Category: CPN Original

This week, Several dozen Charlottesville residents spent three days eating below the poverty line, living on two dollars and eighty-three cents a day for food. That’s the average amount that a recipient of food stamps to spend.

Michael Strickland is a junior at Charlottesville High School who took part in the Poverty Diet Experience, a project put together by the Monticello Area Community Action Agency to raise awareness of issues of poverty. Michael kept an audio diary of his experiences, which we bring you here. His monologue lasts for about ten minutes, and then features comments from Carol and Leonard Lohman, who talk about how they were able to stay under a budget of $17 dollars for three days. Charlottesville Delegate David Toscano also talks about what he learned.

The Charlottesville Podcasting Network wants your ideas for stories. Send a line to stories@cvillepodcast.com and let us know what you’d like to hear.

I’m feeling a bit guilty about the breakfast I just ate. That’s because several Charlottesville-area residents are cutting back on what they eat and drink over the next three days. They’ll be participating in the “poverty diet experience”, a project of several area non-profits including the
Jefferson Area Board for the Aging, the Legal Aid Justice Center, Monticello Area Community Action Agency (MACAA), the Quality Community Council and the Virginia Organizing Project.

Participants are restricted to only spending $2.83 a day on food and drink. That’s the average amount a food stamp recipient gets. Charlottesville High School student Michael Strickland is taking the challenge. I spoke with him yesterday about what he expects.

Michael has a tape recorder, and he’ll be keeping an audio diary of his experiences. We’ll post that for you on Thursday.

The Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership is currently accepting applications for two of its programs to educate the next generation of Virginia leaders. Every year, Sorensen runs a ten-month Political Leaders program as well as a three-day Candidate Training program. I stopped by the Institute earlier this month to find out more about the programs.

Applications for the Political Leaders’ program will be accepted through November 14th. Would-be candidates who want to take Sorensen’s campaign trainingGYiVyiVDz program have until December 4th to apply.