Where Did "Extras" Go?

I have been faithful for the first 5 days and looking forward to the conclusion. What has been eye opening to me is not only the very restricted menu you live on, but the amount of opportunities of eating that exist in our respective lives...whether at work or with friends or even samples we receive with a Sam's membership. I wouldn't think if you were living on food stamps you would have all those opportunities. Also, the role food plays in our lives...having a tough day...go get a pick me up at Starbucks....having a great day...lets celebrate with a big lunch, Starbucks, or appetizers/drinks after work! What a difference!

$25 Grocery Challenge--Parting Thoughts

Cross posted at the Tyson Hunger Relief blog

I wrapped up my seven days of the food stamp budget diet last night (posted my menu and food costs here, for what it's worth). A few parting thoughts:

In a real-world sense, it's not particularly difficult to do this for a week. But that's like running 100 yards and saying, "Running a marathon wouldn't be so hard." Living it would take its toll.

I had distinct advantages that made it easier for me.
I had some basic cooking skills (and some good recipes) passed to me by parents who grew up in the Depression and always had a garden. My wife, Ginger, also a great cook, went along with me.
We have a kitchen (an alarming number of low income families don't). I can shop. I know the store with the cheapest groceries in town, and I have the transportation to get there.
I really wanted to do this. I thought a lot about how to make it work. I knew it was going to end in a week. And I'm looking forward to a big dinner with a glass of wine tonight.

I mentioned the high price of good nutrition in an earlier post. Lisa Goddard from the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas posted an excellent article on their blog yesterday with an item-by-item shopping list comparison showing how people on a budget are constrained to less-healthful choices. It's easy for us to be food elitists. While local, fresh and organic are nice ideals for those of us who can afford them, they're simply not options--at least at this point--for people living with food insecurity. Consider this if you're prone to pontificate on food choices.

I'm reminded by this experiment that I eat and drink too much. Too much sugar. Too much fat. Too many beers. I feel better after a week, and have lost three pounds. I'm thinking of repeating the experiment on occasion, just to recalibrate my consumption habits. But I have no doubt that it wouldn't be long before I started seeing negative effects from the limited food choices available.

Food plays such an amazing role in our lives. It's part of how we celebrate. How we grieve. How we court and bond. It's at the heart of so many relationships, beginning with our sitting at the family table. If food were confined merely to the role of sustanence, our lives would be so less rich.

Still with me? If so, I urge you to consider getting involved in the fight against hunger. In the richest country in the world, even in these uncertain economic times, there's no excuse for anyone going hungry.
How to get inovolved:
Northwest Arkansas Food Bank
Feeding America (formerly named America's Second Harvest).
Share Our Strength--National organization with a focus on ending childhood hunger

Finally Friday!

I'm so thankful Friday is finally here. I have to admit that as far as workload is concerned, this has been one of my easier weeks. However, because of the Challenge, it has been one of the most difficult weeks I have had in a long time. It's probably good that my schedule was lighter this week because I'm afraid I would have fallen far short of expectations if people were counting on me to be on top of my game. Which brings to mind the issue of productivity in the workplace and performance in the classroom. I know there are millions of adults that go to work and children that go to school hungry each day. These people probably suffer greater effects from the hunger than what we have all posted about over the last few days. Just imagine how much more productive we would be as a nation if hunger were eliminated!

I was sitting in my co-worker Nancy's office this morning and we were talking about the Challenge and how my day was going. We laughed at the fact that PB&J has become a staple for me the last couple of days. When I told Nancy I had forgotten to make a sandwich this morning and that all I had to eat today were the saltines I brought yesterday, Nancy offered to share the PB she keeps in her desk drawer. Nancy, who is our Director of Creative Services, suggested that I write an article for our weekly email blast that will go out to over 2,800 subscribers on Monday. Nancy thought it would be a great idea to bring some attention to the Challenge and help encourage our (Chamber of Commerce) members to contribute to the food drive. After I came back from running errands (during the time I used to refer to as "lunch") I sat down to write the article. It took far more time than usual for me to put coherent thoughts together, but hopefully the article will spur donations for the food drive. I used some of Ed's statistics, as those numbers are startling if you really think about it.

With only two days left for the Challenge I think I see a light at the end of the tunnel. I must confess, though, that I am going to be a bit over my $25 limit. I'm going to make a stop at the Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market on my way home to purchase some chicken strips and potatoes from the deli. I can make those last through the weekend (in combination with the food I still have left in the pantry and the fridge) and I honestly can't face the idea of having to cook something tonight.

I think Bettina hit the nail on the head, at least for me, when she wrote about not being able to partake of the bounty that surrounds us. Last night my mom told me she and my dad went out to eat. Dad told her he would take her anywhere she wanted to go. She opted for her favorite eggplant parmigiana at Olive Garden. When she said that, my heart sank a little bit. Not because I was hungry and would have wanted the eggplant, but because I couldn't go to the Olive Garden. For the last week it's as if something has been taken away from me that I didn't even realize I had. But believe me, I realize it now, and I don't ever want to take it for granted again! kbk

I Cheated (But I didn't mean to!)

WOW! My awareness is definitely raised! The challenge has gone pretty well for me this week. I'm not starving, but like others have posted, my energy levels are down considerably. I feel very sluggish and my mind is a bit numb. I hope I NEVER see another peanut butter and jelly sandwich again!

Okay, onto what I really want to blog about:

I confess: I cheated! TWICE!!! I didn't purposely cheat, but it happened, and I felt bad.

First true confession: I walked by the break room here at the food bank and some of the employees were enjoying a rice krispie treat dessert. It looked delicious and I took a piece. Just as I popped it into my mouth, a reporter from the UofA radio station walked in and caught me. He was here to see how difficult the week was for me, and I was eating cake! When I took that bite of dessert it didn't even register with me that it was off limits. I took it for granted, and boy, this week has certainly opened my eyes to just how many things I take for granted.

Second true confession: I bought a coke at the check-out at Sam's. Once again, I've always taken it for granted. I was thirsty, so I satisfied my need. Of course, my $25 was all gone, so I had no money for a coke. As I took the first sip, it hit me that I had cheated again. This cheating thing is pretty easy to do, and that's sad. I started thinking about all the things I take for granted, and I was embarrassed at myself and my habits.

