Digital Arts Service Corps - food stamps

VISTA Testimonials: Food Stamps

Bill Brown — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:22:49 +0000

The following is a list of testimonials of past VISTAs on their experience with Food Stamps

DASCorps serving in the Bay Area:

So I went into the ruckus of Alameda County Social Services (I say ruckus because there was a fight, but I digress) the process went very well and I even qualified for Expedited services. The woman there told me that my Americorps income didn't count necessarily but once it's in my checking or savings account it counts as liquid asset, she told me that when it's time for my second meeting to make sure my current bank statement didn't have my Americorps stipend in it or it could affect the amount I get every month. thought maybe that would help some folk out.

DASCorps serving in California:

I applied for food stamps yesterday, and it did not go well. I provided my substitute in-service letter signed by Ben to my case worker here in San Diego, and I was almost denied immediately because my monthly stipend was higher than the income allowed for food stamps. This should not make a difference because our stipends are exempt from being considered income for this type of assistance. After talking to her supervisor, she returned and grilled me asking how I supported myself in NY. I told her how I was working just below my apartment 20 hours a week at a restaurant, and food stamps were unnecessary. She said the fact that I quit my job for 'no good reason' would deny me food stamps and it create a 90-day window before I could receive them if I did happen to apply again in thirty days. She never heard of Americorps before. Her supervisor had to look it up. It was not a fun time but I'm going to try again next week. I'm guessing I should go to the state offices to re-approach this situation?

DASCorps serving in Illinois:

My experience has been less intense but equally shitty: I received a letter for my food stamps appointment on the day of the appointment ... after the scheduled time of the appointment. Also, although you apply electronically and give them yr email & phone number, they don't call or email you your appt time. No, they write you a letter. I mean, what is this, 1917? Maybe they'll alert me of my appt by Wells Fargo wagon next time!

Also, I've been calling them every day on the half-hour, and I get one of two responses:
1. A busy signal
2. "Hello, you've reached the Champaign County Department of Community Resources. Our offices are currently closed ..."

I'm going to head in there tomorrow and give them the ol' one-two. Good luck everyone. These are the Kafkian days of our lives.

DASCorps serving in Louisiana:

Applying for them wasn't that big of a deal, and it turns out that doing mine on paper and sending it in worked faster than either taking the forms in to the office itself or faxing them in, which my roommates tried to do. I got a call back within a couple of days, and after them making sure that I actually didn't make a lot of money, I received the card and had a couple of months of much better eating.

Then, I got the mid-term evaluation sort of thing, which I filled out and sent back in. They didn't like something about it, though, and sent me a letter requesting 4 of my last paycheck stubs. I looked, and unfortunately had misplaced one of the last 4, so I called to see if I could replace it with another one. After trying five different numbers, I was finally directed to my case worker, who refused to tell me over the phone if sending in a different stub would be OK, and generally seemed to question my qualifications for foodstamps. I finally just said, fine, I'll write a note explaining my situation, and sent in my last 3 stubs pluse another one.

The next month, the foodstamps didn't renew. I tried calling the office for two days, in which I either got a busy signal or transfered to a line that rang forever. I went to their website and sent them an email, just asking what was going on and what I had to do to convince them I needed foodstamps.
Within two hours, I got a call saying that my case had been reopened and the stamps would be updated the next day.

So, sorry for the length, but the moral of my story was 1: keep track of all of your paystubs! and 2: try as many different ways to get in touch with the office. I'm hoping I won't have to do it all again, but its definitely a nice addition to your income that's worth a little inconvenience. The experience has made me wonder how people actually get on and keep these benefits, especially if they don't have ready access to phones, computers, email, etc...

DASCorps serving in Fresno:

Based on experience in Fresno (which seems to run it's food stamps office better than anywhere else in CA somehow) you can send the forms back late and no one really cares. Also sending your income letter and the "this doesn't count as income" letter Ben just sent out in with your quarterly report is important. It just keeps confusion to a minimum,

The only way, I've found, to get things done at food stamps offices (in both Fresno and now Sacramento) is to come with ALL your shit (birth certificate, SS card, the income letter and the other letter Ben just sent out, proof of residency, and bank statements) ideally a half hour before the office opens and get in line (and there will be a line). Bring a book or an ipod or something to entertain yourself and hurry up and wait.

Calling or trying to email is pointless. They aren't set up to deal with it. Different story once you have a caseworker, but before then you might as well try talking to a wall.

