Blogging, food-stamping, internetting… by Harvard Thompson.

My name is Harvard Thompson and I am on food stamps.

Currently serving as an Americorps*VISTA volunteer in the DC Metro region, I quickly realized that I needed extra financial assistance with the high costs of living.  Being an Americorps volunteer, I am awarded a monthly stipend of $1067.00 USD on a biweekly basis, before taxes.  Once taxes and life insurance (a peculiar concept that I thought might be useful) are deducted, I receive $496.00 USD every two weeks.  Next, giving consideration to my monthly rent, utilities and travel expenses, which average around $930.00 USD, I am left with approximately $75.00 per month for either miscellaneous expenses and food.

If anyone has ever had to consider a period of 30 days with only $75.00 in hand, they will most likely agree that it can be an incredibly daunting challenge.  Fears of “what if I get hurt”, “what if I need money to pay for this” or “what if $75.00 really just is not enough” flooded my head on a regular basis.  That was around the time that I decided to swallow my pride and apply for food assistance.

Having been raised in a family that never had to worry about when the next meal would be available, I naturally feel like any form of living assistance is not appropriate for me.  Welfare, Medicaid and even food stamps are all systems that are meant to help those in need, which I have never identified as being.  It took me a long time to realize, however, that just because I had never qualified for these subsidies before, does not mean I do not qualify now.  In fact, the only major hurdle between me and obtaining food assistance was my personal hesitations.  I actually felt like I was robbing the system, detracting from those who truly needed the money.  What changed my mind was a talk with someone who explained to me that considering I had been paying taxes since I was 13, when I held my first job, I was actually just accessing my own money; I never would have guessed that the taxes I paid when I was an adolescent would be put towards my time serving as an Americorps volunteer.  Therefore, once I realized that I was not stealing, rather using my own money, I felt a lot better about the food assistance situation (especially since it is only for my year of service with the Americorps); and I applied for the stamps.

What do food stamps mean for me?  Aside from the immediate satisfaction of no longer having to worry about how I would be able to feed myself, I also have been able to enjoy an occasional social outing.  I mentioned earlier that after living expenses, I was left with approximately $75.00 for the rest of the month; once I started receiving $200.00 per month (the maximum amount possible), I was suddenly able to redirect that $75.00 to miscellaneous expenses and FUN!  In all honesty, it has been a blessing to be able to go out and enjoy the occasional snack (or meal?) at a restuarant, or know that I can spend $10.00 on entrance to a museum, concert or another social engagement.  Food stamps to me, aside from maintaining my ability to eat, have allowed me to engage in activities that have been as nourishing to my psyche and mental health as the actual stamps have been to my physical health.  Food stamps are truly nutritious…