WASHINGTON — The head of Catholic Charities in this archdiocese recently experienced the struggle of low-income families relying on food stamps, noting that Christian charity lends vital support to those in need.
“Most of us don’t have a real sense of what it’s like to be on food stamps,” said Father John Enzler, president and CEO of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington.
From Oct. 9-15, Father Enzler participated in D.C. Hunger Solutions’ Food Stamp Challenge, pledging to spend only $30 on food for one week, the average amount allotted to recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps.
He told Catholic News Agency that the experience allowed him to stand in solidarity with those in need, while also increasing his awareness of the challenges that face families and individuals who are trying to survive on food stamps.
Throughout the week, he experienced the struggle to be well-fed and healthy on such a small budget. In particular, he said, it was “really difficult” to eat nutritious food.
For Father Enzler, a typical dinner often consists of a small piece of chicken or fish with some vegetables. But he discovered that this is “almost impossible” on about four dollars per day.
Maintaining a healthy diet is “what made it really hard for me,” he said.
And while he could have cut costs by eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or more canned food, it struck him that the situation would be much less manageable over a longer period of time.
“This is just one week for me,” he said, while food-stamp recipients must deal with these choices all year long.
Over Budget
The other big challenge for Father Enzler came over the weekend, when he was invited out to eat with some friends.
While he tried to limit his spending, it still pushed him over his allotted budget, and he ended up spending about $37 by the end of the week.
Many people don’t realize that food-stamp recipients often can’t go out to eat, he observed. In most states, food stamps cannot be used at restaurants, and even cheap restaurants are difficult to manage on such a tight budget.
While eating out is a common way to relax after a long day or enjoy time with friends, a single outing could easily cost nearly half of your weekly food budget, he noted.
“You can’t go to restaurants,” he said. "You can’t have a beer. You can’t go out with your friends.”
Father Enzler said that the challenge helped him to “get a sense of what it’s like” for those who struggle to stay well-nourished in the U.S.
He created a video blog of his experience, which he shared with his staff to help them understand some of the challenges facing the people they are working with on a regular basis.
There is a need for greater awareness of these struggles, Father Enzler said, explaining that while some people may be tempted to complain that federal-aid recipients are getting free food, the experience of relying upon such a limited budget is very difficult.
And while some of the individuals receiving food stamps can supplement that aid with other money, many cannot, he said. Although people know that food stamps exist as a safety net for those who need it, many do not realize how tough it is to live on them.
Filling the Gap
Nonprofit organizations like Catholic Charities help to “fill that gap” between what the government provides and other existing needs or temporary challenges, Father Enzler explained.
Through its many initiatives in the Washington, D.C., area, Catholic Charities helps feed tens of thousands of people each year.
A recent two-year government contract allows Catholic Charities' Food Service Program to serve healthy meals to up to 800 elderly Washington residents every day. The SHARE food network offers fresh, nutritious food packages at a discounted price, while the Montgomery County Family Center offers nutrition and cooking classes.
It is good to realize that there are those in need in our own back yard, said Father Enzler, observing that hunger is often thought of as a problem facing those in Africa or some other far-off country.
“People don't understand that people in our nation are hungry,” he said.
There are many ways that the faithful can help to ease the hunger of those around them, Father Enzler noted. Christians have the opportunity to speak up in their parishes and communities, volunteer in soup kitchens or organize local food drives.
“Jesus said clearly, ‘Feed the hungry,’” he said. “This is our chance.”
Comments
Post a Comment
Does the good Father not understand that persons using food stamps are nor supposed to be eating out, never never never. The same applies to alcohol, none, nada, never ever. When you hold out your hand for the dole you give up the right to eat and drink as you please.
Maybe if he had used coupons and looked for sales he would have done better. Did he buy generic or insist on name brands ? Did he go to the stores which had double or triple coupons ? True you have to buy a newspaper to get the coupons but with wise spending it can be worth it. I am acquainted with someone who was until recently the local rectory cook for quite a few years. She also did the grocery shopping. From what I could tell she bought what was according to the clergy tastes. However, from what I saw in the pantry she bought name brand and didn’t bother to buy at sales. She bought what the priests needed/wanted. I didn’t see her use coupons neither did I hear her mention such. I don’t know about the rest of you but me and my family have never been able to shop like her and we have never by the grace of God been on food stamps. Maybe the priests aren’t used to living like us working class white trash who have to watch every penny our entire lives.
