Imagine the struggle of a single mom who just lost her job and has only $20 in her pocket. Should she spend it on food or medication, or put it toward rent or utilities?
What would you do? Could you survive a month in poverty?
The Allen County Poverty Simulation offers a chance to walk in the shoes of low-income families. The event is planned from 3 to 6 p.m. Feb. 26 at the Iola High School science building.
“I think this is going to be eye-opening for a lot of people,” said Jessica McGinnis, who represents the Allen County Multi-Agency Team (ACMAT), one of the organizations sponsoring the event.
“I hope this even encourages awareness and empathy toward those who experience poverty in our organization. Understanding how poverty works is the first step.”
The simulation is divided into four 15-minute intervals, each representing one week in which you must provide for your family and maintain your home. Participants assume the roles of up to 26 different types of families facing poverty.
Some families might be newly unemployed, some are recently deserted by the “breadwinner,” some are homeless, some rely on government assistance. Others might be senior citizens living on a fixed income, or grandparents raising grandchildren.
Participants will visit a variety of stations such as a bank, grocery store, employer, utility company, community health center, child care provider and more. They’ll need to make decisions about how to best spend their money.
At the end of the simulation, participants will gather to share their experience and talk about what they have learned.
IN ALLEN County, 16% of residents live in poverty, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
More than 36.8 million Americans — 11% of the population — lived in poverty in 2023, the Census Bureau reports. Of those, 11 million are children. Many more have incomes above the poverty line, but still low enough to qualify for programs such as SNAP and Medicaid. Since the COVID pandemic, emergency food pantries across the country and locally have reported an increase in need.
For those who do not experience such economic hardship, it can be difficult to understand why someone in poverty might make certain financial decisions, McGinnis said. She looked at her own experiences as both a child and adult for comparison.
“I grew up in a lower-income household where both my parents worked two jobs. As a kid, I knew that struggle meant I couldn’t get new clothes like other kids. But I had no idea the choices they had to make just to put food on the table,” she said.
As an adult, McGinnis does not face similar struggles. But through her job working in community development and with nonprofit organizations, she has taken part in similar poverty simulations. For example, Humanity House has organized similar poverty simulations and a “Bridges Out of Poverty” class, with Georgia Masterson teaching financial literacy.
“My first experience was in 2015 with Georgia, who opened my eyes to what poverty looks like in Allen County,” she said. “I learned you’re not allowed to buy a rotisserie chicken using SNAP benefits because it’s considered pre-made food. Someone who is struggling in poverty cannot afford healthy food options.
