"The Voice" Of Christianity

On Sunday, March 22, Christians for Equality steering committee member Rev. Matt Schultz of First Presbyterian Church of Anchorage published a Compass opinion piece in the Anchorage Daily News entitled Beware Of Any Who Claim to be The Voice of Christianity.

You're Not Welcome

One characteristic of this Homeless SNAP Challenge is finding a place to eat. With a commitment not to cook, refrigerate or eat at home, having a place to sit down and have a meal has created serious challenges and problems.

I work out of my home, meaning that I don’t have another place of business or an office. But I’m very unproductive if I stay home. Like many consultants and contractors, I grab a latte and a snack and settle down to work in a coffee shop. During this challenge, I can’t do that. Sure, I know that the manager and baristas of Kaladi Brothers Coffee would appreciate what I’m doing and welcome me even without a purchase. After all, I’m a regular customer. They start my soy latte with a half-shot of vanilla syrup when they see my car roll up. But how long would they tolerate a customer that doesn’t regularly spend $6 - $10 each time they walk in the door?

It’s winter in Alaska. Sometimes it’s tolerable to sit in a park to eat. Sometimes not. I’m working now in the public library, but they discourage food – and I am a rule follower. Most of the times, I find a place to park and eat in my car. After all, that’s where the food is stored. Even that is a constructed practice that a homeless person might not get to do. Gas is expensive and I burn more gas in a day than the SNAP allowance.

I’ll look into the places where anyone might be welcomed to get out of the cold and have a meal. Right now, it’s indeed a challenge.

Challenge & Privilege

by Nora Ortiz Fredrick

There has been much criticism of SNAP challenges and participants around the country. Each person that participates in some sort of poverty-type experience has their own motivations and intent. A common complaint is the effort to replicate “the hunger experience” is unrealistic and never representative of the true depth of hunger and lack of hope.

I am well aware of my own privilege. I am a nonprofit professional, self-employed Latina living in my own home. I over-eat, have a gym membership, am an outdoor recreation enthusiast, have health insurance, a car and travel frequently (by air) for work and pleasure. Both my parents are (retired) college-educated professionals. I have no personal experience of poverty, homelessness or food insecurity. I am a seminary-educated layperson, deeply entrenched in the church and see how we struggle to be a meaningful presence at the margins of our society. At least on Sundays.

Privilege is a reality. I have no illusion that I can duplicate the true experience of either hunger or homelessness. I don’t seek to glamorize or romanticize poverty, nor investigate the overblown claims of vast entitlements that are available to people living in poverty.

I hope to glimpse into the challenges and possibilities of what happens when people must rely on government assistance for food while struggling with homelessness. I hope to listen enough to hear about need and opportunity where I can use my privilege to advocate for change, and my influence to rally the communities where I am involved to consider ways to make a meaningful different in the lives of all God’s people.

Most of all, I hope this experience will shape my faith and compassion as I glimpse into the challenge that many of God’s people face each and every day. I hope to see, listen, reflect, pray, plan and act.

Taking the Homeless SNAP Challenge

By Nora Ortiz Fredrick

I’m taking the Homeless SNAP Challenge. During Lent, the 40 days leading up to Easter, I’ve committed to spend as many days as possible living on the Alaska allowance for a single person receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits – about $5.75 per day.

Why?

Roman Krznaric, in his groundbreaking work on building empathic cultures, reminds us that some form of experience of the people who are less fortunate helps you place yourself in their lives – even if only for a glimpse.  Christians for Equality, a group that I serve in a leadership position, is looking at the many complex issues around homelessness in Alaska. By participating in the Homeless SNAP Challenge during Lent, I seek a better understanding of the challenges facing homeless persons to eat healthily and adequately.

Here’s the way I’m participating:

• $5.75/day under the SNAP guidelines: fruit, veggies, grains, cereals, dairy, meat.
• With no cooking or food storage facilities, I’ll keep a bin in my car to store the food I purchase. No food consumed from the pantry at home. Freezing temps will play into my storage capabilities.
• I’ll not eat in my house. All my food will be consumed somewhere else. I work out of my home, in client offices or in local coffee shops, so this will be a challenge. Yes, and it’s winter in Alaska. Homelessness has no seasonal boundaries.
• I have work travel scheduled during this time, so will have to take days off. I’ll honor SNAP days and follow the rules, trying to maximize consecutive days.
• My complicated eating habits will play into this. I have a primary plant-based diet. I’m a pesce vegetarian, dairy and egg-free.
•  I’m committed to writing about this experience.

While this is a personal Lenten journey, I hope my experience helps others consider the many challenges facing our brothers and sisters, young and old, who struggle with homelessness and food insecurity. I invite you to join me on this journey.

Homeless Snap Challenge

In the wake of reduced SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly Food Stamps) benefits, many people have taken the SNAP Challenge - eating for a fixed period of time on food purchased within the SNAP allowance and benefit rules. In most parts of the country, the allowance is  about $4.50. In Alaska, our high food costs means the average single allowance is $5.75 per day.

In addition to widespread issues of food insecurity, Alaska also has a high rate of homelessness. Homelessness offers greater challenges for SNAP recipients - usually there is no place for cold storage and an inability to cook (by stove or microwave) food products.

You are invited to join the Homeless SNAP Challenge as a Lenten discipline. Christians for Equality are focusing on education around homelessness at this time and will offer suggestions, feedback, information and other resources to help you on this journey.

Here are a few things to start your journey:

• Decide on your time - one week, two weeks, all of Lent? Date?
• Who participates? Just yourself or your whole household?
• What is your allowance during this time? $5.75 x number of days x number of people.
• Think about storage? Homeless people normally don't have access to a refrigerator or freezer.
• What foods can you eat? In addition to no cooking or cold storage, here are the SNAP approved categories:
• Meat: poultry or fish (no beef or pork, but it'll be out of reach anyway!)
• Cereals, breads and grains
• Fruits & vegetables
• Dairy
• Think about the frequency that you must shop - or how you'll store your food.

Will you join us? Keep us posted and updated about your experiences!