The Fresno office took around 40 minutes to get everything done. The Sacramento office took 8+ hours over two days. Just resign yourself to a series of Job-like trials and tell your boss you'll be in when they free you.

Mopeds and web stuffs

Colleen Beach — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:48:18 +0000

Whoops, it's been a while since I've done one of these things. So my car was unable to pass smog and I'm currently trying to get the guy who sold it to me to give me my money back and he's dodging my calls. Thankfully my boss knows someone in Marin (where I got it) who used to do lemon law stuff and now does legal aid, so hopefully she can put the fear of God in him. But now I have a moped, which is exciting and insurance is only $9 a month, so you can't beat that.

Project-wise things are still in early stages yet. I'm looking at applications to hire a programmer for one of our sites (californiavoices.org if you know anyone who's good at Ruby on Rails and wants a low paying job you can send them my way). And moving the rest of them around so that they all are on joomla instead of a mix of random CMSes.

It seems like up until this point there hasn't been much standardization in the way they do web things. Everything is in different languages, hosted by different people in different places. So it's a little crazy making, but I'm slowly trying to pull everything together.

Thankfully I haven't had the food stamps issues a lot of people seem to be. Other than my mail seems to be super super slow so I got a letter the other day saying that because I hadn't turned something in they were going to cut me off, but when I called they said they'd gotten the paper work.

Illinois

Morgan Sully — Thu, 24 May 2007 19:38:36 +0000

DHS Office Locator:
http://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?module=12

Food Stamps: http://www.dhs.state.il.us/ts/fss/foodStamp.asp
State-sponsored website with information to obtain food stamps. Single Illinois residents qualify for $149/month of food stamps, as well as other types of assistance such as rent and medical help.

Massachusetts

Morgan Sully — Mon, 14 May 2007 20:58:46 +0000

Food Stamps
http://gettingfoodstamps.org has valuable, general information for anyone looking to receive food assistance. It also tells you how to apply and what you need. Spectacular! Massachusetts typically gives $155/month to VISTAs.

Fair Foods, Inc.: Dollar-A-Bag
Fair Foods now picks up two truckloads per day of potatoes, vegetables, bread, and other perishables from the Chelsea Market, Arnold's Bread and Thomas' English Muffins to name only a few. The surplus food is distributed directly to hungry people. Fair Foods delivers a variety of vegetables, fruits and breads to scores of pantries and shelters and over 20 dollar-a-bag sites in the Boston area.
User comments: Saul notes that on a visit to the website on Feb 02, 2005, the website would not display in Safari and it only seems to like Internet Explorer.

Food Not Bombs
955 Mass Ave. Rm.121
P.O. Box 9183
Cambridge, MA, 02139
617-522-8277
FnbBosCamb@Juno.com
Kronstadt@juno.com
Meals are available for anyone interested.

Saturday's/Sunday's Bread
The Church of St. John the Evangelist
35 Bowdoin Street
Boston, MA
Saturday and Sunday, 2:30-3:30 pm
Saturdays/Sundays Bread is a program that serves free hot meals to people in need in Boston every Saturday and Sunday. "Our mission is to provide these healthy meals in a safe and inviting atmosphere, free from Society's prejudices and judgments. We ask only that those served, regardless of their situation, join us in perpetuating an environment free of racial, cultural or religious stereotypes. This is an interfaith, interracial, inter-denominational activity of people concerned with the hungry in the Boston area."

SERVE New England
1-888-742-7363 (toll free)
Serve is the smart alternative to food shopping. Serves program is designed to promote volunteer service by offering discounts on the highest quality grocery, meat, and produce items to community-minded individuals willing to volunteer 2 hrs. each month. If you already help at your church, school, hospital, senior center, etc. then you already qualify. If you help a friend with babysitting, yard work, or transportation without receiving compensation, then you qualify. We can also help you find a volunteer project.

