Welfare Food Challenge- sentiments

Ok so today would have been day 5, sadly I didn’t last past day one. I would have never expected to be that sick. My headache was one of the worst I’ve had in my life, I could barely see.  No amount of pain killer would get rid of the headache. I felt nauseous, exhausted and foggy, but why? 

I figured a few things; the meager amount of food, the low quality of food, the lack of certain food groups and the food dye, preservatives and adatives in the food. Does high quality food and a balanced meal make that much of a difference? So much of a difference that I couldn’t finish the day? I couldn’t sit up? I couldn’t see straight? I was irritable? So sick that I thought I had the flu? It’s absolutely does and it’s something I will never take for granted again. Nutrition is the backbone to daily functioning- that’s why when you’re a kid you’re told to never skip breakfast. That’s why they have the breakfast program in inner city schools. That’s why our parents told us to eat our fruits and vegetables. That’s why I nearly gag every morning on my “gut shot” that my nutritionist made me buy. 

It’s because FOOD IS IMPORTANT, it is so important that it could mean the difference between completing your day or not being able to finish. It could mean having ambition or staying in bed. It could mean starting the first day of the rest of your life or not. 

As I shamefully tell you that I couldn’t even survive one day in the Welfare Food Challenge, I am also shameful to say that I had no idea it was the hard. I am reminded of a specific client I had who had a gluten and dairy allergy. While on welfare I know she didn’t get enough to eat. While homeless she accessed community food programs, most weren’t gluten or dairy free. She would buy gluten free bread and tuna or peanut butter and make the same sandwich everyday. The laughable “nutrition” supplements offered her $20 a month extra to help with food costs, as if that put a dent into specialty foods. 

Socio economical disadvantages seem near impossible to escape, particularly when even something that is suppose to get you on your feet (like welfare) just gives you a big kick in the stomach. Another client of mine once said “how are you suppose to pick yourself up by the boot straps without any boots?”. 

He was right, it’s impossible to pull up your boots straps without boots. It’s impossible to get ahead when you feel like you’ve been hit by a train. We as a province cannot allow our fellow British Columbians to live in extreme poverty. 

Because I couldn’t finish the challenge I donated money to First United Church’s food program. $20  for each day I did not complete, that was a total of $120. 

This was eye opening, it was sad, it was surprising and it was painful.