Open Arms of Minnesota

KELLY: SNAP … or SNAP!

I’ve been wondering about the intent behind the new food stamps acronym, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). When they renamed it, where they trying to imply, “Lucky you, getting assistance and buying food will be a snap!” or where they implying, “Snap, we know this sucks, but do your best.”

I’m thinking it’s the latter.

I went home early from work yesterday. I had a headache, teetering on a migrane, and I was exhausted. Literally, I couldn’t focus on anything, and all I could do was dream of sleeping. Low energy is unusual for me, especially since we modified our eating habits to fresh, whole foods over the past five months. Here it was, only day one-and-a-half of having no coffee (because we couldn’t afford it) and eating an over abundance of carbohydrates (because we could afford it) and I was miserable. By noon that day, I had eaten four pieces of white bread between breakfast and lunch. Add to that, cereal in the morning, and I was running on not enough protein and, heaven forbid, no caffeine.

So, I went home and took three more ibuprophen, slept for an hour, then broke down and drank coffee while eating left over meat loaf from the night before (protein, yay!) I felt remarkably better, albeit guilty.

Today is a better day and I’ve rearranged some of our menu items in order to space my carbs throughout the day instead of all at once. It seems to be helping. And yes, I had coffee this morning. Sorry.

Of course, my week will come to an end and I will go back to fresh vegetables and fruits, but what about the neighbors in our community who don’t have that luxury? I’m saddened by the statistics of Minnesotans now accessing SNAP assistance: over 440,000 people this year alone, and that is up from 329,000 last year at this time. That’s not even mentioning the run on food shelves.

Simply focusing on what SNAP users are presented as options at the grocery store (based on the money they receive), how do people stay healthy living on this little each month? I’m sure many people do it, and do it well. In fact, I know many do, as I’ve heard from them already over the last couple days. And I raise my glass of water to you all.

But for me, the SNAP acronym still carries this meaning: I’m trying my best, but snap! this sucks.

More from Open Arms

Vote for us graphic

Vote For Open Arms!

Vote for Open Arms as Minnesota’s Best Place to Volunteer! We need your support! Open Arms of Minnesota has been nominated in the MN Fun > Place To Volunteer category in Minnesota’s Best annual best-of contest—and we’d love your vote! Our incredible volunteers are the

Read More »
minnpost logo

Meal delivery for Twin Cities chronically and critically ill

MINNPOST Cites Open Arms and Fair Table in Feature about Meal Delivery For the Critically Ill MinnPost writer Deanna Pistono shined the light on Open Arms’s services in her latest article entitled “Meal delivery for Twin Cities chronically and critically ill.” We encourage you to read

Read More »

What Is A Medically Tailored Meal? Parts I-V

Part I – What Is A Medically Tailored Meal, The Basics In Part I, we explore the foundational concepts of medically tailored meals (MTMs). You’ll learn about the meticulous process behind creating these meals, which are specifically designed to meet the dietary needs of

Read More »

VOTE FOR OPEN ARMS!

We need your support! Open Arms has been nominated in the MINNESOTA FUN > PLACE TO VOLUNTEER category in Minnesota’s Best annual best-of contest—and we’d love your vote! Vote daily through March 12 and let’s show everyone why Open Arms is the best place to make a difference.

IN A CHAOTIC WORLD, WE CAN SHOW LOVE IN ACTION!

When life feels overwhelming, there’s one thing we can control: showing care, love, and compassion to one another. This February, Give from the Heart in honor or memory of someone special. Your gift will provide life-saving medically tailored meals and nutrition counseling to someone facing a critical illness. We’ll send a heartfelt card to your honoree or their family, sharing your loving tribute.

Open Arms of Minnesota Earns Accreditation from Food Is Medicine Coalition

Open Arms of Minnesota, the Twin Cities-based non-profit dedicated to providing nourishing, medically tailored meals to individuals with critical illnesses, has earned accreditation from the Food Is Medicine Coalition (FIMC). This recognition places Open Arms among an elite group of organizations nationwide that have demonstrated a high standard of care in delivering medically tailored meals (MTM).

End Of Year Giving Graphic

Your Gift Will Help Us Serve More Clients!

Together we can continue to meet the increased demand for medically tailored meals with your support! We hope you think of us as you consider your year-end giving. Your donation is a gift of care, compassion, and encouragement!