After the rice krispie and coke incidents, I went home and confessed to my family what I had done. It opened a great dialogue with my husband and 2 teenagers. We really started talking about the things we buy that we don't give a second thought to, and what we base our grocery buying decisions on. Cokes at the checkouts because they're too convenient, cereal based on a pretty package, convenience foods that could be made from scratch at a lower cost, and even toilet tissue because it has a puppy on the package. When we really stopped to think about how much money we waste on things like this, we were embarrassed.

I will go to the grocery store this weekend and look at things in a whole new light. Fancy cereal is out and cheaper bagged cereal is in. The puppy on the T.P. wrapper is cute, but not cute enough to keep. Those cokes at the checkout? GONE! I'm going to be tracking my savings from now on, and each month I'll use that savings to purchase food for the food bank. I encourage everyone else to do the same!

Friday, Feb. 27

I’ll be honest. I added a few “not on my list” items to my dinner last night. Not much — a scoop of cottage cheese and a couple of tangerines. It wasn’t that I was hungry. It was the variety I craved.

Beans and rice every day gets old fast. It’s also rather clogging for the system. I yearned for the juicy goodness of the tangerines. They tasted so sweet. I savored every slice.

Food is a physical necessity, but it also meets other needs. We need a little bit of comfort, a little ease, in our lives. Without that, we lose something — some dignity, perhaps? Without choices, the world becomes awfully grey.

If we lived in a culture where everyone subsisted on the same few things, it might not affect us this way. It would just be the ways things are. But this isn’t the way things are — not for most people in our culture. We live in a world of overabundance. The supermarket shelves are groaning. Advertising bombards our senses, telling us to buy, to eat, to consume.

To live among so much plenty and not be able to partake makes me feel somewhat invisible.

Bettina Lehovec
The Morning News

It's Friday. Know What That Means?

It's Friday. For the past few weeks, we've been taking Fridays on the Tyson Hunger Relief blog to remind people that hundreds of thousands of children around our country who rely on free school lunches spend the weekends at risk of hunger. I introduced the subject with a true story a couple of weeks ago:

A colleague of mine came into the office last year with a compelling story. Her eight year-old grandson frequently spent time with her on weekends. Often he was accompanied by a good friend: a normal looking kid; clean, well-dressed, well-mannered.. The friend had a voracious appetite, eating just about everything in his path. When my colleague made a lighthearted comment about how much he could pack away, he said, “We don’t eat much at my house on the weekend.” Turns out, life was pretty tough for this kid. His single dad was making some choices that didn’t exactly put nutrition at the top of the priority list for his family.
Unfortunately, this kind of story is way too common in our land of plenty.
Along about the time this posts, school kids around the country will be eating lunch. For some of them, it will be the last good meal they’ll have until Monday. If I’m reading the charts correctly, over 15 million kids participate in the free school lunch program. For a lot of these kids, the school lunch program is their lifeline; there just aren’t three squares on the weekends and holidays.

As we do the $25 grocery challenge, I think it's important we remind ourselves why we're doing it. Hunger is a real issue in this country. Often it's right in front of us, and we don't even realize it.

Through this experiment, I'm reminded I eat too much most of the time. But more often than not, that's not a problem for the 15 million kids at risk of hunger in our country. Especially between now and Monday lunch.

Please support the food drive next week. And support the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank year-round.

Lela - saw you on the news this morning. Good job! I particulary liked your remark about how you weren't starving but something about food being comfort and I so agree. My diet has been so boring that I really notice how I miss some of my regular, more expensive food. I also miss making the decision whether to go out for lunch or go home. Nope, can't go out - can't afford it. We just don't realize that being able to shop, go to the cupboard or frig to grab what we want or what looks good is such a priviledge. I'm sure I've lost weight as well this week even though my diet hasn't been that nutritious, I've stayed away from desserts and goodies. What a long week and I still have the weekend to go!!

Depression Era Cooking - Where Was Clara When I Needed Her?

This morning I learned about Clara, a 93 year old great grandmother who lived through the Depression and ate to tell about it. (That's Depression with a capital D, as in financial ruin - not depression with a small d, as in I'm really depressed I didn't get my lattes this week.)

Now she's teaching us all how to make meals from meager means that are tasty and filling. Check out Clara's website or watch the video to learn how to make stale bread into a meal that she describes as great for kids and old people with no teeth!

Ya estoy de regreso, creo que el mal humor no me ha dejado escribirles. Ayer por la mañana estaba yo tratando de buscar una excusa en mi mente para sabotear mi esfuerzo del reto de los $25.00 entonces leí el anuncio del United Way en cuanto nosotros haciendo esto juntos y me dio nuevas energías, pero todavía tengo HAMBRE. Este pasado miércoles mi cena fue barbacoa sin carne. La misma consistió de ensalada de repollo con habichuelas o frijoles a la barbacoa y 3 vasos de agua. La verdad que ha sido una de las mejores cenas que he comido en un buen rato. La falta de alimentos le juega trucos a tu cuerpo y mente. Anoche llegue a casa y después de mi pequeña cena (latas y mas latas) me fui a la cama y me olvide del mundo.  A propósito creo que alguien en mi casa esta haciendo trampa por que algunos alimentos de lata  han desaparecido en acción, pero pensando bien tal vez soy yo mismo comiendo en mis sueños. Son las 3:0 de la mañana, ¿Y por que estoy despierto?, probablemente mis gruñidos estomacales me levantaron. Ya ni estoy teniendo sentido en lo que digo, tal vez sea por que TENGO MUCHA HAMBRE. Ya me voy a la cama a ver si el desayuno llega pronto. 

Ya casi llegamos, We're almost there, pero tenemos un camino largo que recorrer para eliminar el hambre en nuestra comunidad. 

PR

Im Back, I think Iv been to grumpy to write. Yesterday morning I was trying to find reasons in my mind to sabotage my $25.00 Challenge efforts and then I read the UW ad in the Morning News about us doing this together and it gave me strength, but Im still HUNGRY. Wednesday night I had  a meatless BBQ dinner. It consisted of cole slaw and bake beans and 3 glasses of water. It was one of the most delicious dinners Iv had in a while. Lack of Food really plays tricks in your mind and body. Last night I got home with  no energy and after my small portion of dinner (cans and more cans),  I just went to bed and forgot about everything.   By the way I think somebody in my house is cheating because some can food  has been missing in action, but then again maybe its me eating in my sleep. Its 3:0 AM and why am I up?, probably because my grumbling stomach woke me. I don't even make sense anymore, maybe its because IM SO HUNGRY.  Im going back to bed to see if breakfast comes faster.  I just cant imagine how for some folks this is the evreyday way. 

