The public is invited to a poverty simulation conducted by Capital City Circles Initiative, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6 at First United Methodist Church, 412 W. Musser St.
Each participant will be given a role to play in a scripted skit that simulates a family struggling to get by in daily situations. Examples of different roles include a single mother, a father out of work, a grandparent raising grandchildren, a homeless person, a family being evicted and others. The task is to work with an assigned group to solve situational problems presented in the script.
Ask yourself if you know what to do when you don't have money to pay the bills. Do you know how to move out of your home in half a day because you have been evicted? Can you get by without a car? Do you know how to use the bus system? Do you know where the free medical clinics are? Can you live without electricity and a phone? These situations require problem-solving skills and social connections that a person in poverty probably does not have.
Laurie Walsh has had experience with past poverty simulations. She was given the role of a 19-year-old high school dropout who was living with her boyfriend and toddler son who was not his child. They had just been evicted from their trailer. As resources, they had some things they could pawn and some bus passes.
The character Laurie played used up some bus passes to get to the Welfare Office. She was told to take her toddler to a state nursery because she was not allowed to bring him in the office. So, she used all her bus passes to travel back and forth. She took her items to pawn, which included a camera, an easy chair, and a microwave oven, and bartered for an old bicycle because she needed transportation. She and her boyfriend and child went to a homeless shelter. At that point, Laurie sighed with relief, thinking they were safe. Then, they discovered lice.
Laurie says her experience was a safe way to understand that "living in poverty is going from one crisis to the next." She encourages participants in the simulation to throw themselves into the character role as much as possible to experience the frustration, desperation and often the joy of solving everyday crises. The emotional impact is powerful, she found out.
This experience moves people to confront realities of poverty among our neighbors and to share ideas about how our community can address the problems. It motivates participants to be part of the solution.
Participants ages 13 years and older will register at the door where they are given a script, a bag of resources, and a group of "family members" to interact with. It is the family's task to provide basic necessities for the group. About 20 people will serve as "community resources," such as social workers, bankers, police officers, teachers, parole officers, etc., seated at tables around the room. At the end, everyone comes together to discuss what they learned and how they felt about their experiences. This debriefing provokes understanding and empathy. Families are encouraged to participate
together.
Everyone is invited to this unique event. Children under 13 will have babysitting. All who participate will have a truly meaningful experience and opportunity to live another's life.
RSVP at 882-4087.