Phoenix Mayor Lives Off Of Foodstamps For A Week

Can a politician really relate in just one week? Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton tried to step out of his comfort zone and see what it’s like to live off of $29 a week through the states SNAP Program…and the man didn’t cheat once! Claiming to have lost a few lbs due to lack of food, he’s passionate about fixing the low level of poverty in his state.

Arizona has more than 1.1 million folks on food assistance and the US has more than 46 million that are accounted for.

This week I joined staff and board members from the Arizona Community Action Association (ACAA), the Valley of the Sun United Way and others in the community in the week-long SNAP Experience when we’ll limit total food purchases to the weekly budget of a typical SNAP participant: $4.16 a day. That’s about $29 a week for one person and $97 a week for a family of four.

The SNAP Experience, through which participants also will be asked to blog about its impact, is scheduled Sept. 15-21. September is Hunger Awareness Month. With American poverty levels approaching the highest levels since 1965, 1.1 million Arizonans rely on SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly food stamps) to feed their families.

Identifying, in a concrete way, with struggling families is an important exercise for any leader. By walking in the shoes of those who depend on the SNAP program, I certainly feel like I’ve gained critical perspective as a policymaker. From a broader perspective, I’m starting to think about all the other challenges families on food stamps (SNAP) must face at the same time they are stretching their food benefit. Census data in 2010 showed Arizona had the second highest poverty rate in the nation with 21.2% of its citizens living in poverty. The national figure was 14.3 percent. We’ve improved since then, but we’re still in the 10-poorest states category. Worse, women raising children alone here aren’t doing well. More than 45% of mothers raising children by themselves are in poverty. That’s why turning this economy around is so important. The best “program” for any struggling family is a job that pays a living wage. That’s what I’m focusing on for every Phoenix family.

We’re going to give the Mayor credit for making the effort and spreading awareness on the issue. If every politician was required to do this, do you think we’d see more efforts and less b*tching about the needy, struggling, low-to middle-income classes?

Images via facebook/shutterstock