Simulation helps area leaders imagine poverty

from The Roanoke Times

United Way of Roanoke Valley wanted to inspire empathy in people.

By Jessica Marcy

Deb Chappell stood in front of a group of professionals who were about to experience poverty.

"Some of your profiles look a little grim," she said to the 49 participants Tuesday morning. As part of a poverty simulation exercise, they had just received packets detailing their employment status, family condition, income, assets and budgets.

Then, Chappell added, "Your task this month is to keep your family alive."

Instead of their annual retreat, board members of United Way of Roanoke Valley decided to participate in a poverty simulation exercise with other community leaders. They hoped the exercise would help them better understand how the poor struggle.

During the exercise, participants tackled basic tasks such as securing food, shelter and other basic necessities during four 15-minute sessions that represented four weeks. Each "family" received fake money, food stamps and transportation cards as well as "Luck of the Draw" cards that represented unexpected events. Later, they debriefed others about their experiences -- and, organizers hope, put their newfound empathy into action.

The exercise has been used in Virginia for 10 years, according to Chappell, who led the group and works as an agent for Virginia Cooperative Extension. She said it has been used in the past by organizations including the Girl Scouts, Roanoke County Public Schools and the nonprofit Child Health Investment Partnership.

"What makes this so powerful is the sense of detail," said Kathy Stockburger, chairwoman of the United Way board. She said the exercise seeks to raise awareness but added, "We are not presuming in any way to understand the whole complexity of poverty in two hours. That would be very presumptuous."

On Tuesday, 18 volunteers worked in a large room at Second Presbyterian Church with booths representing stores and services. There was Food-A-Rama Super Center, Realville Police Department and Big Dave's Pawn Shop as well as a school, a child care center and a social service center.

"It takes money for everything. Money and time," Chappell shouted to participants who sat in chairs marked with signs that read "Home sweet home." The participants were assigned one of six different family situations which included single parents, grandparents with children and single people on Social Security.

For example, David Howell, an associate professor at Ferrum College, played Pablo Perez, a single father of three children. He struggled to hold down his job as a certified nursing assistant while trying to find child care for his 3-year-old son.

Meanwhile, Marie Muddiman, who works at United Way, played a single, arthritic 85-year-old woman named Teila Tiskit.

"It's very interesting to watch the tension rise," Stockburger said. "What begins as a simulation becomes more and more real."

The activity even included a criminal, who recruited others to steal and deal drugs, and a police officer played by Chris Nielson, a retired detective in Roanoke County.

Chappell asked participants how they felt during the debriefing.

The responses: exhausted, stressed, desperate, anxious, frustrated.

"Poverty is a real hard job," said Ted Edlich, the executive director of Total Action Against Poverty. "It's just very exhausting."