But for more than 45.8 million people, tomorrow is incredibly more
significant than just the start of another month and it is certainly not the
beginning of a joyous holiday season.
For more than 45.8 million people in the United States (only about
67% of who actually qualify), tomorrow their SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program) benefits will be reduced as part of our government’s effort
to balance the budget.
These cuts will cause hardship for SNAP participants, including 22 million
children in 2014 (10 million of whom live in “deep poverty,” with family
incomes below half of
the poverty line) and 9 million people who are elderly or have a serious
disability. Cutting these households’ benefits will reduce their ability
to purchase food. This cut will be the equivalent of taking away 21 meals
per month for a family of four, or 16 meals for a family of three, based on
calculations using the $1.70 to $2 per meal provided for in the Thrifty Food
Plan. (www.cbpp.org/cms/?fa=view&id=38990)
In protest of these
cuts, my denomination, The Presbyterian Church (USA) is asking our churches to set
aside the week of November 17-23 to challenge your family to live on a SNAP
food budget. The
Challenge simply spending only the designated dollar amount per day, per
person, on everything that you eat, including breakfast, lunch, dinner,
snacks, seasonings and drinks. Most of
us are lucky – we can “choose” to do this for a week and then go back to our
normal budget and habits of eating when we want and not just when we are
hungry. For 45.8 million people - 22 million children, this isn't an option; it's a reality each and every day.
As the PC(USA) website
states: “As people of faith, our morality as citizens of a divine covenant
requires us to focus on fair distribution of the abundance that God gives to
us. In so doing, we must acknowledge that food distribution in the United States
is unfair in its affordability and accessibility, particularly among the poor.” We cannot ignore the issue of hunger in
our own communities. It’s simply
immoral. It's sinful.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
