With the blow of a whistle, participants of Central Missouri Community Action’s poverty simulation began their first “week,” which lasted 15 minutes in real time, on Wednesday, Feb. 15.
CMCA and Westminster College partnered to host a poverty simulation for the Fulton community yesterday at 5:45 P-M. Largely Westminster students, participants were grouped together in families and went through simulated events in assigned roles.
Other Fulton community members took part in the simulation by acting as employees at the bank, grocery store and pawn shop, among others.
Most participants’ first stop was at the employer desk to get a job or the public school tables, as many participants were assigned to be children.
In the simulation, participants juggled everyday tasks like grocery shopping, going to work, and paying bills, which led to immediate worries about their family’s financial stability. At the start, Westminster student Katherine Wood struggled to adjust.
“I’m very privileged myself. I’ve never had to think about things like this, so I didn’t realize that it was gonna – I mean, this sounds stupid – but it was gonna cost money to get transportation passes, and loan payments, and doing everything for a family was really difficult,” said Wood.
There wasn’t enough time in the day for many groups to get everything done.
By the end of the fourth simulation week, several eviction notices sat where family groups used to, and they had moved to the shelter.
CMCA community organizer Kellie Pontius led the simulation. She said it’s eye-opening for many participants and helps them “become more sensitized to the daily realities of those that live in poverty.”
“[It] hopefully motivates the participants to get more involved in reducing poverty in their communities,” Pontius added.
Organizers for the event say for some, these exercises reflect their experiences and are a way for their peers to be educated without having to share their own stories.
At the end of the night, Pontius reminded everyone that the experiences in the simulation are not a game for the more than 4 thousand people living in poverty in Callaway County.
