I hope all goes well in New Hampshire. Be careful on stage, with so little to eat you don't want to risk getting light headed.

Thank you for trying to be sympathetic to the needs of your constituents. The food stamp program seems fair to me. I have been on them and with proper budgeting you can eat fairly well. Usually people are allotted all of their money at the first of the month. As you can imagine that makes purchasing food much easier.

The greatest concern I have for those who are poverty stricken in our area, and that is many people, is the quality of food one can afford on the budget. There is a reason there is a link between poverty and obesity. I do not know how much the situation has changed since I was on food stamps, but you could buy pop, potato chips, candy, and other such novelties on the Ohio Card. Those are not healthy, but they are cheap and filling. I would rather see those items taken off the approved list. This will cut down on instances of type two diabetes amongst children in poverty stricken areas.
Please take into consideration that many families with children are also receiving WIC, which supplements them with cheese, milk, peanut butter, beans, cereal, and other useful food items.

Dear Congressman Ryan.
Thank you for your service, and for your involvement in The Food Stamp Challenge.
A former roommate, while attending Harvard University in the 1970's gaining her master's degree, spent those three years on food stamps and Medicaid. Her student loans paid for and covered her tuition, books, rent, utilities, and public transportation costs. Her church supplied her with laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, soap, toothpaste & toothbrushes, and shampoo. Because of her demanding school work schedule as a full time student in graduate school , she was unable to also work a full time job as she did for the previous 4 years while in college . When she applied for public assistance, she was accepted into the food stamp program and Medicaid the same day she applied, and within the week recieved her food stamps. Without the help of public assistance at that time it would have been impossible for her to achieve her masters degree and to have the life she has today. Today, both the federal and state governmental public assistance systems are vastly different from what is was in the 1970's, as it takes years to be accepted into these public assistance programs. Yes, I agree with your opinion of a complete overhaul the food stamp programs as well as a through review of the level of hunger that exists in America, and hope all other's in Congress will join you in support of an increase to the food stamp programs.
Thank you.

A few years back I was a checker at a grocery store. I appreciate what you are trying to do, but this is not the way things are in Northern Illinois. When I was checking, I routinely saw people try to sell their food stamps to others.

I did not work 1 day without someone carrying a LINK card coming in and buying an over-flowing cart of groceries on the card. With their cash they splurged on steaks and lobsters. This happened everyday.

Meanwhile, I truly did go hungry without foodstamps. I had $1 or less out of my $6.33 an hour check to spend per day on food.

If you want to know about true hunger, look at the people who don't get to have help. Foodstamps provide more food to people then you are making it sound, atleast in Illinois.

How about $63.00 a month? Try that arrangement on your next adventure. Credit card debt due to everything costing more is not calculated,just rent or mortgage. The calculations are not based upon today's Cost of Living. Not at all! Double that would be sufficient. The last half of the month is rough. The last week is beyond rough. Americans on food stamps are not getting equitable sums on their EBT cards. Every recipient SHOULD GET THE SAME AMOUNT, not different amounts!!!!!!!

Mr Ryan,
You need to come to Clearwater Fla & work with me at me grocery store to REALLY see how much people on food stamps get in my area. I have been in the grocery business 50 years & I see first hand how much money they get on FS & how they spend . I see 3 generations of families on FS & will never try to get of the FREE RIDE I'm paying for. I have not read anywhere that SO&SO starved to death. The goverment,churchs,Salavtion Army & many more places take care of these people who have nothong & take advandge of the sitution. PLEASE COME TO MY STORE FOR ANY PART OF THE DAY, I WILL BUY YOU LUNCH & DINNER SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO USE YOUR F.S. I have had to work for a living to feed my family for 45 years. Please respond to this so I know your are really serious about what you are talking about.
Yours very Truly,
Steve M Atkinson Sr.

Mr Ryan,

congrats once again on your courage to take on this challenge. I have an even more challenging position for you, why not try the whole welfare experience, the cash,the medical, the whole shabang. seeing how you are in the public eye and a very busy person, maybe you could elect one of your staff or maybe even follow a real welfare client around for a week. maybe with a little bit of luck the public would be less judgemental when it comes to a family on welfare if they knew exactly what a person goes thru just to get assistance. believe me i speak from experience its not a life that someone would just choose over a paying job. again thanks again for your efforts in making the public aware of this subject, i just wish more in government would follow you lead and try it. After all whats 7 days out of their week traded for an experience of a lifetime. just maybe the next time they go to make a proposal or vote on a bill they would think twice about what looks good on paper. Thanks again for not just talking the talk but actually walking the walk...

Congressman Ryan,

Thank you for showing what millions go through each week.
I think it is absurd to build a US embassy in Iraq at $592 million and 2/3 the size if the National Mall plus the staffing.
Imagine if that money could be directed to help low income familys buy a house of there own or buy enough food to sustain a healthy life style.

Thank you again for not just helping people in you district but across the country,
Arthur Lattanzi III
Goergetown Ky

Sir I think that you are doing a great service to the public by doing your part in volunteering to do the Food Stamp Challenge. The thing is here in SE Ohio most of our residents don't get the chance to Volunteer. It is a fact of life that is proven through our long lines at our food pantry's monthly food giveaway. I do support you and all you are doing. Thank
you from one Ohioan to another.

I was on food stamps for a short period of time and you can buy healthy food and have enough to make it. I had two kids I was able to feed them healthy food on the food stamps I was getting. I was only on welfare for about six months. It's just a choice you have to make. I was also in the retail business for a while and it amazed me how many people would buy junk food instead of something good for them. I think we allow people to stay on welfare to long. I have know people who have been on welfare for years and refuse to try to inprove their lives because it is easier to live on welfare. I think people should only be allowed on welfare for a short period of time. I for one am tired of supporting others when I sometimes do not have enough to buy the groceries I need.