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D.C.'s Norton, Gray Take 'Food Stamp Challenge'

COULD YOU LIVE ON $21 WEEK FOR FOOD? That's what the average American food stamp recipient does. And now D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton and Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray are seeing what stretching their dining dollars is like first-hand.

The D.C. leaders are taking part in the "Food Stamp Challenge," part of a recent push to bring awareness to the struggle of food stamp recipients. As The Post's Sue Anne Pressley Montes and Nikita Stewart report, the numbers are higher around the area than one might think.

In the District, 11.4 percent of households are struggling with hunger, according to D.C. Hunger Solutions, which publicizes the challenges and urges people to lobby Congress for increases in food-stamp benefits. About 9.4 percent of Maryland households are living in such circumstances; in Virginia, the figure is 8.4 percent.
According to the D.C. Department of Human Services, 86,872 people received food stamps in fiscal year 2006.

» "Norton, Gray Get a Taste of Lean Times" [WaPo]
»"Cheap Eats Guide" [Fit/Express]
»"Lawmakers Find $21 a Week Doesn't Buy a Lot of Groceries" [WaPo]

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