LA PLATA –Charles County Department of Social Services (CCDSS) Director Karen S. Butler, MSW is participating in the annual Food Stamp Challenge. Butler and her elementary school-age son will eat only food they are able to buy utilizing the same amount of money that is provided to people who receive the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program benefit.
On average, the monthly benefit amount is $130 per person or for her household $8.70 per day, which is less than $3 per meal. The Director will also be using the United States Department of Agriculture’s MyPyramid plan as a guide. This plan is a daily 1800-calorie food pattern. It is based on average needs of a person her gender, age and weight. www.mypyramid.gov/
In Charles County, the social service office assists over 10,000 households with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program (SNAP). Local providers also lend a hand with more than 20 food pantries to assist struggling low-income families meet their nutritional needs. In Maryland over 600,000 people each month, rely on the food assistance program. One in 9 households in Maryland (or 11.1 percent) faces a constant struggle against hunger.
For more information about the Food Stamp Challenge, sign up as a participant or to read about the experiences of those who enroll in the Challenge, visit the Maryland Hunger Solutions website at www.mdhungersolutions.org or contact them at 410-528-0021.