We're almost there, ya casi llegamos, but we have a long way to go to vanish hunger in our community. 

PR

Tougher As The Day Goes On

40/29!! Tisk tisk! I'm just kidding, I like everybody over there....on to the blog.
I'm a day behind blogging but Day 3 was pretty tough. Not too hungry but definitely feeling sluggish. I have been pretty busy and that seems to keep my mind off of it anyway. Here's the video version.

The Countdown is On!

Today I let the 40/29 cameras into my kitchen to film the sad contents of my pantry and refrigerator. Then I got a root canal - not sure which was more painful. I'm really looking forward to ending the 'challenge' part of this challenge and moving on to the food drive portion of this little adventure.

Speaking of... I'd announced on Monday to my yoga class that I'd be collecting food for the food bank and on Wednesday a few of my buddies bought in various items. One of the class members who hadn't been there Monday thought I had to collect the food for myself to eat this week!

Now THAT would have been a challenge!

By the way, collecting food one-on-one is pretty interesting. You can tell a lot about a person from what they clean out of their pantry!

On the menu tonight: stir fry veggies, black beans, and rice. Not good timing on my part considering the root canal. So probably just the beans and rice for me. Yay.

Half Way Through

Hi, everyone-

There are lots of random thoughts that have hit me over the last few days so I'm going to put them out there, but I'll try to at least keep them in some sort of logical order. Today has been the hardest day yet. I had an early meeting this morning so I set everything out last night so I could make my PB&J sandwich first thing this morning and get away from the house on time. When the alarm went off it was so hard to get out of bed. My energy level is very low, and that's unusual for me. I know it is because I haven't been eating well. The odd part about this week is I haven't been hungry, not like I thought I would be. I really expected there would be nights when I went to bed hungry and then would be starving by lunch the next day. But that hasn't happened. I anticipated feeling so hungry I would want to eat everything in sight, but instead I have been getting by with very little. I have come to know that even though I don't feel hungry, the diet is taking a toll on my body. I had to give in today and go through the Chick Fil A drive through and get a kid's meal. I really didn't want to spend the money, but I had to get something of substance (such that it is.) I know I am going to end up going over the $25 but at this point I realize I can't do harm to my body, so I might have to hit another drive through before the week is over (an option I am very well aware is not available to most.) Last night I planned to eat my $.88 TV dinner, but it was SO bad I couldn't eat it. I ended up settling for cottage cheese and crackers, hence the low energy level today. I've found the last couple of days that it is hard for me to concentrate on what I'm doing and I'm sluggish. I've always been someone who could easily skip a meal and not think twice about it, but now I realize it's not so much how often I eat, but WHAT I eat. I've been very diligent about not eating anything that I didn't purchase with my $25. There is always food in my office (maybe it's just my imagination but I think there is more this week than normally!) and I could go to a meeting almost every day and be fed and never spend a penny of my own, but I didn't want to partake in that because I know most people who are struggling to make ends meet aren't in this position and I didn't want to taint the experience. I noticed a sign at a fast food restaurant this morning that read "Got a buck? We'll feed you." Immediately my thought was "I don't have an extra $1 to go through your drive through." I would imagine there are hundreds of people who drive past that sign each day and think the same thing. I've never given much thought to where or how much money I spend until this week. What an eye opener this has been. Every day my friends and family ask me how the challenge is going. Today my answer will be very different: It's hard because reality has set in. It's hard because today I have felt the cumulative effect of the lack of food (or more appropriately the right foods) but I realize this will all end for me in a few more days. It won't end for others! Sorry for the ramblings today. kbk

$25 Grocey Challenge--The Magic of Beans

Cross-posted at the Tyson Hunger Relief Blog

My Dad's a pretty good cook. Because Mom worked her tail off at a job that kept her away from home on occassion, kitchen duties fell to him frequently, and he didn't shirk them. Pinto beans and cornbread were one of his go-to meals. He didn't use a recipe for either; just started throwing things in the pot and pans. It always ended up good.
In another lifetime, when I was a less-than-prosperous musician, being friends with dried legumes served me well.
So Sunday night, on the second day of this experiment, we had beans and cornbread at our house. I had leftovers last night. We also made some bean dip (beans, cumin, a little Rotel and vinegar, all smashed together). And we still have some left. At $3.00 for the pot of beans and $1.50 for a cornbread made with real butter and buttermilk, that's pretty good value.

Here's how I do beans:

Soak 2 lbs. of pintos overnight. Drain & rinse. Add water, a big onion chopped, 4 cloves of chopped garlic, salt & pepper. We always add some pork (ham, salt pork, bacon, etc.--here I had about 6 oz. of leftover pulled pork from a shoulder I'd smoked the week before). Additional seasoning to taste. I add hot sauce. Liquid smoke is good. Cover & cook low and slow all day.

It's no wonder that beans are a staple the world 'round. They're rich in protein and a great source of dietary fiber, to offset all the carbs and starch you're going to get with the rest of this diet.
By the way, at 87, Dad doesn't cook much any more. But he can still throw down on a great pot of beans. Thanks, Dad.

photo by Tortoro! Creative Commons

I'm finding it hardest at night after dinner. No more getting up and snacking on something. I know that isn't hurting me but bad habits..... I usually keep some Hershey Kisses and DOTS in my candy dish that if I have 2-3 after dinner, I'm okay. However, I've made myself not indulge knowing on $25 a week, I'd never be able to afford either candy. Or I could choose between the candy and vegetables....which would win?? I only have 10 servings of my stew left (told you I made a BIG pot) and appetite for one more and not for a day or two. Tonight, I'll start my chicken run with a burrito or stir fry.

$25 Grocery Challenge--Nana's Casserole

Cross posted on the Tyson Hunger Relief blog.

My grandmother, or as we called her, Nana (someday I'm gonna write a book called 1001 Names for Your Grandparents), raised five kids in dirt-poor northwest Arkansas back in the 30s and 40's. Like most other Depression and WWII-era moms, she had to make things stretch.
She had a hamburger casserole recipe (doesn't every family have one?) that ended up on our table quite often as I was growing up. Now I know why. It's cheap, filling and nutritious. With ingredients from Aldi, it'll generate eight servings for $6.64. My wife, my daughter and I ate it for dinner last night, I ate it for lunch today, and there's still a lot left. It re-heats in the microwave quite nicely.

