On my way to SNAP success

The hunger pains are gone, for now.

The peanut butter and jelly sandwich should last another hour and a half before I start thinking about lunch. Today, it's pinto beans with cheese and a few corn tortillas, a simple, yet filling meal that should carry me until I clock out.

I'm on day five of the SNAP challenge and am beginning to realize why the term challenge is so fitting for the program. For the first time in my life I'm having to make a conscious effort to put a little less on my plate knowing my food supply is dwindling with every meal. The food is fine, having eaten with fewer options in my days as an undergrad, but it's the planning and preparation I'm so unfamiliar with. I spent nearly four hours cooking the pinto beans I'll eat today, spending a large part of my day off preparing the rest of my food supply to last me through the end of the challenge.

America is a land of plenty, a fact exhibited in almost every facet of our society. It is fueled by the addiction to immediate gratification with internet, credit cards, no to mention the fast food drive-thru. The past five days in contrast, have not been ones of convenience. A drive-thru on every corner makes it easy to forget about food accessibility, but as I attempt to walk in the shoes of close to four hundred thousand East Texans I realize the frustration they may feel at seeing the surplus of food options, yet being able to afford next to nothing.

Two days remain in my personal SNAP challenge and when I eat my final meal Wednesday night I will feel accomplished in for having "made it." However, I believe the feeling of completion will be a bittersweet one, for while I completed my seven day challenge, I know the challenge for hundreds of thousands of East Texans continues every day with the pain of hunger.

It's a pain no one should have to feel.