“You can’t go to restaurants,” he said.” You can’t have a beer. You can’t go out with your friends.”
Are these true issues with social justice?
$30/week can be made to work. Not sure how it is for a family, but our family of five eats well on $150 to $160/week ($150/5 = $30/week per person).
Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/priest-takes-food-stamp-challenge-in-solidarity-with-poor/#ixzz2D5c6Wkrs
Having read this article, I am confused.
Why does the Non-profit Catholic Charities have ANY contractual arrangement with any governmental entity to provide food to anyone? Since when does providing free food services to those in need require any governmental acquiesence or notification?
Respectfully, no, Father Enzler, Americans “do” understand that folks in our country our hungry.
The query of relevance is, why?
With the volume of food in this country that is wasted on a daily basis from shore to shore, border to border, across the fruited plain - by all of us - one could imagine a red-tapeless means of logistically intercepting at least some of the food destined for the garbage and distributing it locally to those in need.
If Americans can successsfully recycle plastic, paper - how’s ‘bout gathering on the local or neighborhood level any food “salvagables and distributing to those hungry…..
Health laws need to be skirted and/or modified to permit the “recycling” of non-perishables; Americans are throwing away good, eatable food…....
What I know is this. With all the wealth and bounty that this nation
has been blessed with, it is an indefensible outrage that any American goes a day without food or lodging, let alone any child.
It is unacceptable and intolerable…..............
This is inacurate to say the least. People on food stamps can go just about any where and buy food with them now as to compared with when I was a child and my mother had to use food stamps to provide for my brother and myself. Besides the fact that most people on food stamps don’t even use their food stamps for food. I know this one woman who uses her’s for cigarettes and whatever else she wants. She goes and purchases a pile of meats, suchas steaks, and sells it to people so she can have her smokes. I know another man who takes his card and gives it to his drug dealer for crack until the card runs out. Then the man wonders around town begging for money from people so he can get something to eat.
Those who are using the program for honest reasons find healthy choices to eat. It might not be that much to eat, but its only suppose to suppliment food not supply a feast for a month. Besides, it’s just giving a man a fish to eat. It’s not showing that person how to fish. In other words this program actually hurts people more than it helps them.
Give a man a fish to eat and he eats for one night. Teach a man to fish and he can eat for a lifetime.
You are so right, Fr Enzler. “This is our chance” to do as we were commissioned by Jesus! HE told us the poor would always be with us, and in that was implied that is each of our personal duty to be of service to them. It is hard to believe that Jesus meant that we should delegate this responsibility to a corporation or a governmental agency. It is good that the Church in the US is having an awakening of sorts, reassuming its role in charitable works in the name of Christ.
I’d be more impressed if these churchmen went out, got jobs and paid taxes to support the food stamp program.
I think many of them would probably qualify for positions at Burger King or MacDonald’s.
Try being diabetic, and getting along on such a diet as the good father experimented with.
Jesus didn’t just mean food. He also meant nourishment, for example, knowledge and love.
I wish a priest hadn’t done this, I feel disrespectful and uncomfortable when admonishing them. True solidarity would involve the priest remaining on food stamps or working to get people off of food stamps.
Subsidiarity (another critical component of social justice) would involve first the family, then friends, then church, then community, lastly government (food stamps).
We need to be dependent upon God rather than government.
While I sympathize with those who are on food stamps and I am sure they live lives of deprivation when it comes to healthy food, I do think it is a little bit unrealistic to try to eat only from one’s food stamps allowance to show how impossible it is. Unless I am mistaken, food stamps are meant to be supplemental and not the only allotted money for food in a person’s budget. I mean that is what it is supposed to be, in theory anyway, a supplementary help. Am I wrong? Is the reality different from the theory here?
Feed the poor with others money!
