The Junior League of Greater Chattanooga challenged people to limit their food for an entire week to the average amount an individual on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program would receive.
As part of the Seeds of Change program with the Junior Leaague, the SNAP Challenge raised awareness of the plight of people living on food stamps by asking participants to dine on $4.40 per person a day. The members of the Junior League went a step further and did all of their SNAP food shopping in the Scenic City's food deserts, avoiding the mega stores and grocers that offer reasonable priced fresh fruit and vegetables.
Participants in the SNAP Challenge spent the week of November 4th through the 10th limiting their food and beverage purchases to the $4.40 a day. The rules did not allow participants to use food they had previously purchased. They could not accept free food. The challenge was to spend one week limiting their food budget to the same amount the average food stamp recipient receives. For the participants we interviewed it was an educational experience.
