[Indiana] ‘Poverty simulation’ teaches hardships

From The Ball State Daily News

Local program seeks to raise awareness, fight misconceptions

Shelly Winnecke | Staff Reporter

Fact: One adult working full-time at minimum wage could only afford to support one person (no children) and live above the poverty line, according to the United States Department of Health and Human Services’ Federal Poverty Level.

Fact: 50 percent of Muncie Community School students are on free or reduced-cost lunches, according to the 2000 census.

Fact: More than 30 percent of single-female-headed households in Delaware County are below the poverty line, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Misconception: Community members who live below the poverty line have no desire to work or better their living situations.

Since 2004, TEAMwork for Quality Living has been sponsoring poverty simulations in Muncie to fight this misconception and raise awareness of poverty issues. Poverty simulations divide participants into low-income “families,” which are responsible for providing themselves with necessities and shelter during four 15-minute sessions, each representing a week of living below the poverty line.

Throughout the simulation, participants pay bills, work, provide care for their families, interact with police and other community centers and businesses. More than half of the families are forced to move into a homeless shelter during the last session of the simulation.

At the end of the simulation, participants have a chance to discuss their experiences and listen to the stories of people who have lived in or are currently living in poverty.

JEFF’S STORY

“That 20 minutes of anger is something we live with every single day,” Jeff, who is living in poverty, said.

Almost two years ago, 42-year-old Jeff was a father and husband in Knightstown. He was the owner of Respiratory and Maintenance Services, a subcontractor for Crystal Foundry, Whitewater Valley Speedway and Sta-brite that specialized in cleaning acoustical ceiling tiles.

Jeff was living the typical American dream, until his ex-girlfriend sued him for child support. Typically, a person who has not paid child support goes to court the Monday after the arrest and is released that day, but Jeff was kept in jail for 60 days. Once released, Jeff found out his wife sold his businesses and their house, and she filed for divorce. Jeff was left with nothing but the clothes on his back, while his soon-to-be ex-wife was shopping for a new house in Hancock County.

Jeff later found out his ex-girlfriend and wife worked together to put him in jail, so his wife could sell their belongings while they were still considered married. According to Jeff, his wife’s family is heavily involved in the court systems, so he feels he has not been fairly treated or represented by the courts.

Jeff once lived in Muncie Mission but is now living in a private homeless shelter. He is also working as Christian Ministry’s night manger and as a director for Network One, which is a volunteer service that gives work experience to unemployed people.

TAMARA’S STORY

“All we had was the vehicle we drove away in and a basket full of dirty laundry,” Tamara, a single-mother who lived in poverty, said. “My youngest son didn’t even have shoes on his feet. No money. No job. Nothing.”

Tamara came from a strict fundamentalist family that believed a woman’s job was at home, so there was no need for her to get a higher education. At 18 years old, she married a mortgage broker, who later began physically abusing her and her three children.

After 15 years of abuse, Tamara decided to leave her husband and attend college. She went from being a middle-class housewife to being a single mother and living in poverty. At 39 years old, Tamara is now working toward a double major in business and human services at Ivy Tech and is transferring to Ball State University next semester as a junior. She was honored as one of the top 10 community college students in the state, has won several academic awards and is now president of Indiana’s Phi Theta Kappa Collegiate Honor Society for Community Colleges.

Project Coordinator of TEAMwork for Quality Living, Kyra Hainlen, said the poverty simulations have not only built awareness and reached the public but have also empowered those living in poverty.

“It has given them a meaning and a purpose and a social connection that is taking them out of isolation,” Hainlen said. “They are really committed and passionate.”