For those that participated in the Food Assistance Challenge, this week has been an eye opening one. The extra time spent at the grocery store picking out items for the week that would total no more than $22.50, the extra time planning and creating meals, missing out on coffee and lunch dates, and thinking about hunger…A LOT.  It sure is hard to concentrate on day-to-day activities, such as being present in meetings, writing emails, and interacting with colleagues, when you’re thinking about the immediate problem of your next meal (or how unfulfilling your last meal was). The Food Assistance Challenge also presents the very large hurdle of eating healthy, well-balanced meals. It is very difficult to eat fresh, organic, and lean when you only have $4.50 a day.

Although the Challenge is a great way to walk in someone else’s shoes, there is always the light at the end of the five-day tunnel. Further, the majority of those that take the Challenge don’t have to balance the many other trials that those receiving food assistance do–lack of transportation and/or childcare, finding nutritious food in food deserts, coping with un- or under-treated medical conditions, the list goes on and on. For many, there is no light at the end of the tunnel.

We hope that you have taken the time to read our guest blog posts this week about the Food Assistance Challenge, and we are truly grateful for our Celebrity Council that inspired action and awareness around this issue. Maybe next year you can take the Challenge?