Poverty Simulations:  Can you survive  a “month” in poverty?

One of the most powerful tools Community Action Partnership has for engaging the community in the fight against poverty are community Poverty Simulations. Through carefully designed curriculum, participants are placed into a “family” in poverty and asked to navigate the month in four 15-minute “weeks,” using only the resources pre-assigned to their family and those they can utilize from community providers in the simulation.

This is a highly-energized, impactful experience, and the positive feedback toward understanding poverty is tremendous. Most participants are stunned at what it takes to make it when you live in poverty, and tell us that the chaos, isolation and hopelessness invades every decision.  The curriculum is carefully planned by Community Action leaders from across the state, and changes to reflect the current face of poverty.

Most people are surprised by what they learn at a Poverty Simulation:   
“In our little bubbles, we don’t see what other people have to do every day just to survive. The Poverty Simulation really opened my eyes to how difficult and stressful poverty is.” – Jody Carlson, Missouri Department of Transportation employee
 “Chaos, panic, frustration, spur-of-the-moment living. It was awful.”

“Service offices were closed without notice. We couldn’t plan. It took all day just to get one thing done, and it wasn’t enough.”

“Transportation was a huge issue. I had no idea how hard it was just to get anywhere by public transportation.”
“I felt vulnerable, frustrated. I’m usually an organized person, but by the end of the first week, I was completely disorganized and nervous.”

“I had no energy left for the kids in my simulated family because I spent all day trying to get the resources we needed. I came home angry and frustrated. And they didn’t get what they needed.”

Want to host a Poverty Simulation for your organization or co-workers? Interested in volunteering at a Poverty Simulation? Please contact Delphia Shanks, Director of Community Development, at (816) 233-8281, ext. 130, or by email at dshanks@endpov.com