When I went to the poverty simulation, I didn't believe I would have struggle because I once lived it. The difference was that I was the child when I did live the struggle. In the simulation I was the adult and taking care of 3 kids. I wasn't on my own, so I had to provide for everyone other than myself. I had barely any income, got hustled out of items I was selling, barely got any assistance, not get what I paid for and many other things. It sucked. Not knowing or having an idea of when and where the next meal will be. The method I tried in making money was snitching out the cash guy and trying to jail him. Luckily I got some break when I won money and I used it for clothing. The funny thing is I ended up with 5$ at the end of the month and still had more than half of the bills to pay. I never got to fully pay the whole thing. My family would've starved to death due to lack of funds. It definitely made me hug my parents and saying thank you. This honestly made more passionate to finish my college education as I pursue a well paying career so I would never have to experience in real life. I plan on doing this simulation again to see if I could do any better . Rugby345
Its sad because there are families like that all over America and even with that said its a lot of younger families that have to go through poverty because of kids having kids and they do not have anyone to fall back on Poverty does not have a color its all about knowing the ways to get a job and keeping a job and having enough education to make ends meet. America is a rich country but we have a poor population. Rebel 345
My experience at the poverty simulation was a rather familiar one to say the least. Growing up in a lower middle class, government assistance dependent family I have been through this process more times then I care to count. For me it was easier being a child and not having to worry about making ends meet and as a kid in my own life I saw it that way, but now becoming an adult the simulation is teaching the everyday struggle for many. Choosing between feeding your family and keeping a roof over their heads is just one of the many trials and tribulations families face not including the untimely surprises life springs on us. During this simulation they were clever enough to include things like having your car stolen or someone going to jail to make it even more life like and accurate which I highly appreciated. What I learned from this was even more places that offer assistance to families in need that I can use and refer to others if need be. Hopefully they continue this simulation because it offers so much vital information and the opportunity to live in someone else's shoes if even just for a few hours. Scooby345
I know how you feel. Grew up on food stamps, link , and etc. It sucked being frowned upon in society because money was tight and we had to be "cheap". I feel you and I am happy that I did this simulation. Rugby345
This is my second Poverty simulation I have gone to. The first time I was on the side where I was the clerk at the Food-A-Rama and I must say people did not make sure they had the right change and everything they needed. It was families that went weeks without eating and then the last week of the month they tried to buy food for the first two weeks they missed and because I was the clerk i denied them and with the vouchers it was worth 10 $ for food and 10$ for clothes but they did not know that I never told them they can use it for both I just said one or the other. People never really understood how EBT worked or the vouchers worked they was just in a rush and thought it was a game but really this was real life for some people. The second time I went I was a 14 year old child who only had a mom and a brother with a baby on the way I went to buy some transportation passes so i can go to school but i found myself in detention. It was not a good feeling and then my so called mother left me there. My family had no money so me being a delinquent I decided i was going to go into other people houses and steal anything i could, money, belongings, TP etc.....just so I can get money to give to my mom so we wont get evicted or so we can have lights and food. People go through these thing everyday just to survive it did not feel good being on the other side of thing but it helped me understand that everyone is not as privileged as i am. REBEL 345
The poverty simulation was a very valuable experience. Coming from an upper-middle class family, I personally did not have any knowledge of life in poverty. I always heard about it on the news but never really thought anything of it. This simulation has not completely, but somewhat put into perspective what life in poverty is like. During the simulation I felt rushed and pressured to make ends meet by the end of the month (15 minute time limit). I cannot imagine that applied to real life. It makes me upset that this is a real thing that millions of people must go through on a daily basis. I now understand why people can turn to crime as a way of making ends meet whether its stealing or selling drugs. The sad part about it is that I feel it is a never ending cycle. Overall I am very glad that I took part in the simulation. Not for just the points, but for the perspective it gave me on poverty. -AUT345
I think the poverty simulation was very interesting and fun at the same time. I think it really helped me see how things are for some people. Being able to somewhat go through what they would have to made me realize a lot. Growing up in the class I did I didn't really have to go through the things some of these kids or teenagers have to. During the simulation i felt really rushed and I didn't really know what I was doing at first. Once it started going I sort of got the hang of it, however I did not realize how many things that had to be paid and how many little things there are that must be attended to to live a decent life. Granted we only had 15 minutes to do some of the things these people get a month to do, but at the same time it was a good experience. I really enjoyed the poverty simulation and took a lot from it. AD678
