In Which I Go Grocery Shopping

I found my blog on only the second try this time. I'm so glad it's not too hard for me to locate. Thanks, Google.

My exciting news update of the evening is that I went grocery shopping. "Wait," you say, "you love food. Of course you went grocery shopping. Why, you probably go twice a week!" Okay, I admit that's true. This, however, was a special grocery trip as it was my first with food stamps. Translation: actual groceries!

My savings would have allowed me to spend lots of money on groceries up until now, but I'd rather attempt some minuscule understanding of what it's like to wait for federal aid to kick in so I had been spending fairly day-to-day up until now. Granted, I got lots of fresh fruit; I tried to limit the fruit and other purchases to things I would consume in the next couple of days in hopes that my EBT card (the debit card on which food stamps are now distributed) would arrive in the mail. Due to my AmeriCorps term showing up in a federal-database search of my social security number, I had to send in an excepted income letter (which VISTA provides to all active members) before I could receive benefits. This states that members' pre-existing benefits cannot be reduced as a result of our AmeriCorps living stipend. Since I applied ten days before I started service, I could use this letter to receive benefits at pre-AmeriCorps levels. The outcome of this letter-requirement was that I was moved from expedited to regular processing for SNAP benefits so ended up receiving my EBT card about 2 1/2 weeks after applying. This is, I will note, much better and nicer than having to wait the full 30 days it could possibly take. I'll now get $200 every month to spend on food. This makes grocery shopping generally more pleasant and enjoyable.

As a side note, I'm enjoying shopping at Stop & Shop much more than I thought I would. I had planned to do most of my shopping at Whole Foods, but I love that the Stop & Shop a mile from my house in Bridgeport helps make Bridgeport not-a-food-desert and I feel obligated to support it in its provision of fresh produce and other healthy options to the community. I also like shopping in the community which I serve rather than across the border in Fairfield. As I generally consider the Fairfield-Bridgeport community my service domain (and hope students will grow to see that as their community too), this may be a bit hypocritical. That said, I'm fully aware that I do service here because Bridgeport is here, not because of Fairfield. Supporting the Bridgeport economy and non-food-desert status works for me.

Happily, I now have delicious salads prepared for all week. Yum.