Discussion Board Assignment:

Discussion Board Assignment: Food Bank Challenge

Given the increasing poverty and food bank use in Canada, some organizations are promoting initiatives called Food Bank or Food Basket "Challenges" or Welfare Diet Challenge. to encourage citizens to get to know what it's like to live on a low income and rely on food banks. In order to raise public awareness on the issue of food security some organizations challenge media and government personalities to take on such as challenge.

 Hamilton Spectator journalist Jeff Green, who is took up such a challenge put on by McMaster University. His goal was to live on typical food bank provisions for 3 days. Here are his supplies (for one person):

1 loaf of brown bread

3 juice boxes

1 package of brown sugar

2 boxes of macaroni and cheese 

1 can of beans in tomato sauce 

2 cans of cream-style corn

 3 onions

 1 package of chocolate chips

1 litre carton of milk

2 cans of chicken noodle soup

1 can of tuna

1 large packet of instant oatmeal 

For this week's post, your job is to take a similar food bank challenge and write about your experiences. You have 3 choices:

1. Imagine you were going to live on the food supplies listed above for 3 days (plus $5 for additional purchases of your choice). Create meal plans for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks for each day. If you're really keen, you're welcome to buy these items and try to actually live on them for 3 days (plus $5 for additional purchases of your choice), but this is not required. The provisions listed are for one person.

write about your experience. How difficult did you find the challenge? Why? What, if anything, surprised you? How does this relate to the topic of charitable food assistance as presented by Dachner and Tarasuk or food soveriegnty as presented by Desmarais in this week's readings and/or other scholarly or media reports on the topic? What, if anything, did this help you realize about poverty and food banks?