Living on $26 per week
What would it be like to have only $26 each week for all of my food needs?
In BC, people receiving income assistance receive $610 per month. This could break down as follows:
$425 – rent
$20 – damage deposit
$21 – ten bus tickets
$10 – hygiene
$25 – cheap cell phone
$109 – food
Take part
For that reason, $26 per week forms the basis of the second annual Welfare Food Challenge.
I am taking the challenge this year and I encourage you to do the same. There are countless reasons to decline: social obligations, families, worry about performance at work and play, etc. I’m taking the challenge because although I theoretically understand the stresses involved in making choices with only $26 for food, it’s a far cry from having to experience the stress, anxiety and worry that permeates all decisions related to buying and eating – even if only for one week.
I encourage you to take the challenge. The challenge is that for one week, you have only $26 to spend on food. No harvesting from gardens, farms, rivers or forests; no charity from friends or agencies. If someone on welfare anywhere in BC is meant to live on $610 per month, the intention of the challenge is to try to do the same, at least food budget-wise. The challenge is from Oct. 16th – Oct. 22nd. Email bill50@vcn.bc.ca to sign up.
Follow along at http://welfarefoodchallenge.org/
Learn more about poverty and food insecurity in BC http://bcpovertyreduction.ca/
Jillian
I am insulted by this so called challenge as some of us are living it in real life. It is not a game for those that want to try it for fun and pretend that they are living on the poverty line. I am a single mother of 2 children trying to cope on my wage with little help from the father. This lack of affordable living is very very real and if people want to really help they could
1. Donate to food banks
2. Clean out their closets and donate to a charity.
3. Donate money to schools programs that provide meals to students with no food
We may be VCH employees but some of us are not earning or living in a comfotable lifestyle.
Not only do we have very little for food, we have to pay the high rent, keep hydro connected and not end up homeless. There are many of us in this position and thisi is no game believe me!
Sarah Carten
Hi Jillian,
I’m upset to hear about your circumstances, and also that the Welfare Food Challenge sounds to you like a game. The intention of the Challenge is to raise awareness of the very real issue of poverty and hunger in B.C. It’s organized by http://www.raisetherates.org which is a coalition of community groups and organizations concerned with the level of poverty and homelessness in British Columbia.
The blog posts at http://www.welfarefoodchallenge.org and http://welfarefoodchallenge.org/category/2013-welfare-food-challenge/2013-wfc-blog/ all speak about the participants’ desire to participate to have a better understanding of the stress involved in making decisions on so limited money. All gained a very humbling sense of the varied and many ways in which living in poverty impacts health and the urgent need for B.C. to adopt a poverty reduction plan. We also all recognize that we are participating in the Welfare Food Challenge while still maintaining all of the other privileges we have (i.e. knowing it will end after a week, knowing we have secure housing, functional kitchens, etc).
My apologies that the Welfare Food Challenge comes across as offensive. I hope once you have a glance at the website, you will see that the intention of the organizers and of the participants is very well-meaning and has garnered supportive press coverage, many petition signatures, and countless dialogues to help change mindsets.
I really appreciate the suggestions you have offered for helping someone who is immediate need. To assist in changing the system which continues to support ongoing poverty, I would also encourage readers to consider meeting with or writing to their MLA to advocate that B.C. adopt a poverty reduction plan, adopt a living wage policy, and raise income assistance rates.
These suggestions and others, along with other useful information, can be found at the ‘take action’ section of http://bcpovertyreduction.ca/ and http://www.welfarefoodchallenge.org.