The Challenge of the Week, Oct. 9

I read Deuteronomy26 yesterday morning and I re-read it today after enjoying an egg on rye toast.  My eyes and my stomach have been satisfied by a nutritious breakfast, and by being able to choose what I wanted from my refrigerator.  The five-day food bank challenge has been met and I am glad to regain my freedom.  As of today, I can choose the food I eat and if I need something that is not in my pantry, I can easily go to the grocery store.  People who rely on social assistance don’t have this choice.

I am relieved to begin this day knowing that I met the challenge during a very busy week.  I lost a couple of pounds, and I have a few blemishes on my face, but I gained a profound bodily understanding of what happens in just five days without a balanced diet.  I say this knowing that I was one of the fortunate ones to go to a food bank on a day when there were fresh fruits and vegetables.

The Deuteronomy passage is often read for a Thanksgiving worship service.  It talks about the themes of giving of the first fruits of the harvest and remembering an ancestry of bondage in a foreign land.  It seems to me that this is an amazing passage on which to conclude the ”Do the Math Week.” 

At the beginning of the week, St. Matthews House gave me a box of food that was given to them.  My bag was colorful and reflected the green of a slightly limp broccoli, the bright orange of carrots and the red hues of tomatoes and apples.   These colors gave life to a bag of “no name” yellow tins.  They may not have been the first fruits of the harvest, but they were a beautiful offering. In Deuteronomy, during the festival of first fruits, the people of God are told to bring a portion of their harvest to the priests and it is to be shared with widows, orphans and aliens.  There are many biblical passages about sharing, including Ruth gleaning in Boaz’ field, or the young boy who shares his lunch of loaves and fish.  Most of us are aware that sharing of our resources is something that God calls Christians and people of all faiths and moral suasions to do.  But, what is important in this occasion is the offering of first fruits – the best of the harvest. 

 

How can we think that the most vulnerable people in the province deserve only the leftovers – the least desirable – the least nutritious food?  This is not the fault of food banks.  They share what they are given and can afford to provide on the monetary donations they receive.  Food banks provide a valuable safety net and must be supported.  BUT, food banks are not meant to be a grocery store.  Everyone deserves a right to choose from the first fruits of the harvest. 

Providing an additional $100 per month to individuals who receive social assistance is not a handout, it is a lifeline.  Good nutrition is cost effective.  Filling people’s bellies with salt and preservatives will only lead to preventable diseases and conditions that will cost tax payers more money.  A steady diet of bland food without the regular benefit of fresh fruits and vegetables also leads to a kind of malaise that stifles creativity and productivity. How does a parent look after their children if they have not been properly nourished?  How do children learn about a balanced diet if they have not experienced that at home? 

If we lost our job and all our resources, could we survive on $585 a month?  After a few months of visiting soup kitchens and food bank and stops at churches to ask for a grocery gift certificate, would our self-esteem be high enough to look for a job?   I can’t begin to imagine how weary I would feel after weeks and months of this kind of struggle.  But, after only a week of living with only one limitation, I know that we are expecting the impossible from a vulnerable group of people.  This is a justice issue.  This is a community issue and one that calls us to advocate for our brothers and sisters who are struggling daily – just to survive. 

If our province can find the money to cover health care costs which are clearly on the rise, why not seek a longer term strategy of helping people to live more healthy lives, and reducing medical costs through good nutrition?   I know it is not a simple equation, but our politicians need to “Do the Math” and find a better solution.

Day Four - Oct. 8

It is day four of the challenge, and this afternoon I felt like my body was taken over by aliens bent on sabotage.  How could a few tins make such an incredible difference in four days?  My box included some fruits and vegetables and still my body feels out of balance. 

Tonight, I walked into Westdale to the bank, but only after I rushed in to eat a few spoonfuls of my tuna with rice and onions.  I made a big pot this morning for both breakfast and dinner.  For the dinner entrée, I threw in a few chopped carrots.  After the second time today, it was less than exciting.  Then, I remembered that there were apples in my bag!  How could I forget!  Duh! The sweetness of the apple was a welcome respite to the blandness of the white rice and tuna, and the plain peanut butter sandwich that was the lunch du jour. My energy increased enough to stretch out on my bed and do some work on the computer.

As I reviewed the notes from the morning reflection session with about 35 McMaster students who had also taken the challenge, I was reminded of the physical and emotional impact of this experience on students who had tests and presentations.  One student came by the office this afternoon and said, “I need to stop or I won’t be able to write a paper tonight.”   Poor nutrition has an impact on performance.  I found my own ability to do a simple task like completing the bank deposit form taxing at the end of the day.  It’s dead simple.  I’ve done it hundreds of times, but today, I couldn’t seem to count all the change from an event and organize it on the form.  Fortunately, the teller was very patient. 

When I walked home, I saw a mother walking with a child that looked to be about a year old.  I found myself thinking, if she were on social assistance and had eaten poorly, how far could she safely walk with her child?     

Almost everything has taken on new meaning.  When I made the black beans on Monday and opened my jar of cumin and noticed that I only had about a teaspoon.  If I were on social assistance, would I have used the whole teaspoon in the beans, or would I have rationed it? 

As I began the week, I was a bit worried about my health, because of having a virus in September that seemed difficult to shake off.  My husband was sick as well, so I was vigilant about hand washing and taking vitamins. If I were not fortunate enough to have vitamins in my cabinet, would I have managed to stay healthy this week?   What does a person on social assistance do when they are sick and have to choose between going to the doctor or getting to a food bank during the hours they are open? 

