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THE FAMILIES
Participants realistically portray the roles of impoverished family
members. There are 26 families in the simulation ranging from
couples with children, single-headed households with children, and elders.
The simulation can be done with as few as 40 family participants or as
many as 86 family members. Families are given assets, a list of expenses,
and access to the community resources. Their job is to keep their
families feed, cared for, and secure.
COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS
Twenty volunteers staff a variety of community organizations
that are central to the day-to-day life of the impoverished.
These include: School, Grocer, Bank, Emergency Aid
Organization, Check Cashing, Pawn Shop, Employer Social Services,
Utility Company, Land Lord, Head Start/Day Care, and Police.
Families have to interact with these agencies to secure their
basic needs in the simulation. |
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MONTH OF POVERTYThe impoverished families go through
four 15 minute "weeks" with 3 minute long "weekends." During
the week the participants must go to work for 8 minutes (if
employed) or seek work. Children must attend school for
seven minutes. During the remaining week families must
secure needed social services, pay their bills, and do their
shopping. During the weekends families work on their
budgets. If families fail to purchase groceries or medicine
family members may become ill and health expenses will increase.
If they fail to pay their utilities they lose those services.
If they fail to pay their mortgage they may be evicted from their
homes. In addition the facilitator hands families "luck of
the draw" cards that represent the positive and negative
unexpected events in family life. At the end of the month
participants and staffers are debriefed on their experience and
how their thinking about the poor has changed. |
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