Here goes:

375 degree oven

In a buttered 12-in. casserole dish, layer: 5 small potatoes (we like red ones); 3 large sliced carrots; 2 stalks thin-sliced celery; 1 can green peas (reserve liquid); 2 onions, thin-sliced. 1 pound browned hamburger meat; Add liquid from peas, along with 1/2 c. water to 2 cans tomato soup and pour over the whole mess. Season to taste (garlic powder is cheap and tasty). Cook for 1 hr. 45 min.

I'd not eaten it in years and had forgotten how good it tastes. Sometimes the best things in life are incredibly simple. But you gotta have a kitchen and the time, energy and ability to cook--things that definitely are not available to everyone on this budget.

Day Three

Hi, everyone-

As I sit at my desk eating my PB&J sandwich I realize how very much I miss beef (and chicken.) This is actually the first day that I have eaten lunch. I only ate dinner on Monday and Tuesday. Late yesterday afternoon I hit the wall and realized I had to eat something pretty quickly as my energy was almost completely gone and I felt weak. I had pasta for dinner, and I think I consumed half the package. Tonight will probably be the $.88 TV dinner. I still have a little over $7.00 left and I think on my way home Friday I will stop by the Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market deli and get some chicken strips and potato wedges. I know....that doesn't speak well for healthy choices! I'm dying for a big juicy hamburger. I can tell I am beginning to lose some inches and I have lost two pounds so far. kbk

Miffed With My Oatmeal Provider

Today was the third day in a row I got up early to make oatmeal for my family. I knew I'd run out of oatmeal today and would have to spend some of my 'emergency money' on a new canister. What I didn't know was that my precious oatmeal, which I have been carefully measuring out and cooking each day - AND which is supposed to yield 13 servings - fell short of 12 servings! Not cool, oatmeal people. Not cool.

Flippin's Day 2 VLOG

I've finally figured out the VLOGing. At least as well as I'm going to tonight. Day two consisted of trying to figure out ways to eat cheap. My goal. Save up and reward myself on day 7!! Check the old vlog for more.

  This morning I went to the gym after my breakfast that consisted of a small bowl of oat meal, one  plain toast and a cup of coffee. I  had a good work out but by 10 am I was starving. I went for my lunch at 11 am (cheese sandwich and 1/2 apple) and by 2 PM Mr. hunger hit me again but water, water, water calmed it a down. I couldn't wait to get home and see what my wife was going to make for dinner. Again I got hit by the reality check of  how many people out there  are just waiting to get home everyday to have their next small meal. And let's not even talk about the working mothers that have to come home hungry to prepare dinner for their family. I feel so lucky and truly blessed.  

Now lets go to my delicious dinner today, arroz Chino (Mama Chef's Chinese rice in the picture). To make it my wife Ileana used 1 1/2 cup of leftover rice from last night , 1/4 cup of frozen peas and carrots, 2 eggs, 2 Tyson chicken breast, 1/4 cup onions and  2 tablespoons of soy sauce.  It was delicious and served three portions (my son, my wife and I). I could of had seconds but there wasn't any left overs, so more water did the trick. I have a feeling that by the end of the week (if Im not to weak to go to the gym), Papa's gonna loose some weight. 

Esta mañana fui al gimnasio después del desayuno, que consistió de un platito de avena, una tostada sin nada y una taza de café. Tuve una buena rutina de ejercicio pero a eso de la 10 AM me moría del hambre. A las 11 le sometí al almuerzo (Emparedado de queso y media manzana) y para las 2 PM ya el Sr. Hambre me estaba atacando otra vez, pero agua, agua y mas agua lo calmaron. No podía esperar llegar a casa a ver que iba a cocinar mi esposa para la cena. Nuevamente tuve un despertar a la realidad de pensar en las personas que día a día esperan ansiosamente llegar a sus casas para comer su próxima pequeña cena. Y ni hablar acerca de las madres que trabajan fuera que tienen que llegar a casa con hambre a preparar de comer para sus familias. Me siento afortunado y bendecido. 

Bueno ahora vamos a mi cena deliciosa de hoy, Chiness rice (Arroz chino de Mama Chef en la foto). Para hacerlo mi esposa Ileana  utilizo 1 1/2  taza de arroz que sobro de la cena de ayer, 1/4 de taza de chícharos y zanahorias congeladas, 2  huevos, 2 pechugas de pollo Tyson, 1/4 de de taza de cebolla y dos cucharaditas de salsa de soy. Estuvo delicioso y dio para tres porciones (Mi esposa, mi hijo y yo). Me quede con el deseo de comer un poco mas pero no sobro nada , así que mas agua hizo el truco. Tengo el presentimiento que para el fin de semana, (si no esto muy débil para ir al gimnasio), Papa Rap va a estar un poquito mas delgado.

Two Days Down...

I now have completed day 2 and have 5 to go. So far it has been ok, but starting to dread the thought of basicly eating the same thing for the next 5 days. But the fact that it is only for 5 days makes it easier to push through. If I was living on food stamps...I know that I would not have that luxury of "just 5 more days". That is what would make it extremely difficult...not seeing the light at the end of tunnel.

It took me almost an hour to do my grocery shopping. I quickly realized it was necessary to purchase items that could be used for more than one meal. I did get enough food for the week. However, I am going to miss meat, chicken and fresh produce. I bought pinto beans, rice, eggs, milk, bread, cheese and hot dogs. I also purchased two frozen dinners for $.88 each and a chicken pot pie for $.68. I splurged on a small jar of instant coffee and 3 bananas. I will have a much larger selection when this challenge is over next week. Many people are not as fortunate.

Tuesday, Feb. 24

Tuesday, Feb. 24

My trip through the grocery store yesterday took more than an hour, as I painstakingly compared prices to save what few pennies I could.

The rotisserie chicken smelled inviting, but I saved $1.28 by cooking my own. That’s going to be a staple of my meals this week, along with beans, rice, oatmeal and peanut butter.

A $3 bag of juicy Gala apples was a score. I also bought a few bananas, a bag of carrots, a head of lettuce and two bell peppers. I’m not willing to give up fresh fruits and vegetables, but I’ll have to eat them much more sparingly.

The herbal teas I normally drink are out of reach. So is the honey I prefer as my sweetener. I spent a little time pricing basic condiments such as sugar, cooking oil, pepper and salt. I didn’t include all that in my budget, but if I really were living on $25 a week, I’d have to.

