece of the puzzle for most people. As I did my laundry, washed my hair, used paper napkins, and cleaned my house, I realized that these are items that I take for granted and I would probably have to choose between these and food, utilities, rent, etc. I also watched my kids this week and felt so thankful that we don't have to worry about feeding them or taking care of their basic needs. I was also amazed at how many places I actually got food for free this week: neighborhood block party, culinary class I am enrolled in, a church group I volunteer. My friend even sent a thank you gift card to Cold Stone--it was like gold!

As far as the pregnancy goes, I think I picked the best week possible to complete this challenge. I am at the end of the first trimester so the "green" feeling is subsiding but I am not feeling any more hungry than usual. I did do a cracker trade with my kids midweek since the ones I picked out weren't tasting good to me. I can't imagine what women do at the very beginning of their pregnancies, especially if they don't know what to expect. Being my fifth pregnancy, I pretty much know how to handle/prevent morning sickness. If this were my first pregnancy and I tried to do this challenge--I would have been vomitting all week.

The extra foods from WIC left me with mixed emotions. I worked for WIC in Florida several years ago and I really thought we were significantly helping them out. I will say that milk and juice were pretty much covered which I really appreicated. However, the 3 extra eggs, 4 slices of bread, 4 ozs of beans, and $2.00 for fruits and vegetables were somewhat disappointing. The nine extra ounces of cereal helped me towards the end of the week too. I do still really support WIC since it only allows a well balanced blend of healthy foods. I was just expecting it to be more helpful than it was.

Thank you for including me in this hunger challenge. I think it's been a great experience and I'm sure it will continue in years to come. Good luck to all of you who have yet to complete your week.