Getting Through the Day With Just $5.16

Community Leaders Share Their Learnings From the SNAP Challenge

This past November, The Food Group led an initiative inviting Minnesotans to live on a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) budget of $5.16 a day for three days leading up to the busy Thanksgiving holiday. As part of this SNAP Challenge, participants were encouraged to share their experiences with the community, either on social media using the hashtag #StepUpForSNAP or on another outlet or platform of their choosing. While any challenge like this can’t possibly compare with the very real circumstances that families face, it can serve as a poignant example of how important it is to work each day to solve hunger in our state.

The experiences folks shared during the challenge were eye-opening. Leaders and partners from the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF); People Reaching Out to People (PROP); Neighborhood House; The Open Door Pantry; Valley Outreach; and more joined us, including Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, who offered her thoughts on the importance of having conversations about food security. In an Instagram story shared during the challenge, she said, “I know the impact that food insecurity can have on families – and the positive impact that government-run programs like SNAP have in the fight against hunger.” 

In all, nearly 200 people signed up to participate in the SNAP Challenge. Participants were prepped with a toolkit that included SNAP Fast Facts, budget tips, budget-friendly recipes, reflection questions and more. 

Steven Krikava, a member of the board of directors at The Food Group, commented, “It also happens that the first day of the challenge is my birthday. I suppose I could have used that as an excuse not to participate in the challenge. But of course, that’s not an option for low-income Minnesotans who rely on SNAP every day, whether or not it’s their birthdays.”

Many SNAP Challenge participants shared the difficulty of living on just $5.16 a day for food and the importance of public benefits for those struggling to survive on a limited income. Milo Mumgaard, the executive director of Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid — a nonprofit that advocates for the legal rights of disadvantaged, low-income individuals — shared, “I had time and skills to plan this out, was able to go to a fully stocked discount grocery store that was actually near me and cooked it all up in a modern kitchen with a big fridge ready to store all kinds of leftovers. Not necessarily something low-income families have, for sure.”

A consistent theme at the end of the challenge was one of gratitude — gratitude for having options that those facing food insecurity might not have, such as changing up the option for lunch or dinner according to appetite, reaching for a snack in the pantry, or shopping at a more upscale supermarket. Many challenge participants shared that they had to revise their typical shopping list to accommodate the SNAP budget of $5.16 per person per day. There were also a few who were honest about overspending, some by up to $4. 

We’re grateful for federal and state nutrition programs like SNAP when it comes to helping our community members in need, but there’s still much work ahead to provide support for our community and strengthen programs that address food insecurity. 

So …where do we go from here, and how can you get involved? 

The Food Group is already taking actions to improve SNAP at the state level and also to protect it federally. You can sign up for our Action Alerts to become an advocate for anti-hunger policies by getting updates on policy efforts and easy ways to contact your elected officials to make a difference. You can also volunteer your time or make a donation to The Food Group to support long-term solutions to hunger and change. Together, we can create a more just and equitable food system. Did you participate in the SNAP Challenge? Take action now to tell your legislators about your experience and urge them to support efforts to fight hunger this legislative session!