Oregon Governor's food stamp challenge raises awareness.Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski's recent week of living on an average food stamp food stampn. A stamp or coupon, issued by the government to persons with low incomes, that can be redeemed for food at stores. Noun 1. allotment A portion, share, or division. The proportionate distribution of shares of stock in a corporation. The partition and distribution of land. ALLOTMENT. Distribution by lot; partition. Merl. Rep. h.t. of $21/week as part of the Oregon "food stamp challenge A food stamp challenge is a U.S. trend popularized by religious groups, community activists and food pantries in which a family of means chooses to purchase food using only the monetary equivalent of what a family that size would receive in federal food stamps. " raised attention to the plight of the working poor. Hundreds of people sent e-mail messages to the main sponsor of the challenge, the Oregon Food Bank, saying they too had been inspired to give it a try. When Kulongoski entered office in 2002, he was surprised to learn that Oregon ranked high on the list of what the Department of Agriculture used to call hunger and now calls "food insecurity Insecurity Inseparability (See FRIENDSHIP.) Insolence (See ARROGANCE.) Hamlet introspective, vacillating Prince of Denmark. [Br. Lit.: Hamlet] Linus cartoon character who is lost without his security blanket. ." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Since then, the state has improved its ranking, thanks to an improving economy and federal policies that allow it to expand eligibility for food stamps. Under the Farm Bill now before Congress, advocates for the hungry say, the rules that allow expanded eligibility for food stamps could be restricted, potentially disqualifying dis·qual·i·fy tr.v. dis·qual·i·fied, dis·qual·i·fy·ing, dis·qual·i·fies 1. a. To render unqualified or unfit. b. To declare unqualified or ineligible. 2. about 50,000 of the 434,000 Oregonians who use them. Kulongoski sent a letter to President Bush asking him to preserve current food stamp benefits. |
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