Minnesota

Morgan Sully — Mon, 14 May 2007 20:03:10 +0000

Food Stamps
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fsp/outreach/states/minnesota.htm
(Where to apply in Minnesota, with downloadable information)

Cheap Eats
HARRY SINGH’S ORIGIAL CARIBBEAN RESTAURANT
27th & Nicollet Ave. South, Minneapolis Spicy Caribbean food, huge potions, most $8 or less Recently added a lunch buffet for only $6.50 Web site at http://www.harrysinghs.com, includes an on-line version of the menu
THE LOTUS VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT
Various Twin Cities locations. Two lunch specials available each day, seven days per week, at only $5.95.
THE CLEVELAND WOK
Cleveland and Ford Parkway in St. Paul’s Highland Park area. Lowest priced Chinese buffet in the Twin Cities.
THE MANHATTAN LOFT
Oak Street and Washington Ave., in Stadium Village on the Minneapolis campus of the U of M, Soda/pizza/salad combos as low as $3.95
THE FALAFEL KING
701 W. Lake St., Mpls. 55408 (612/824-7887) and U. of M. Dinkydome 1501 University Ave. SE, Mpls. (612/379-2504) Web site: http://www.falafelking.com Cheap Middle Eastern food: low-price lunch combos & buffet
PORKY’S
1890 University Ave., St. Paul, (651) 644-1790 Cheap American fast food (voted best drive-in by City Pages)
COSETTA’S ITALIAN MARKET & PIZZERIA
211 W. 7th St., St. Paul, (651) 222-3476 Low price, high quality Italian.
TED COOK’S 19TH HOLE BAR-B-Q
2814 E. 38th St., Mpls., MN, (612) 721-2023 Best Bar-B-Q in the Twin Cities, very low prices. To go only.
MICKEY’S DINER
36 W. 7th St., St. Paul, (651) 222-5633 Cheap tasty food, classic setting, on the national register of historic places
MATT’S BAR & GRILL
3500 Cedar. Ave. South, Mpls. (612) 722-7072 Often voted the best burger in Mpls. (home of the original Jucy Lucy), with prices comparable to many fast-food places

Food Shelves/Food Banks
Food Shelves and Food Banks
Cheerfulgivers.org
http://www.cheerfulgivers.org/PDFs/shelters.pdf
8-page PDF list of Minnesota women’s shelters and food shelves
KSTP.com
http://www.kstp.com/article/stories/S7036.html?cat=1
The Emergency Foodshelf Network
http://www.emergencyfoodshelf.org/
8501 54th Ave. N., New Hope, MN. 55428 (763) 450-3860
Minnesota Foodshare
http://www.gmcc.org/foodshare
Star Tribune.com
http://www.startribune.com/dynamic/story.php?template=print_a&story=2102489
Catholic Charities
http://www.ccspm.org/services/foodShelves.html
Second Harvest Heartland
http://www.2harvest.org
CVT.org
http://www.cvt.org/new_neighbors/categoryBD.htm
House of Charity
http://www.houseofcharity.org
Centro Minnesota
http://www.centromn.org/shelf.php

Movie Theatres
RIVERVIEW
38th St. & 42nd Av e., Mpls ($3 evenings, $2 matinees, 2nd run) One screen, 700 seats http://www.riverviewtheater.com
HOPKINS CINEMA 6
1118 Main Street, Hopkins (952) 931-7992
ROSEVILLE 4
1211 W. Larpenteur Ave., Roseville (651) 488-4242
BROOKDALE 8 CINEMA
5810 Shingle Creek Parkway, Brooklyn Center (763) 566-6721 2, 3 and 4 all $2 second run ($1 Tuesdays)

Museums/Gardens
WALKER ART CENTER
725 Vineland Place #1, Mpls. (612) 375-7577 (http://www.walkerart.org) Free on Thursday and the first Saturday of each month Also free with ticket to same-day Walker event, or half-price ($4) with ticket stub to any Walker event up to seven days previous
Walker sculpture garden/botanical garden: Free 725 Vineland Pl #1, Mpls. (612) 375-7577 (http://garden.walkerart.org)
BELL MUSEUM
10 Church Street SE, Mpls. (612) 624-7083 Adults $5; Non-U students, children 3 to 16 and seniors (62 and up) $3 Members and U students free, free to all on Sundays (http://www.bellmuseum.org)
SCIENCE MUSEUM OF MINNESOTA
120 W. Kellogg Boulevard, St. Paul (651) 221-9444 http://smm.org/visitorinfo/tickets/discounts.php Science Museum’s “Great Tix” discount program: qualifications, how to apply
MINNEAPOLIS INSTITUTE OF ART
2400 Third Ave. S., Mpls. (612) 870-3131 Free daily (except for special exhibits) (http://www.artsmia.org)
AMERICAN SWEDISH INSTITUTE
2600 Park Ave., Mpls. (612) 871-4907 Free first Wednesday of every month (http://americanswedishinst.org)
MINNESOTA MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART
(Landmark Center) 75 W. 5th St., St. Paul (651) 292-4380 $5 admission, free to members, free admission to occasional specific exhibits http://www.mmaa.org
BASEBALL HALL OF FAME MUSEUM
910 S. Third St. (Across from the Metrodome), Mpls. (612) 375-9707 Free (http://www.domeplus.com)
FREDERICK R. WEISMAN ART MUSEUM
333 E. River Road (University of Minnesota), Mpls. (612) 625-9494 Free (http://www.weisman.umn.edu)
MINNESOTA HISTORY CENTER
345 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul (651) 296-6126 Free rotating & permanent exhibits with objects from Minnesota’s early days http://www.mnhs.org