A student taking the challenge rightly noted that we have only experienced one stress – the stress of a nutritionally poor diet.  Individuals on social assistance often have the stress of unstable or inadequate housing, and having to choose between the hydro bill or the phone bill.  As tired as I feel after only four days, I can begin to glimpse how overwhelmed a person would become when faced with so many difficult choices and so few resources. 

In our reflection with students on campus, we were clear that food banks are not the problem.  Food banks offer a valuable safety net for hundreds of people.  But, food banks should be for emergencies, not the mainstay of thousands of people in Hamilton.  When I think about the complexity of the problem, I think that reform in government is only part of the solution.  Why are corporations allowed to mass-market foods with a level of sodium that is unsafe for prolonged consumption?  Might they bear the same warning labels that are mandatory for cigarettes?

I will continue to support food banks and social services with my charitable donations, but I will seek to be a more consistent advocate for social equality

Thursday, Oct. 7

Yesterday, I felt the effects of eating too much salt.  The can of beefaroni had 1080 mg of sodium.  It was supposed to be two servings, but I was hungry and I ate the whole can.  I needed energy for cooking.  The evenings’ task included chopping and sautéing onions, celery, onions and parsley.  I needed enough to serve 60 people, the number we expected at the turkey-potluck for international students.   One of the challenges of this week was to be in the grocery store shopping for turkeys and all the trimmings.  Fortunately, Canon Rick Jones at St. Paul’s cooked the turkeys, so I did not have to smell them cooking.  

I finished the stuffing on Wednesday morning and put it in the pan, without tasting for seasoning.  Again, knowing it would be a busy day, I decided to have my can of chicken noodle soup and toast for breakfast.  I noticed that the can had about 1800 mg of sodium.  By 9 am, I felt like the ocean was in my mouth!  I tasted salt all day long.  I was alarmed to think about what a steady diet of canned foods high in sodium would do to a person’s health.  After only two meals, I noticed a big difference in my body. 

But, the soup sustained me, along with some beans for lunch.  Dawn Fraser, Bob Snider and Rick were carving the turkeys by mid-afternoon.  We put the stuffing in the oven and soon the smells of sage and thyme mingled with the aroma of the turkeys and gravy.  I transported the food to the campus and soon students began arriving with wonderful dishes like: eggplant curry, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, crepes and sponge cake.  It was a beautiful and bountiful table.  I decided to stay busy taking photos and helping people get registered. 

I was very glad to get home and cook a potato.   It was satisfying, but also marked the mid-point in this week’s challenge.  I knew I could make it through Friday.  I don’t know how I would cope if this was my existence every week. 

Wednesday, Oct. 6

Wednesday, October 6

One of the lectionary readings for the coming week is from Jeremiah 29.  It is written to a people who are living in exile, in Babylon.  There they do have food and shelter, but their freedom of choice is limited.    I think about this text in relation to the people who must rely on social assistance.  Most can eek out a subsistence kind of life.  It means they survive, but they don’t thrive.  Where is the joy in seeing a bare cupboard, or a shelf that only has a bag of pasta?  Where is the joy in perusing a cookbook for Thanksgiving recipes, when there is no turkey or tofurky and no pumpkin for making pie?

The words of the prophet Jeremiah speak to the hardship that the people are feeling.  He reflects on their alienation and distance they feel from the culture around them.  It’s a difficult and lonely place to be located.  If you lived on social assistance, would you perhaps feel like you were exiled from mainstream culture?  What is it like to always be dependent on what is given to you and to have so little choice in what you eat?  I know well the story about manna, and surely, we all need to be grateful for the gifts God provides and the generosity of food banks and community programs.  But, there is something wrong with a system that says it’s only the manna of “mac and cheese” for the rest of your life. 

In addition to offering words of hope, wouldn’t Jeremiah also be saying “It’s time for all God’s children to have good food and a living wage?”

Do the Math

It's day two of Do the Math.  Yesterday, I visited St. Matthews House foodbank and registered for my box.  I took a small suitcase to make it easier to pick-up my food, as well as the hamper for Gary Warner.  The room was not crowded and  I my wait was very short.  I wondered if it was always so smooth. 

I was asked about food allergies and special needs before the food was brought out to the waiting room.  I had expected the same list as we prepared for the student challengers at Mac.  I was surprised to see that a donation the previous day meant that there were fresh vegetables and fruit in the bag.  Having picked up for two people, it was difficult to manage.  I can see how challenging this would be for a mom with a stroller, or a person with a walker or wheelchair.

I postioned all my food on my kitchen counter and quickly made a peanut butter sandwich.  I was cooking for the Social Justice student group, and knowing that Kojo Damptey was also doing the challenge, I made black beans and rice for us and vegetarian chili for the rest of the group. Nutritionally, it was a good day, although, I ate a block of the cereal when I returned home.

I feel torn about the fruits and vegetables, as the students only have potatoes and onions.  But, I ate the two pears as they were over ripe and would not last beyond the day.      I was feeling hungry by 11 am and ate my peanut butter sandwich.  It's hard to decide how to space out the two tins of tuna for the week, but I am lucky as I have two cans  in addition to peanut butter. 

This afternoon, I received a phone call from someone who saw the article in the Spectator on Saturday.  She wanted to tell me what it is really like to not have the money to pay the hydro bill, and to not be able to buy food.  Her story was sad and pointed out so many flaws in the social services network. 

The Do the Math Campaign is about bringing awareness to a lived reality of poverty.  Increasing the payment by $100 per month is only a very small start, yet, it is a tangible way to begin.    There is so much to learn in order to be a better advocate.