I switched personas to pick up a few household items not on my Live United challenge list. It was disorienting to spend $4 on the sensitivity toothpaste I use and $6 on cat food. I compared ingredients on two bottles of cranberry pomegranate juice for my son and bought the more expensive one. (Neither my son nor cat are doing the challenge with me.)

It’s worth it to me to pay more for a higher quality product. I want my son drinking real juice instead of sugar water.

If I lived on $25 a week, I wouldn’t have the luxury to choose.

Bettina Lehovec
The Morning News

Cooking My Fingers to the Bone

This is getting old. I am about burnt out on cooking. And speaking of burnt... let's just say I have a bit of a reputation in my family for occasionally whipping up the a-little-too-well-done entree. The pressure is on me this week not to burn anything! Or drop a Pyrex full of casserole on the tile floor. Not that I've ever done that...

As someone at the lunch yesterday put it "the margin for error is very small".

So far this week I have cooked:
- garbonzo beans to use in my chicken soup
- black beans to use in stir fry (and bean dip)
- potatoes (to use in soup and chicken pot pie)
- a chocolate cake!
- fettuccine alfredo
- casserole
- chicken pot pie

Today I'm cooking soup. It's getting old. Very old. I eyed Mad Pizza lovingly as I drove by today. And my lunch meeting at Jose's? I admit I cheated and ate a few chips - just a few! Because who can sit in a Mexican restaurant and resist chips? Not me.

$25 Grocery Challenge--the challenges of eating nutritiously

Cross-posted at the Tyson Hunger Relief site.

In response to yesterday's post about the challenges of eating nutritiously on a budget, our friend Jeff Wiedner from Share Our Strength reminded us that David Davenport* recently posted a link to a New York Times story (see how social media works) about how much more expensive it is to eat healthful, nutritious food than higher calorie foods with fewer nutrients.
Ever hear anyone say, "How can he be hungry? He's forty pounds overweight. He could drop a few."
I know how.
Yesterday's main course at lunch, after my apple, was Ramen noodles (something I never ate much in my days as a low-income, semi-working musician). At 18 cents a large serving, it's probably one of the cheapest ways to fill up. But it's crammed with sodium and calories.
As of yesterday morning, I'd lost two pounds from the first two days of the experiment. This morning when I weighed, I'd gained a pound and a half back.
It's ironic that food insecurity and obesity often cohabitate. But given the economic food choices, it's not surprising.
-------------
* Big hat tip to David Davenport, CEO of the phenomenally progressive Capital Area Food Bank of Texas. David lived on this food budget for a month. Talk about a guy who puts his money where his mouth is!

Monday, Feb. 23

Participants in the Live United: $25 Grocery Challenge met today at a kick-off luncheon at the United Way. This was a brown bag affair: coffee, tea and water were provided but any kind of lunch was up to us. Most people pulled out sandwiches and fruit, although a few brought salads.

I had an egg burrito — my second of the day. I have to admit that I’ve already made a boo boo — I didn’t make it to the grocery store this weekend. My carefully considered shopping list is still in my purse. Instead of a chicken sandwich — which would have required advance cooking as well as shopping — I made do with what I have.

In actuality, I have plenty of food at home, but in keeping with this challenge, I chose items that are on my “eat” list this week. So it was eggs for breakfast and eggs for lunch, with an apple in between as a snack.

Bettina Lehovec
The Morning News

As one of the other participants pointed out at our luncheon, there isn’t room for error in this kind of budget. I’ll definitely hit the grocery store on my way home tonight, or it will be — you guessed it — eggs for supper.

What a great group we have and it was so nice to meet most of you yesterday. It was so important for me to attend our lunch meeting that I gave up an invitation from one of our departments for gumbo! However, there was King Cake left over and since it was just sitting in the break room.... Also, this morning at a meeting, they had bagels and fresh fruit. I grabbed some fruit - lacking in my grocery shopping. Is this cheating?

I made my big pot of stew last night - stew meat and frozen veggies and got a little carried away. Am sure I can eat it all week. However, I do have 3 chicken breasts I got for $5 that will make 4 meals for me so that will include chicken stir fry (with Ramen noodles), burritos, and a sandwich. I did make Jiffy muffins (.52) that will carry me three breakfasts. I usually bring something to fix at work since I'm here before 7:30, so the oatmeal most of you are fixing doesn't work for me. I did miss my snack when I got home from work (sounds like school kids, huh?), but had some applesauce left over from breakfast that I didn't have time to eat. Decided I could either have it for my snack for for dessert. Let the stomach grumble and saved it for my dessert.

Good luck to all and by Friday that noise permiating the area will be our collective tummies!

Que pasa mi gente, yesterday It was nice sharing with all the participants of the $25.00 challenge. This experience has been an eye opener for me. I'm sharing it with as many people possible, including my family back in PR. Most of us can do a week of challenge, at least I thought until my wife came home from work and saw what I had bought for grocery and I think she felt sorry for me (I left it all on the Island table  in the middle of our kitchen).  So to my sunrise she and my 24 year old son decided to join me for the challenge. The first thing my wife did was to take me grocery shopping. She took me to a place I'v never been to before, Aldis.  The prices where great and now with $55.00 on our family budget (I had $5.00 left from my initial grocery shopping disaster) we went to town. Still a challenge but know I had an expert with me.  We were able to buy bigger portions and save money, even got a little extra for my morning coffee. Yesterdays first challenge dinner was canned Salmon (1.89) and rice.  With this all three us us ate dinner and we're able to talk about how for some people this is not an option, it's their life.

What's up my people. Fue bonito compartir con todos los participantes del reto de los $25.00. Esta experiencia me ha abierto los ojos. Estoy compartiendo mi experiencia con la mas gente posible, incluyendo a mi familia en PR. Casi todos podemos hacer esto por una semana, por lo menos así pensaba yo hasta que mi esposa llego del trabajo ayer en la tarde y vio la comprita que yo había hecho y creo que le dio pena conmigo (Deje la compra en medio de la mesa de la cocina). Así que para mi sorpresa ella y mi hijo de 24 años decidieron unirse conmigo al reto. La primera cosa que ella hizo fue llevarme de compras. Me llevo a un sitio donde yo nunca había ido, Aldis. Los precios estaban fantásticos y ahora con $55.00 en nuestro presupuesto familiar (me quedaban $5.00 de mi desastrosa compra inicial) empezamos a comprar.  Todavía fue un reto pero ahora tenia una experta conmigo. Pudimos comprar porciones mayores y ahorrar dinero, hasta me quedo algo para mi café mañanero. Ayer nuestra primera cena fue una lata de Salmón (1.89) con arroz. Con esto comimos los tres y tuvimos la oportunidad  conversar durante la cena en cuanto a que para algunas personas esto no es una opción, esta es su vida.