Theatres
INTERMEDIA ARTS
2822 Lyndale Ave. S., Mpls. (612) 871-4444 $2 suggested donation, annual art exhibitions, theater, great art resources http://www.intermediaarts.org
GUTHRIE THEATER
725 Vineland Place #2, MPLS. (612) 377-2224 Rush line: $15.00 flat price all season shows/call that day to figure out how far In advance you should be at box office to receive tickets) http://www.guthrietheater.org

Used Book Stores
HALF PRICE BOOKS
http://www.halfpricebooks.com/minnesota.html
MIDWAY BOOK STORE
1579 University Ave., St. Paul (651) 644-7605 http://www.midwaybook.com (offsite)
THE BOOK SHOP
Har Mar Mall 2100 N. Snelling Ave., St. Paul (Specialists in mass market & trade paperbacks)
BARNES & NOBLE
Har Mar Mall (651) 639-9256 Has a large used section
BOOKS ON SNELLING
145 Snelling Ave. N., St. Paul (651) 645-9900
CUMMINGS BOOKS
417 14th Ave. SE, Mpls. (612) 331-1424
THE BOOK HOUSE
429 14th Ave. SE, Mpls. (612) 331-1430
MAGERS & QUINN
3038 Hennepin Ave., Mpls. (612) 822-4611
BOOKSMART
2914 Hennepin Ave., Mpls. (612) 823-5612
SIXTH CHAMBER USED BOOKS
1332 Grand Ave., St. Paul (651) 690-9463 http://www.sixthchamber.com (offsite)
LEE’S BOOKS
375 Wabasha St. N., St. Paul (651) 225-9118
BIERMAIER’S B & H BOOKS
809 SE 4th St., Mpls. (612) 378-0129
DREAMHAVEN
912 W. Lake St., Mpls. (612) 379-8924 Science Fiction/Fantasy specialists with large used section http://www.dreamhavenbooks.com
JAMES & MARY LAURIE BOOKSELLERS
921 Nicollet Mall, Mpls. (612) 338-1114 http://www.lauriebooks.com
PAPERBACK EXCHANGE
2227 W. 50th St., Mpls. (612) 929-8801
RAG & BONE BOOKS
17 4th St. SE, Mpls. (612) 926-5846 http://ragandbone.net
UNCLE UGO’S/UNCLE EDGAR’S
2864 Chicago Ave. S., Mpls (612) 829-6347 Uncle Hugo’s is a Science Fiction/Fantasy specialty bookstore, Uncle Edgar’s specializes in mysteries. Both have large used sections. http://www.unclehugo.com
LIEN’S BOOKSTORE
507 E. Hennepin Ave., Mpls (612) 362-0763
ORR BOOKS
3043 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls (612) 920-4171 General interest new with substantial used section, family-owned (10% off on all new titles)
AMAZON BOOKSTORE COOPERATIVE
4755 Chicago Ave. South, Mpls 55407 (612) 821-9630 Fax: (612) 821-9631 E-mail: amazon@amazonbookstorecoop.com http://www.amazon.fembooks.com
Feminist-oriented worker-owned independent store with strong used section
ATLANTIC BOOK WAREHOUSE
Mall Of America, 81st St. & Highway 77, 55425 (952) 876-0330 Huge warehouse bookstore, almost half of which are remainders (10 to 25% off on most new titles)

Libraries
MINNEAPOLIS PUBLIC LIBRARIES
Locate your nearest Minneapolis public library here: http://www.mpls.lib.mn.us/locations.asp
ST. PAUL PUBLIC LIBRARIES
Locate your nearest St. Paul public library here: http://www.stpaul.lib.mn.us/locations/

