LANSING - Can you enjoy three nutritious meals a day with just $5.87? That's exactly what about 300 Michigan residents will do this week to bring attention to the effects of poverty and increase donations to local food banks and soup kitchens as part of the Michigan Food Stamp Challenge.

"More than 1.3 million Michigan residents received assistance from the federal food stamp program," Michigan Department of Human Services Director Ismael Ahmed, who is taking the challenge, said at a Lansing event today. "Hunger is just one of the many devastating effects of poverty."

The food stamp program - known as the Food Assistance Program in Michigan - is part of a safety net for Michigan residents, many of whom work, but still can't make ends meet. Over a million of them will supplement their food budgets this year by visiting a local food bank - and the need is growing. In some parts of the state, emergency food providers are reporting as much as a 25 percent increase in the number of people seeking help with food this year.

That's why Ahmed and about 300 Michigan residents, including Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, Lansing Community College Board of Trustee Chair Robin Smith, Cristo Rey Community Center Executive Director John Castillo and Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm took the Food Stamp Challenge. Their pledge calls attention to the effects of poverty in Michigan and demonstrate the need for increased donations as part of the Michigan Harvest Gathering, an annual event to raise food and funds to support the state's nine regional food banks that serve agencies helping people in all 83 Michigan counties.

The Michigan Food Stamp Challenge encourages people to spend just $29.35 for food per person in a five-day period, equivalent to the maximum amount a Michigan resident who has no income might receive in food assistance benefits. The minimum amount of benefits is $14 a month with the average benefit being about $100 a month. Michigan's Food Assistance Program is designed as a safety net to help ensure people have access to food during difficult economic times. More than half of all recipients are children and 8 percent are over the age of 60.

Food Stamp Challenge participants also have the option of making a donation of time or money to a local food bank or local soup kitchen.

"While the Food Stamp Challenge will be an eye-opening experience for many people," Ahmed said, "it's important to focus our attention on reducing poverty and maximizing economic opportunities for all."

On Nov. 13, policymakers, low-income residents and service providers from across the state will gather at Cobo Center in Detroit for the Voices for Action 2008 Poverty Summit. They will look for ways to ensure that as Michigan's economy recovers, our poorest citizens are not left behind. This first-of-its-kind summit in Michigan is sponsored by the Michigan Department of Human Services, the Governor's Commission on Community Action and Economic Opportunity, and the Michigan Community Action Agency Association.

The Poverty Summit is not just a one-day event, but kicks off a statewide initiative to reduce poverty and maximize economic opportunities. After the event, participants will continue to work on regional teams to implement practical solutions to address the needs in the regions where they live.

For more information about the Food Stamp Challenge and the Voices for Action 2008 Poverty Summit, including registration forms, please visit www.michigan/gov/poverty. To donate to the Harvest Gathering, please visit www.feedmichigan.org.