Shopping With Intention

Today we met at the United Way offices to kick off the challenge and I was surprised to be the only one there who is cooking for an entire family. Anyone else out there?

Before the challenge started I did what I do every week - I made a menu. The difference was that this week it took quite a bit longer to come up with the plan and there were MANY changes along the way.

$100 Menu for Four
For breakfast, I decided we'd have oatmeal or eggs. However, I realize now that I'll probably have to pick up some more of each or improvise something else by the end of the week. I did splurge on a pack of bacon for Sunday breakfast because I had to keep the family happy, but that came at the expense of the fruit I should have bought. Making the oatmeal meant I had to get out of bed early this morning, so that's going to get very old by the end of the week.

Lunch won't change much. My husband and children take lunch every day as it is. The difference is that instead of cheesy crackers, chips, and other tasty packaged snacks, they're eating saltines with their sandwiches. And as I already mentioned, the fruit bowl is very low this week! I usually grab whatever's left over in the fridge, or graze on pantry items, which are not there this week! Maybe I'll lose a little weight...

Dinner is the toughie. I need to make sure everyone ends up fairly full and happy. Here's my plan:

Saturday - Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
Sunday - Cheesy Beefy Noodle Casserole
Monday - Chicken Pot Pie (made with the dark meat from the deli chicken)
Tuesday - Leftover Casserole
Wednesday - Chicken Soup and Cornbread (same chicken)
Thursday - Stir Fried Veggies with Black Beans over Rice
Friday - Beans and Rice

Shopping With Limited Means
Shopping was definitely a different experience. I took my daughter with me and she kept a running balance as we shopped. I tried not to be embarrassed when she called out the total and asked how much left we had to spend. The most difficult part was the produce section. I usually just wind through, picking up whatever I want. I knew fruit was expensive, but I didn't really know exactly how much things cost. Now I know you only get 3 apples or pears for $1 - IF they're on sale. And strawberries? Forget it!

I only spent $95 so that leaves $5 for emergencies. When I got home and took the picture above, my husband remarked that it looked like quite a bit of groceries for $100. I'm sure it won't seem that way by the end of the week.

$25 Challenge First Day

Hi, everyone-

I can already tell that this is going to be a difficult week. I anticipated that the change in my eating habits would be major, but it's only Monday and I am hungry! I did my shopping on Saturday and I think I spent about 45 minutes just trying to figure out what I could afford and what I would actually eat. Those who know me know what a very, very picky eater I am. I pretty much don't eat any veggies (corn and potatoes only) and I eat very few fruits. I eat lots of beef and chicken. Needless to say, I didn't purchase either of those two staples on Saturday. What I came away with was lots of pasta, in various forms, as well as a frozen TV dinner, cottage cheese, saltine crackers, bread, eggs, waffles and PB&J. I didn't spend the entire amount because I felt sure I would need to purchase other items as the week progressed and at some point in time I will most certainly have to go to Sonic during happy hour for a Dr. Pepper and a $1 hamburger. My initial thought had been that I will eat one meal a day and that would be in the evening. However, I'm not sure I am going to be able to go an entire week on that philosophy!

One note of interest while I was shopping on Saturday was the way people kept looking at me. It was obvious that I was trying to be frugal by the off-brand items I was putting in my cart and the way I kept counting in my head and then putting something back on the shelf when I realized it was more than what I could pay. I watched people watching me and I could see them saying to themselves "she's poor" or "she's on food stamps, just look at what's in her cart." I had heard several of our Leadership Benton County class members say the same sort of thing when we had them participate in an abbreviated version of this project. Part of me wanted to say "I'm working on a project" or something to qualify what I was doing, so I didn't have a stigma attached to me. It was a humbling experience. I know this is going to change the way I look at everything.......it already has! kbk

$25 Grocery Challenge--Moving Along

Because of something I have going next Saturday, I too started on Saturday. I did, however, do most of my shopping on Sunday, stopping at the "W" store, as well as the "A" (discount & surplus) store. Some early thoughts:

• Oatmeal, cheap raisin bran, budget bread, peanut butter, ramen noodles and processed cheese slices early in the day can put one into the price range of a modest, but decent dinner--if you don't mind spending a little time in the kitchen.


• (one that might not be politically correct at work) If people had to live on $25 a week, I'd be out of a job. One simply can't buy much meat protein on this budget.


• (and one that won't be PC in other circles) Locally-grown & organic? That'd be a tough one. Even imported fresh veggies (some of which I bought) push the envelope quite a bit. In our market, this time of year, frozen and canned are much more practically nutritious.

I'll be cross-posting about this at the Tyson Hunger Relief blog.

If you Twitter about this, I suggest the tag #$25GroceryChallenge

Shopping Day

Today was shopping day for the week with only $25 to spend. I started on a huge roll getting 3 items for less than $3...and they were vetagables!! So, I was starting healthy and economically. From that point it became increasily difficult. I found myself running thru Walmart picking one thing up only to return it to the shelf a few minutes later because $25 wasn't going very far. I ended up settling with a very basic menu for the week with $1.83 to spare. I look forward to the challenge this week and all that I believe I will learn....Tim

Starting Early and Stressed Already

Although the $25 grocery challenge officially begins tomorrow, we started early. And by we I mean myself, my husband, and two kids aged 10 and 8. I decided to start us on Saturday because we've got out of town plans next weekend and I really, honestly, truly KNOW we wouldn't have been able to meet the challenge out of town.

Feeding the Family

Like a lot of the others have already written, my strategy was to plan, plan, and plan. And that was a stress. In fact, for the past several weeks I've been nervous to begin the challenge because I've got three other people to satisfy. I'd be happy on $5 worth of Top Ramen, but the rest of them, they require real meals several times a day.

So that's my first lesson. I'm under pressure, and if I run out of cash before the week's end my kids aren't really going to go hungry. I can only imagine how stressful it must be for those who really are limited to $25 a week per person on a consistent basis. That said, I'm fully committed to the cause.

Deli Chicken Rocks

My first trick: deli chicken. Did you know you can feed a family of four three times off a deli chicken? This week I'll make Chicken Fettucine Alfredo, Chicken Pot Pie, and a big ole pot of Chicken Soup. All that meat for $6.98. Cha-ching!

Stay tuned....

