The Food Drive

SNAP = $21/Week for Food – Could You Do it?  (or why the Food Drive is so important)

SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or what used to be called food stamps.  If you’re a SNAP participant, you receive $21 per week to spend on groceries, or $1/meal. Could you do it?  Could you go a week spending only $21 on food?

It’s a challenge OSU Students in Free Enterprise (OSUSIFE) voluntarily took on last fall.  OSU SIFE Team Executive Council member Natasha Badaa made the mistake of heading for the grocery store without a list, without planning out a menu, and without researching ideas for inexpensive foods and meals.
“Although we were able to breeze through Winco buying food and keeping under budget it was not until early in the challenge that I realized how wrong my shopping attempt was. I did not buy enough food. I did not buy enough satisfying food. I did not buy enough healthful food. And I did not take into account the essentials like coffee which ended up costing me exponentially in physical, mental, and emotional distress.”  The experience taught her empathy and confirmed her desire “to do more to help those in poverty even more.”  You can read more about Natasha’s and other student experiences with the SNAP Challenge and other activities at http://oregonstate.edu/groups/sife/.  In addition, SNAP Challenge videos are available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LmvuADvLoqk.
You too can choose to take the SNAP Challenge and see how it feels to only have $21/week to spend on food, or you can simply choose to help those who live the SNAP Challenge by participating in any of the many food drive events taking place on the OSU campus during the month of February!

— Julie Howard, College of Forestry

In a few weeks many in our country will be sitting down with family, around a table loaded with traditional dishes such as roasted turkey and cranberry sauce.  But as we all know, many in our country won’t be.  My family can’t travel to visit and I need to stay in town for the game on Saturday.

So that sparked my mind to wandering… where could I help?  Below are a list of area feasts that may be looking for a hand to make them happen.  If you’re interested please contact the facility directly to see if they need volunteers.

Corvallis – Sr. Mary’s Stone Soup; 501 NW 25th  Thursday, November 27 at 5:30  757-1988

Philomath – Neighbor to Neighbor Unived Methodist Church 1123 Main St. Tuesday, November 25 at 5:30 929-6614

Alsea – Alsea Christian Fellowship 18080 Alsea Hwy November 23 at 1:30 487-4442

Sweet Home – Manna (SHEM Soup Kitchen) Sweet Home United Methodist Church 6^th and Ironwood November 27 at 1:00 367-6504

Lebanon – First Christian Church 170 E. Grant Street November 26 at 4:30 451-7667

Newport – American Legion 424 West Olive November 27 at noon

Albany – Helping Hands 619 SE 9^th Street November 27 11:30 926-4036

Albany – St. Mary’s Soup Kitchen 728 S. Ellsworth November 26 at 5:00 926-8562