That is $30 per person—- $150 per week for a couple with three children. That is a workable budget for many working families, and no, they don’t go to restaurants or spend their money on beer..
The best way to help a poor man is to help him get a job.
I think the point of foodstamps and hardship is not to make it a permanent way of life, an entitlement. It is expensive to run a foodstamp program, and it is woefully inadequate to live on. If someone is able-bodied and capable of working to support himself, that is the better option. The program would work if only those that cannot work due to age or disabilty were eligible. Perhaps this priest ought to watch reality TV a bit more. There are examples of people who shop with pennies in their pockets, yet manage to fill a storage cellar with non-perishable goods using coupons, and are able to feed a family for a year.
My understanding of the food stamp program is that it is not intended to supply ALL the food a person needs, but rather to supplement the person’s food budget. As one who has had experience working as a grocery store cashier, although this was some time ago, what stood out in my mind was that most of those using the food stamp program did not shop wisely. Too much of what they received in aid was spent on junk food. Additionally, very, very few of them bothered to use coupons. It truly made me question the wisdom of the food stamp program.
Also, one SHOULD NOT be able to use SNAP money at restaurants! My husband and I are not involved in the SNAP program, and going out to eat for us is limited to eating at a diner on Sunday mornings for about $10 total. Occasionally we go out to a pizza place on Friday evenings. We never go out for or get fast food. It seems a slap in the face to those in our situation to say that the SNAP program now needs to be extended for use at restaurants. Additionally, if it were to be extended for use at restaurants, a person could up using all their monthly SNAP benefits at one meal! That makes little sense to me.
Well, it sounds like someone had a wake-up experience. If he didn’t realize how hard it is to live on a fixed budget and he is the head of Catholic Charities, I’m glad he had the experience. Next time, maybe try buying a 5lb bag of rice .. goes a long way. And, a blessing that he had a place to live and I assume electricity to cook the food ... try living without that. Maybe we should have a Challenge during Lent!
It is very important to consider the MOTIVE for helping people in need.
The CHURCH gives aid in obedience to Christ, out of love for Him and His, with no other agenda.
The government gives aid for the selfish purpose of gaining power, control and misplaced popularity.
Let us never forget that MOTIVE COUNTS
“Jesus said clearly, ‘Feed the hungry,’”
That’s right, Father, he told “us” to feed the hungry, not to go get the government to do that. The pro-abortion party uses food stamps and other such means to buy recipients’ votes to enslave the poor and empower their pro-abortion political party doing what they say is “God’s work.” I heard pro-abortion Illinois Catholic Senator Dick Durbin use those very words.
People who get food stamps at least have a guaranteed source of food for the month, those of us who make too much, spend less on food. We are a one income home-schooling family who does not qualify for welfare. $30 per person is very generous, our family usually spends $20-$25 per person. I cook everything from scratch, even bread, we skip meat a couple times per week. We eat very nutritiously and even grow some of our own food. When you aren’t already receiving free food, you don’t get to participate in any feeding programs either. Most food stamp recipients have their kids fed by the government twice a day at school so they are really only having to provide dinner on that $30. While my family of origin had much more income than we do, I was taught that eating out more than a couple times per year was hedonistic and selfish. While I am not as strict as my parents, it seems to me the expectation or practice of eating out regularly is pretty self-indulgent. I am very surprised that the article indicates this is a moral practice. I have no sympathy for food stamp recipients, they eat better than I ever will.
Why only $30? In Idaho 2 adults and 2 kids receive almost $700/month for SNAP(food stamps). We have 2 adults and 4 kids and our budget by necessity is between $400-$500. We would fare better on food stamps.
I’m by no means opposed to food stamps, but Fr. Enzler strikes me as seriously out of touch. Poor people can’t go to restaurants and order a beer? Is this what passes for a profound revelation from the head of Catholic Charities? And it’s tough to eat peanut butter as a staple over long periods of time? Well, 40 plus years here and I’m still going strong.
.
