The following is an article written by Greenville Forward's Furman intern, Kate Hofler, after participating in Beth Templeton's Poverty Simulation. I hope this will change the way some of us think as we ponder the impact the economic downturn is having on many Greenvillians.
"For an hour, I am an 85-year-old man with crippling arthritis, relying on a retirement check of no more than $550 a month to take care of my needs. I have to make difficult choices between paying for my rent and my prescriptions that are not covered by Medicare. I am forced to lean on my neighbors to help me get from place to place as I am too handicapped to transport myself.
This scenario was adapted from a poverty simulation kit developed by the Missouri Community Action Organization. With the aid of United Way, United Ministries purchased the kit under the leadership of its director Beth Templeton. The program is called “Our Eyes Were Opened” and I participated as part of my internship with Greenville Forward, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping make Greenville a better place through the implementation of Vision 2025.
While an hour spent taking on the persona of an impoverished individual is not sufficient to understand living in poverty, the circumstances emulated were factually based and aimed at stimulating thought and provoking action. The program provides a packet of materials with a background story, financial information, items to pawn, a fake social security number and any checks received during a month’s time. The hour program is broken up into four 15-minute segments representative of a week’s time. It is your responsibility to be sure you and/or your family is fed every week, that your bills are paid and that you deal with any unforeseen circumstances that may come your way.
For many middle to upper class citizens, the understanding of poverty is often limited to a negative view of individuals who should “get a job” and “stop being lazy.” They see the poor as loiterers that hang around the Salvation Army or the Triune Mercy Center’s sidewalks. They are afraid of the homeless and poor because they look dirty, unkempt, and not like them.
While this interpretation is harsh, it is more common than we all would like to think. The reality of poverty is that it can happen to anyone as a result of an event that takes away a foundation of financial security and many are born into their standing with no way out. With escalating gas and food costs, families are seeing the reality of poverty in ways they never expected.
As a community, it is important to be aware that poverty is not as distant as it may seem. These people are no different but have faced a certain hardship that brought them into a cycle that they cannot break.
Prior to the simulation, I sat in on a meeting with Greenville Forward’s Families and Social Services task force and became mildly aware of the complicated applications and approval process that families must endure to receive little help. However, this understanding became real during the last week of our simulated month.
I did not have enough money to buy my groceries and visited the social services vendor to apply for food stamps. After I spent a chunk of the 15-minute week filling out the complicated form, the vendor informed me that they were out of food stamps. Although I was not hungry in reality, the thought of not being able to afford groceries for an entire week was terrifying.
Though the simulation is not able to impart the feeling of such hunger, Templeton suggested that it is a hidden problem in our society. Poverty is a unique circumstance, as it is difficult to truly understand without experiencing it. And, once you are there, there is little hope for change without the help of others. That is why the poverty simulation and efforts of organizations like United Ministries and Greenville Forward are crucial. For participants in the simulation to gain a glimpse into the challenges and realities of poverty such that they may work to contribute to the aid of others is Templeton’s ultimate goal."
For more information on the “Our Eyes Were Opened” poverty simulation program, contact Beth Templeton at btempleton@united-ministries.org.
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