Being Hungry Does Not Take A Holiday
I work daily with people in our country who must survive on food stamps and public assistance in order to survive. Yes, survive. Poverty, Ladies and Gentlemen does not take a holiday. While we all seem to be in the mood to give during times when we are about to gather with our families in the comfort of our homes, it is important to remember those less fortunate on the other 362 days in the year. They did not ask to live in poverty, usually circumstances beyond their control such as a medical event, or a company lay off, or carrying for a loved one with a terminal illiness was the cause of their homelessness. So please gather with your church, school in your community and get involved with an organization making a difference in the lives of others. I appauld what Gov. Kulongoski is doing, and hopefully his efforts will not fall upon deaf ears.
 Gov. Kulongoski is hoping his temporary food stamp diet, intended to dramatize the plight of food stamp recipients, will help in his lobbying on Capitol Hill. (AP)
Quote  "I personally felt how a few extra hundred dollars in the bank to supplement my nutrition would make a major difference in my life."
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But things will be different this week.
This is Hunger Awareness Week in Oregon, and for the next seven days, Kulongoski and Oberst will be cutting way back – down to the budget one would live on if relying on food stamps – a diet they hope others will also follow for a few days to better understand the plight of those who have no choice.
They'll spend just $3 a day apiece on their meals, $42 in all, to match the amount spent by the average food stamp recipient in Oregon.
"I'm gonna probably go back to what I remember in college, Top Ramen and hot dogs," said Kulongoski.
It won't be easy, but the less than bountiful fare is for a cause, reports CBS News correspondent Stephan Kaufman, as Kulongoski begins lobbying Congress against cuts in the food stamp program proposed by the Bush administration.
"The problem is we've just been reducing the money and the eligibility rolls of those who can get food stamps," said Kulongoski, who lived in a home for boys as a child and worked his way up, with a boost from the GI bill. "At the same time, those on food stamps are getting less."
The Oregon governor is also a strong advocate of school breakfast and lunch programs. "When the federal government cuts back on them," says Kulongoski, "you're actually depriving children of opportunity to basically have a healthy life and at the same time, to be able to learn while they're in school."
The Bush administration has proposed several cuts to the program, among them taking away food stamps from about 185,000 people who qualify only because they receive other non-cash government assistance. The Department of Agriculture budget, as proposed, would also eliminate a program that gives boxes of food to nearly half a million seniors each month.
The administration has proposed some changes hailed by hunger advocates, like excluding retirement savings from income limits, and setting aside money to encourage food stamp recipients to purchase more fresh produce.
Kulongoski, too, has made it a priority, regularly serving at soup kitchens and helping to unload donations at the state's food pantries.
