Live Below the Line has started!

By Rabbi Jordan Helfman.

Those of us living on $1.75 for five days to raise awareness for extreme poverty and funds for Ve’ahavta are well into our food stores for the week.

Ann Rosenfield was probably the most organized participant:  Click here.

This is what my food looks like for the week: Click here.

Since I was shopping for one and at No Frills, rather than Bulk Barn, I had to buy some larger quantities, and then donate my food to my household slowly (and painfully) until I was at my $8.75 limit for the week.  Joyce Zemans also shopped at No Frills, and had much more success than me – finding many vegetables marked down.  She writes, “Interesting to see how difficult it is to shop (if there were more people to feed it would obviously be easier and if amortized over a longer period of time; though I’m grateful that this is only for the week).”  This morning she let me know she is low on bread, and will only be serving open-faced sandwiches for the rest of the week!

I had one response to my facebook post which pointed out that this is an ‘artificial’ experience, specially for those living on a budget with small children.  I didn’t include diapers, etc., in my shopping.

My answer is that, yes – this IS an artificial experience, Baruch HaShem.  The main point is to raise awareness and funds for those fighting against global poverty (in part through direct relief and in part by furthering education).  I have seen some statistics for Ontario that say that there are definitely families with under $10/week in food after rent, diapers, and other necessities.

Join us for our Dine Below the Line Dinner and support Team Holy Blossom here (other participants haven’t joined the team page, and you will have to search for them by name).