2009 Hunger Challenge Debuts -- Could You Eat for $28 a Week?

Once again I am participating in the San Francisco Food Bank's Hunger Challenge -- an invitation to bloggers and others to share in the experiences and challenges faced by those on limited food budgets and food stamp users. For more info on the challenge, please click here. For information on the S.F. Food Bank, click here. To see my contributions, recipes, menus and shopping list for last year's Hunger Challenge, click here.

My participation this year will be focused on preparing menus and recipes to fit the challenge. Watch for more posts on this. Here are some ways you can support those in need. This list is from the S.F. Food Bank and lists events that tie in to the Hunger Challenge:

All during the month of September: Macy’s has joined with the San Francisco Food Bank and Feeding America (the national organization of food banks), to encourage people to host dinner parties – with guests making a donation in lieu of a hostess gift. At http://www..macys.com/cometogether, you can send invitations, find recipes, manage party details and make donations that will go directly to alleviating hunger. If you’d like to participate without throwing a dinner party, donations can be made directly at any Macy’s register – with $1 providing dinner for seven hungry people!

Wednesday, Sept. 16, 6 pm: Chef Ming Tsai hosts a special dinner party at Macy’s Cellar, Union Square , with all proceeds going to the San Francisco Food Bank. Ming Tsai, star of the public television show Simply Ming, will prepare an East Meets West Feast of his signature dishes, including pork and shrimp pot stickers, Asian-style sliders and much more, accompanied by wine and a casual cooking demonstration; $25.

Sept. 20-26: Could you eat for just $28 a week? The San Francisco Food Bank Hunger Challenge asks participants to survive on a food stamp budget of just $4 per day, then share their experiences via blogs, Twitter, Facebook and other media. Do it for a month, or even a day. Or, host a Hunger Challenge dinner party – spend just $1.33 per person and donate what you might otherwise have spent on food. Get more info and sign up at www.HungerChallenge.com.

Tuesday, September 29, 3 pm - 7:30 pm: Help fight hunger in San Francisco , by dropping off non-perishable food items at the SF Food Bank warehouse on “Take it to the Bank” Day. As a special treat for anyone who makes a donation, food cart vendors will be selling their wares outside the Food Bank, at 900 Pennsylvania Ave. (cross street 23rd St. ) Other drop-off days will be October 21, November 3, December 19.

All month: Check out the many ways you can help fight hunger in our city with SF Food Bank’s “30 Ways in 30 Days” interactive calendar at http://bit.ly/12KzuW.

Not a S.F. or Bay area resident -- find your local food bank agency here and find out how you can help the hungry and raise awareness in your community.