TAMPA, Fla. — Can you feed yourself on $6.12 a day?
That's a very real challenge for millions of Floridians who rely on government-assisted SNAP benefits, formerly known as food stamps.
The average SNAP recipient in Florida gets $6.12 a day.
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And that's a challenge that could get even tougher if the currently proposed federal budget cuts to food assistance programs get approved.
Making $6.12 a day work with today's grocery prices is tough enough.
Local nonprofit Feeding Tampa Bay is fearing the worst.
"For a lot of our friends and neighbors, things are about to get a lot more difficult," says Thomas Mantz, president and CEO of Feeding Tampa Bay.
FTB's Causeway Center — a state-of-the-art facility in the fight against food insecurity — features a gorgeous market that the community can access for free.
But to illustrate both the high cost of groceries and impending increases in food insecurity, the market currently features "high price tags" for select groceries.
It's all part of Feeding Tampa Bay's #SNAPChallenge — challenging everyone in the community to try and shop for daily sustenance at Publix, Aldi and more using just $6.12 a day — and then imagining a possible future scenario where it's even less than that.
Use the hashtag #SNAPChallenge and tag Feeding Tampa Bay on social media to show your results.
For more on Feeding Tampa Bay's role in the fight against food insecurity — including food pantries, volunteer opportunities, and more — go here.
