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Catholic charity boss discovers the real truth of poverty

The head of a major Catholic charity found it difficult to live on the national benefit allowance - and impossible to live healthily.
Catholic charity boss discovers the real truth of poverty
Published: November 23, 2012 03:28 AM GMT
Updated: November 22, 2012 03:53 PM GMT

The head of Catholic Charities in D.C. recently experienced the struggle of low-income families relying on food stamps, noting that Christian charity lends vital support to those in need.

“Most of us don’t have a real sense of what it’s like to be on food stamps,” said Fr. John Enzler, president and CEO of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.



From Oct. 9 – Oct. 15, Fr. Enzler participated in D.C. Hunger Solutions’ Food Stamp Challenge, pledging to spend only $30 on food for one week, the average amount allotted to recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps.



He told CNA that the experience allowed him to stand in solidarity with those in need, while also increasing his awareness of the challenges that face families and individuals who are trying to survive on food stamps.



Throughout the week, he experienced the struggle to be well-fed and healthy on such a small budget. In particular, he said, it was “really difficult” to eat nutritious food.



For Fr. Enzler, a typical dinner often consists of a small piece of chicken or fish with some vegetables. But he discovered that this is “almost impossible” on about four dollars per day.



Maintaining a healthy diet is “what made it really hard for me,” he said.



And while he could have cut costs by eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or more canned food, it struck him that the situation would be much less manageable over a longer period of time.



“This is just one week for me,” he said, while food stamp recipients must deal with these choices all year long.



The other big challenge for Fr. Enzler came over the weekend, when he was invited out to eat with some friends.



While he tried to limit his spending, it still pushed him over his allotted budget, and he ended up spending about $37 by the end of the week.

Many people don’t realize that food stamp recipients often can’t go out to eat, he observed.

In most states, food stamps cannot be used at restaurants, and even cheap restaurants are difficult to manage on such a tight budget.



While eating out is a common way to relax after a long day or enjoy time with friends, a single outing could easily cost nearly half of your weekly food budget, he noted.



“You can’t go to restaurants,” he said.” You can’t have a beer. You can’t go out with your friends.”



Fr. Enzler said that the food stamp challenge helped him to “get a sense of what it’s like” for those who struggle to stay well-nourished in the U.S.

Full Story: Priest takes food stamp challenge in solidarity with poor 

Source:Catholic News Agency

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