Turkey is a Thanksgiving staple, but not all families can afford to put it on the table. According to Hunger Free Vermont, one in eight Vermonters lives in a "food insecure" household that's unable to consistently meet basic food needs. That makes them eligible for benefits through 3SquaresVT, a federal entitlement program that helps stretch family food budgets. "There's about 100,000 Vermonters on the program currently," says HFV's Angela Smith-Dieng, "and about half of them are children." The weeklong 3SquaresVT Challenge asks others to try to live on the average 3SquaresVT benefit: $36 a week for a single person, or $98 for a family of four. Smith-Dieng says a lot of people find it "eye opening." "It's a great learning experience for the whole family ... It provides a good opportunity to talk about hunger."

3SquaresVT Challenge: The challenge takes place during National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, November 17-23. Visit hungerfreevt.org for more information and to sign up for the challenge.