Grocery Shopping today!

So, I'm headed to Walmart to do my shopping for this week's challenge. I've decided not to make a list in advance, but just go down all the aisles and figure it out as I go. Probably not the best idea, but we'll see how it goes. I figure that by doing it this way, I'll be able to see what's on sale, price compare different items, etc. At least that's my story and I'm stickin' to it! Looking forward to the kickoff lunch with everyone tomorrow!

New Year for the Young Women's Alliance

This is an exciting time for the YWA! We have restructured the group and are very excited about the year ahead.

We had our first meeting of the year at Soul Restaurant & Lounge in Fayetteville on February 10th. Several ladies have joined our group this year, and we are thrilled to have our new members! Our bi-monthly meetings (every other month) are held at local restaurants and benefit a different charity each time. At the February meeting, YWA members and new members brought items for “Care Kits” that we put together for the Northwest Arkansas Chapter of the American Red Cross. These Care Kits are distributed to individuals and families in times of need from house fires and other disasters, like the recent ice storms. They included a variety of hygiene items, like shampoo, combs, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes and deodorant. The YWA participated in assembling care kits last year and enjoyed it so much we decided to continue the tradition this year.

The Young Women’s Alliance (YWA) is a volunteer affinity group associated with the United Way of Northwest Arkansas. YWA began in 2006 in an effort to involve women between the ages of 21 and 40 who contribute time or money to the United Way of Northwest Arkansas. YWA is an effort to empower women with opportunities to LIVE UNITED through avenues of giving, advocating and volunteering.

If you are interested in joining the YWA or would like more information, please contact Heather Clouse at hhensle@yahoo.com or call the United Way of NWA office at 479-750-1221.

I am excited and not surprisingly, a little nervous about eating a full week on $25. It will be a good lesson learning about the real challenges too many people in America face every day, how to eat healthy food with so little income. On the positive side, I need to lose a little weight so this could give me a jump start on better eating habits. My wife has volunteered to help with the meal planning and may even join me. Stay tuned! sg

Another Idea. . .

Repost from sargeonfox.blogspot.com

I have a casserole I make from time to time....Not sure it would be cheap enough to make, but I'm going to add it up tonight and see.

First layer --- ground beef (I'd have to get SUPER cheap beef, if there is such a thing these days)

Second layer --- frozen peas

Third layer --- frozen corn

Fourth layer --- mashed potatoes

Bake at 350. I eat it with ketchup, but I'm weird like that. :)


I MIGHT be able to eat that for a week -- with peanut butter and bread for breakfast and snacks.

We'll see....

As you can see....I'm still brainstorming and planning.....

-Sarge

Que pasa my people of NWA. I'm so happy to be part of this great program. I've been sharing what I'm about to do with my Latino community through my weekly Spanish radio show on la Zeta (95.7 FM) every Sunday nights, from 8 to 10 PM. I'm trying to convince Mama Chef to take the $25.00 challenge with me so I'm not tempted with her puerto-rican cooking. Now that I think about it, we could stick to some of our PR plates because we love that rice and beans.  Later Ill share with you some of my Mamis healthy but economic recipes. 

Whats up, mi gente del Noroeste de Arkansas. Estoy tan contento de ser parte de este gran programa.  He estado compartiendo con mi comunidad Latina lo que estoy por hacer a través de mi programa de radio semanal en la Zeta (95.7 FM) todos los domingos de 8 a 10 de la noche. Estoy tratando de convencer a Mama Chef para que tome el reto de los $25.00 conmigo para que no me tiente con su cocina puertorriqueña. Ahora que lo pienso pudiéramos mantener algunas de esas recetas de PR por que nos encanta el arroz con habichuelas. Después comparto con ustedes algunas de las recetas saludables pero económicas de mi Mami.

$25 Grocery Challenge--some advice from others

I have a great job. For the last nine years, it's included helping manage a fairly significant hunger relief effort by Tyson Foods. You can see a bit of what we're doing at our hunger relief blog, and I'll be cross-linking as we all go through the effort.

Part of what I do is work with hunger relief organizations and food banks from around the country, so I'm familiar with this challenge, having seen it carried out by other groups. For some time now, I've promised I would undertake it myself, so I'm grateful for the opportunity to be part of such an effort in my own community.

Last fall, we worked with a group of food bloggers from the Bay Area, who took the Hunger Challenge. Each blogged about it on her own blog, in addition to contributing to the Hunger Challenge Blog. There's some excellent writing, plus, they also offered up some tasty recipes to cook on a budget. Those of you who are going through this process might check them out.

When I decided I would do this myself, I emailed the Hunger Challenge bloggers for their advice.
Gayle Keck, who is also media relations manager for the San Francisco Food Bank, offered up the following:

• Seasonings make a huge difference


• Bacon grease/bacon - goes a long way to add meaty flavor


• Oatmeal is a cheap, good breakfast and snack-type belly filler


• Don't buy anything that isn't on sale - the grocery ad pages are your best ally


• Some people planned all their menus/purchases out in advance; I had some general ideas, but let sale items guide me (not everything was listed in the store circulars)


• The more people you're feeding, the easier it is - buying bulk definitely makes things cheaper (and so does shopping at stores where you can buy small amounts from bulk bins)


• If there's something you can't live without (for me it was cafe lattes), be creative about how you get it - for example, I got a small jar of instant espresso and made my own lattes from that and milk. I also quickly spread my (bargain) pear slices throughout the day so I could have a little sweet snack in the afternoon or evening, rather than eating a whole pear for breakfast, as I would normally have done.


• You will get cranky. Tell everyone what you're doing, so they don't think it's just how you are ;-)

Amy Sherman, author of the marvelous food site, Cooking with Amy, had this advice:

• My best suggestion is to plan, plan, plan. The more you can price out ahead of time, the easier it will be. Try to build in some variety; eating oatmeal everyday can get awfully boring. Look for low cost food items but don't forget to read the labels. Some cheap food is not very nutritious.
• Sometimes frozen vegetables are a better deal than fresh. Pasta is a good buy too.