Comedy
BRAVE NEW WORKSHOP
2605 Hennepin Ave. South, Mpls. (612) 332-6620 Free improv shows at midnight on Thursday, Friday & Saturday http://www.bravenewworkshop.com
ACME COMEDY COMPANY
708 N. 1st St., Mpls. (612) 338-6393 Free amateur night 8 p.m. on Mondays http://www.acmecomedycompany.com

Live Music/Clubs
DULONO’S PIZZA
607 W. Lake Street, Mpls. (612) 827-1726 Free bluegrass music Friday & Saturday nights
FAMOUS DAVE’S
3001 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls. (in Calhoun Square) (612) 822-9900 http://www.famousdaves.com Free blues music most nights
KIERAN’S PUB
330 2nd Ave. South, Mpls. (612) 339-4499 Free Irish music most nights
DUBLINER PUB
2162 University Ave., W. St. Paul (651) 646-5551 Free Irish music every day except Monday
DUNN BROTHER’S COFFEE / FREE LIVE MUSIC:
Uptown, Mpls.: 3348 Hennepin Ave. South, Mpls. (612) 822-3292 Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Loring Park Mpls.: 329 W. 15th St., Mpls (612) 871-9070 Tuesday, Saturday, Sunday, sometimes Thursday
Xerxes Mpls. 5008 Xerxes Ave. S., Mpls. (612) 928-0345 Mainly on weekends, sometimes Wednesday and Thursday
Grand, St. Paul 1569 Grand Ave., St. Paul (651) 698-0618 Most nights, weekdays and weekend
ELECTRIC FETUS
2000 4th Ave. S., Mpls. (612) 870-9300 Free in-store performances http://efetus.com
TREEHOUSE RECORDS
2557 Lyndale Ave. S., Mpls. (612) 872-7400
BIG V'S
1567 University Ave W St Paul, MN 55405 651-645-8472 http://www.myspace.com/bigvs Live music most nights, often local and underground.
TURF CLUB
1601 University Ave St Paul, MN 55104 http://turfclub.net/ Live music most nights, often local and/or underground.
TRIPLE ROCK SOCIAL CLUB
629 Cedar Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55404 http://www.triplerocksocialclub.com/
FIRST AVE/7TH STREET ENTRY
701 First Avenue North Minneapolis, MN 55403 612-332-1775 http://www.first-avenue.com/ Rock club and dance hall.

Miscellaneous/Tourist
MINNEAPOLIS PARK & RECREATION BOARD
http://www.minneapolis.org/home.asp Guide to city parks and free activities & concerts there
ST. PAUL PARK & RECREATION BOARD
http://www.stpaul.gov/depts/parks/ Guide to city parks and free activities & concerts there
CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS
http://www.ci.minneapolis.us/leisure Page of City Of Minneapolis site features “Leisure-Enjoying Minneapolis” With many activities free or low-cost, also How To Get Around
CITY OF SAINT PAUL
http://www.ci.stpaul.mn.us/leisure A similar page detailing activities in Saint Paul

Drupal and HTMLing

Catherine Moore — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 18:52:10 +0000

On the first week with DANEnet, and now I'm relearning everything I once knew about HTML and then some! I'm also going to be administrating some sites using Drupal, so if anyone here uses Drupal and would be a good resource, it would be great if I could throw questions at you if I needed it!

And I have my meeting for food stamps on February 7th!

Also, to clarify, is there NO CTC conference this year? And what are the exact dates of the NTEN conference in DC? Let me know, thanks!

ZZZzzzzz.....wha?

gariet cowin — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 18:42:40 +0000

Wow...I'm glad everybody seems to be having a super-fun time in San Diego. I've spent the whole week updating 16 iBooks, using only a single installation disc, and a slow internet connection. fun.

Also, I finally got around to applying for food stamps. I'm not sure how much they are giving me, but it's not going to be as much as I had hoped. It turns out that if I had applied BEFORE the PSO, none of my "living stipend" would count as income, but having applied after my term of service began, it all counts as income. Making me poor, but not poor enough.

Lastly, as part of my work, I am researching digital distribution, and all kinds of crazy internet-y type stuff, so I decided to start my own vlog to get some hands-on experience. If you want to check it out, go to www.kirstenacademy.blogspot.com There won't be any video clips until next week though.

first two and a half weeks

Rebecca White — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 00:20:49 +0000

I guess I've been here two and a half weeks now; it feels so normal now that I'm wondering what to say about it.

