About the SNAP Experience

The Arizona SNAP Experience

In July 2012, over 1.1 MILLION households in Arizona received SNAP, known in Arizona as Nutrition Assistance (food stamps). SNAP is meant to supplement a household’s food budget to help families put nutritious food on the table. Unfortunately,
many families struggle to stretch their benefits to the end of the month, and
some are forced to visit food pantries or experience food insecurity.

ACAA’s Arizona SNAP Experience is a 7-day period, September 15 – 21, 2012, during which participants will limit their total food purchases to the weekly budget of a typical  SNAP participant. The goal of the Experience is to increase awareness  around poverty and hunger in Arizona by facilitating a meaningful personal  experience for participants and drawing media attention to the hardships faced  by food stamp users. While this Experience cannot give participants a true  sense of living in deep or prolonged poverty, it can provide insight into some  of the challenges families confront while receiving Nutrition Assistance in Arizona.

To see blog posts from participants in our 2011 SNAP Experience, check out the Archives here, here, here, and here.

To see blog posts from participants in our 2010 SNAP Challenge, check out the Archives here, here, here, here, and here.