My husband and I are in the extremely fortunate position right now of not having to watch every penny. However, we don’t spend much more than $30 per week per person for food in our family. Is our grocery budget higher than that? Yes, but it also includes things like tin foil, toilet paper, shampoo, and household cleaning supplies, and for us it also includes things like underwear and socks which I pick up on grocery trips to BJ’s, Costco, and Walmart. I know we’re fortunate to have access to good vehicles, good stores, and our family size easily allows us to buy in bulk, but I find Fr. Enzler’s somewhat elitist attitude annoying and out of touch.
Many on food stamps get other fed sustenance and much of the reason they are in the plight of relying on the gov. is they have not managed their lives in the right manner otherwise.
What the poor and needy need- is lessons on how to get along on very little and NOT spend what they have on unnessary items. I am not speaking from a perspective of never having been there! When my husband was in college, and we had two children during that time-not planned, we did not spend a dime on anything not necessary. We never saw the inside of a store other than a grocery store. And I threw away 1/2 of a potato when we finally moved. We once, close to graduation time, went out for a hamburger.And we went in debt, for another car to get us to his destination of a job. We had no other debts.
I helped some “poor” while in a St Vincent Soc. group and they had tv ‘s, one demanded a bedspread! and the list goes on…..
I don’t understand why the Catholic Church encourages people to go on food stamps. We don’t owe these people anything to this great a measure. The food stamp program was suppose to suppliment a persons income so they wouldn’t have to go hungry, but instead it is used to suppliment peoples drug habits. There are people who use this program to buy drugs and other things they think is nessesary for them to buy. One fella gives his EBT card to his drug dealer for crack, and he has enough crack until his card runs out. Then he starts walk all over town begging for money so he can eat. Another person buys all the meat they can purchase and starts trading it off for cigarettes and booze. I think it’s time the government did a complete over haul of this program to stop the abuse.
Anthonymixan writes: “Feed the poor with others money!”
That’s it. That’s today’s charity. Vote Democratic and feed, cloth, shelter, educate and entertain the poor with other people’s money.
And please, never mind the inefficiency and outright fraud inherent in it all; it’s only the ‘do-gooders’ intentions that count—- at least in their minds.
I have looked at our expenses for the last 6 months - we’re (on average) at $40.37 per person per week. And that’s on all groceries - I have no way to easily break out the food from the toiletries, cleaning supplies, and underwear, etc. And as I said, we’re not watching every penny, although I do watch for sales and coupons. We also try to eat healthily - lots of fresh fruit, mostly frozen (but some fresh) veggies. Very little processed food. Fr. Enzler needs to spend some time in real poverty if he thinks $30 per week on food is roughing it. And the fact that the head of DC’s Catholic Charities couldn’t feed himself for a week on $30 is both embarassing and depressing.
When food stamps were actual food stamps people used to give the stamps at the store. The stores would then have to give the person change with food stamps. If the store didn’t have food stamps for change they had to give them money straight out of the register. So these people were taking that change and buying thing such as cigarettes and beer with it. Now people are going to the stores with people who have money, buying the things for that person who has money and in return them being paid in cigarettes and booze. You silly people who think that people are not buying beer with food stamps are partially correct. They are not directly buying them with it but they none the less are buying them with it. I have seen people buying drugs with their EBT cards. As far as the money thing goes they should make these people pass drug test to get government assistance. Show me they have work and are not just living off the government. Even St. Paul said if you don’t work, you don’t eat. Yep it’s in the bible. One thing to help someone out who needs it, it’s another thing to support someone for their entire life cause they are just unwilling to help themselves.
Per David: “One thing to help someone out who needs it, it’s another thing to support someone for their entire life cause they are just unwilling to help themselves.”
You’re exactly right. And back when the country still had some sense and before the Democratic Party’s prime objective became making people dependent on government, a sharp distinction was made between the worth and the unworthy poor.
To suggest such a thing today, you’d have every elected Democrat, the media, and all the Catholic bishops in a ‘holy’ uproar. And that’s what the road to decay looks like.
Post a Comment
By submitting this form, you give The National Catholic Register permission to publish this comment. Comments will be published at our discretion, and may be edited for clarity and length. For best formatting, please limit your response to one paragraph and don't hit "enter" to force line breaks.
The time period for commenting on this article has expired.