I get the impression that my organization (the California Coalition for Rural Housing, CCRH) is very different from most of the others. We're a suite of offices rather than a community center, and I haven't yet had any contact with the population we serve. Scratch that; our audience is the affordable housing community, rather than individuals. We work with groups like other affordable housing nonprofits, town governments, lobbyist groups, and tenants' associations. So in terms of the people aspects of our work, sitting in on conference calls and going to meetings is where it's at (though hopefully I will be involved in some GIS trainings later in my service).

I'm pretty much treated like a regular employee here; my title is "Community Technology Specialist" <brag>and I've got business cards to prove it.</brag> I've got an office with a desk, filing cabinets, and a computer, though I generally use my own because I'm more comfortable with its tools.

During the first few days I met everyone who works here (or five of the six; Rob was out of town) and talked to them about what they work on. I read a few grants, and sat in on some meetings. And then my supervisor Darryl and I started talking about the website, which is my priority right now. It's currently a jumble of static html pages, most of which are broken and out of date. I'm really excited about the ideas behind the redesign, and I'll definitely be blogging about it.

Also, I went to apply for food stamps on Monday. For Californians on food stamps: there's a "customer service" number on the back of the EBT card; to talk to a person when you call that, don't enter your card number when prompted, just press #. And then press it again when it prompts you again. I was suprised that noone gave me any information on what I can and can't buy with food stamps, or a list of local stores that accept them, but supposedly I can get those questions answered at that customer service number. (Since when are we "customers" of the government...?)

Inexpensive Food Resource

Erica Bledsoe — Sat, 16 Sep 2006 20:17:52 +0000

Since living cheaply is a concern for us, I thought I would share this resource that was shared with me. Since there appear to be a few of you that, for many different reasons, don't qualify for food stamps, there is a group called Angel Food Ministries that has no income verification and anyone can purchase their boxes of food. If you read the About Us page, it tells how they got started and what the boxes of groceries typically contain.

It looks as though there are locations all over the U.S. so take a look and see if there is something in your area. The menu is posted for October and changes every month. The only catch is that you have to pay for your groceries approximately 2 weeks before you can pick them up, but for $25, who cares about the wait!! There are add on packs for $18 each month that change as well.

For those of you that do receive food stamps, they accept those as well, so you can get more bang for your food stamp buck.

vista life stuff...

cheryl jerozal — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 13:54:53 +0000

i really hope we all keep up with our blogs, because i want to be able to keep up with all of you! ok, now for some "vista life" type stuff i've been thinking about / looking into:

*** food stamps ***

according to stuff online, i don't think i am eligible for food stamps since i have too much savings (too much being more than the limit of $2,000). savings in an ira must be included toward this limit, even though according to wikipedia "a debtor in bankruptcy can exempt his or her IRA from the bankruptcy estate" and this seems like it should be a similar situation.

also, higher rent payments (after a certain amount that it is assumed you can pay) leads to being eligible for a higher amount of food stamps. this makes sense in a way -- after all, sometimes (depending on where one's job is) one can't help but get an expensive apartment. but on the other hand, sometimes one can choose between more expensive apartments that are bigger/more convenient/newer and less expensive apartments that aren't. it seems that one shouldn't get more food stamps just because one's rent is higher -- it should depend on other factors such as the average apartment rent in the area.

anyway, though it would have been nice to be able to get better/more food, i am glad i am not eligible for food stamps because i think if i were it would be hard for me to not get them. and i am not sure i think getting food stamps is the moral thing for me to do since i can live decently without them. actually, this is a question i struggle with a lot: how much unnecessary stuff must one have/buy before it is wrong? what do you guys think?

*** health benefits ***

does anyone else think it is strange that we won't get our health benefit cards for a while (what was it, 4-6 weeks)? i think we should at least get our member numbers and stuff like that right away.

i was looking through the guide to the health plan, and some of the stuff was kinda weird. there are a number of treatments that are not covered by the plan even if they were not preexisting, such as narcolepsy and add and aids medicines. i don't expect these omissions to be a problem for me personally, but i wonder how they decide things like that.

one of the "exclusions to covered services" is "Any services related to the treatment of allergies including allergy tests and surveys, injection, medication and treatment (except for emergency treatment including medication and hospitalization for asthma)". so recently i've been having this itching in my ears that i think is caused by allergies but for all i know it could actually be caused by some weird ear disease. if i go to the doctor and then they decide it is caused by allergies, will the health plan not cover the doctor visit even though i didn't know it was allergies at first?

*** cheap stuff ***

for getting things cheaply or even for free, check out the websites craigslist and freecycle.

you guys are great and i hope you have great first days.