Thanks to Gayle and Amy, and a big tip of the hat to those of you out there on the front lines of the fight against hunger every day

If you're a Twitterer, you can follow the Tyson Foods account here.

photo by Mr. Kris--Creative Commons

$25 Grocery Challenge: Getting Ready

I'm excited to be participating in this challenge and yet also nervous about it. In the past, I volunteered quite a bit at The Bread of Life, a food pantry at my church (First Methodist in Springdale). I remember when a busy day there was 50 families. Now a "regular" day is 90 - 100 families. It's easy to see the affluence in our part of the state and I don't think that those of us who are more blessed realize the great amount of hunger and need that exists right here all around us. I do this project as much out of respect for those who are struggling as for any other reason and will go through this week repeating two things: "That which you do for the least of your brothers ..." and "There but by the grace of God go I. "

I have pulled out my cash for groceries and plan to keep it in an envelope. This way I'll always have a visual reminder of where I am in the process. When it's gone, it's gone. That's a reality that so many NWA families face all the time. I've been near this financial place before after a divorce with two small daughters and almost no child support. The trick was trying to feed us healthymeals while never letting them know how very poor we were at the time. But even with that experience long ago, this is a bit scary to me. The sobering factor is that I have a choice now of whether to do this or not and so many families do not have that choice.

I know that this weekend I will have to spend considerable time planning menues, and then will take my little envelope and go shop. Since we did an excercise a little like this in Leadership Benton County this fall, I at least have a little stratedgy with which to start the week and a menu that I'll share once I know the cost. But since I'm a family of one, I may end up portioning it out to eat on all week. We'll see how this goes.

Sharing the experience with my family

I have recruited my husband and 2 teenagers to participate in the challenge with me. We've been talking about the challenge over the last few weeks, and have become quite cognizant of what we're putting in the grocery cart. Just this weekend, I purchased a considerable amount of fresh fruit and vegetables. As we got in line to pay for our purchases, my son pointed out that we wouldn't be able to have that kind of food during our challenge. We have always taken those fresh bananas and apples for granted, but this challenge has really opened our eyes to just how fortunate and blessed our family is. Most people who receive food stamps don't have the luxury of fresh foods.

We have been discussing our menu, and I know that it will be very hard to prepare a meal on this budget that will appeal to all the picky eaters in my family. What does a mom do when the only dinner options she can present to her family are the ones she can purchase with very little money? What if her child is going through the "I'm only eating mac and cheese" stage, and she doesn't have any? I remember those days when my children were younger, and it was difficult then. I can't imagine trying to please them on a limited budget.

I can't wait to see how my teenagers cope with the challenge. My hope is they will share this experience with their friends and truly have an awakening to the issue of hunger facing our friends and neighbors here in NWA.

Good luck to my fellow challengers! This is going to be an eye-opening experience for us all!

Already struggling

I'm already struggling with trying to figure out what to buy. Not that I don't pay attention to prices, but I've never had to plan a whole week's meals for $25. I feel like I have to make a "trial run" and then figure out what to eat. I read the sample menus, but I'm diabetic so finding something healthy and non-carbo loaded will be a big challenge for me. Discussing this with my daughter has made her more aware and so it goes... We need to discuss with everyone!

I, too, feel ashamed that I can "get through" this next week and then go back to my usual eating and spending habits, while so many cannot do that. This is a continuous struggle for them.

Wanda

$25 Grocery Challenge

I've been thinking for the past few weeks how I am going to survive on $25 for the entire week. I typically eat whatever I want and don't give much thought to how much I spend on food. As is the case for so many of us, lunch or dinner is as much of a social gathering as it is about actually eating. I just read Dana's post and I have to agree that I, too, am going to be very hungry next week. I eagerly accept this challenge and I know I am going to learn so much. I also anticipate coming away with a new perception of how difficult the day to day struggles can be for those just trying to make ends meet. The one thought that keeps popping into my head is "I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to make it for a week; I can go without for a week and then get back to my normal routine. The reality is, there are people who are trying to figure out how to survive every single day. Although this is going to be an incredible experience, it will still only be a small glimpse into what most of us take for granted, daily."

Thanks to Brooke and her team for making this project possible, and thanks to all my fellow "challengers" who will be participating. I look forward to reading about everyone's insights.

For anyone who would like to help with a food donation, please feel free to contact any of us.

Dana Sargent: Getting Ready. . .

(Repost from Dana Sargent's blog)

Next week I'm going to participate in the United Way's $25 Grocery Challenge. In the simplest terms, it is going to raise eyebrows across the community -- as I (and many other participants) experience in one week what many low-income families (on food stamps) in our area experience every week. I can't spend more than $25 a week on food. That's the amount a person in Arkansas would get through the food stamp program.

In all honesty, my grocery bills are normally 4x's that amount. I'm starting to do a little digging on what I can eat for $25 a week, or a little over $3.50 a day. I guess my first inclination, as pathetic as it sounds, is to attack every value menu in town. Dollar burgers, dollar tacos, dollar chicken nuggets. Then I'm thinking how horrible I will feel as I round out the week. So now, I'm planning thrifty Wal-Mart shopping. The United Way suggested some meals. Most of them are beans and rice, peanut butter and bread. I'm honestly thinking I'm going to be VERY hungry next week..... but a good kind of hungry because I know it is raising awareness. I can turn around the next week and eat a steak if I want to. Many families in our area don't have that luxury.

-Sarge

Free Tax Prep Event

On Saturday, February 7 we held our first ever Free Tax Prep event in partnership with the Office of Human Concern. This event was to help families or individuals making less than $42,000 in 2008 get their taxes done for free, and possibly qualify them for an Earned Income Tax Credit of up to $4,800!

While we are still waiting to get the overall community impact, we served more than 60 people on Saturday helping ensure these families are on a path to financial stability.

A volunteer doing a quality review of a return

During the day, we heard stories from families that were receiving a refund of nearly $7,000! This family was going to use it to buy their first home, so that they can stop paying rent, and start (hopefully) building equity in a solid investment.

Serving these people would not have been possible without the help of the Samaritan Community Center staff and volunteers, the volunteers who were certified to prepare taxes by the IRS, and the countless other volunteers and staff that gave up their time on a Saturday to give back to the community.

Volunteers getting final instructions before the event officially begins.

While this event might be over, we still encourage people who make less than $42,000 a year to look into having their taxes prepared by certified volunteers through the Office of Human Concerns VITA program (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance).

If you make less than $56,000 a year, then we encourage you to try doing your taxes online at TheBeehive.org. This website is in partnership with United Way of America, One Economy and the Walmart Foundation to help individuals do their taxes for free online instead of paying money to go to a paid preparer or be tempted by Rapid Refunds.

To learn more about the dangers of Rapid Refunds, visit these links:

Refund Anticipation Loans can Carry a High Price
Cheaper & Still Fast Alternatives to Refun Loans

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