I actually enjoyed the poverty simulation but I felt left out being assigned as a 7 year old. I did want to try to help my family but because we were told to act our role, I could not offer them advice I have learned over the years growing up in a poor family. While others felt rushed or as if there was not enough time, I quickly thought of a way to help my group but I was still a child. One part I did enjoy was seeing how other participants were struggling only because most of them lived in the middle class and had no idea how stressful being in poverty could be. The experience was a good one and I will gladly do it again if the opportunity arises. -Craft345
I felt sort of left out too being a 7 year old too. Seeing how everyone else was running around trying to balance a budget. But that is how life is but I too would also go to this seminar again if the chance comes. Tex678
When i was young many of the factors in the poverty simulation were very real for me. When i was in the simulation i got a green card and told i needed glasses in real life how ever the situation would go on years before getting them. My first two years of school i went without and my parents barely had money for dinner every night the other meal came from the school lunch program. This simulation did a good job at showing people what it can be like but i still dont think the gravity and psychology can be grasped on how it actually weighs on the kids ad parents. The recidivism can easily be understood when you actually live it as a kid the anger and out lash you have to any one who has more then you controls alot of your emotion. I grew up with a chip on my shoulder for the longest time fighting any one who said anything remotely insulting to me. Also needless to say i very rarely attended my high school because i was embarrassed i didn't have the new shoes or clothes, i never saw the new movies that came out, and never really had money to go do things with kids my age other then outside play. How ever i had a great set of parents that gave me a lot of good verbal advice with out that i would be positive i would on a complete different path than i am on now today. When we look at what we should be doing in my opinion is putting the money at the start and not at the end. Its sad to watch others suffer but we may be able to keep a lot more from suffering instead of trying to dig people out of the hole by keeping them from ever falling into it in the first place by simply putting the money upfront and helping parents with kids a lot more then we do today. Scraut22
At the seminar I was a 7-year-old boy with ADHD and it was tough seeing how I had to wait till the end of the month to be able to receive my meds. There was other things like food and shelter that where more important. I was good awakening to get a very small glimpse at what people have to go through to survive. Tex678
In the poverty simulation, I was the part of a 13 year old girl. With that being said, I wasn't able to partake in helping the adult figure out how to pay for things and to go pay bills or find ways of income. I felt like I couldn't help at all and I felt bad for the adult because he had so much stress put on him. If he were just caring for himself, it would be different. But he was caring for me and another 13 year old girl, both who were complaining about being hungry and that the utilities were shut off. While I didn't have any complications in my part personally, I was able to witness many others who were struggling to pay for bills or food and I could see my caretaker in distress as he was running around everywhere and trying to manage his money. The simulation was a great way to show people what it feels like to be in poverty. I have a much better understanding of the meaning of poverty because of this simulation and I am very glad that I participated in it. - flxr007
I thought that was a fascinating part of the simulation, the 'roleplay' aspect. Like you said, taking on the role of a very young girl, you're simply unable to help the adults brainstorm, even if you have ideas, because realistically a young girl would probably just be trying to get by and live her life rather than helping the adults with complex finances. It also helped put a realistic strain on the families by having members of it unable to contribute but also using the food sources and transportation money, etc. I thought that was a cool, realistic touch. --Rainshadow007
Although I did not come from poverty, my mother did. She grew up with 9 brothers and sisters in a two bedroom house. She paid her way to nursing school on her own and now is retired at age 55. She has told me many stories growing up that it was not easy to get by and that she never bough clothes. Her mother made all of the clothes for her and her brothers and sisters. During the simulation, I was a 9 year old girl with a 7 year old brother, a disabled granddad and a working grandmother. While in school I received a card saying I brought a weapon to school, so in turn my granddad had bailed me out for $50 dollars or else it would accumulate day for day. It seemed we were obviously struggling as a family, and it made me realize how much my family had to do to achieve self sufficient ways. We did not have to pawn anything, but I was astonished to here people really pawned off their stove and refrigerators. I thought the simulation was a great experience for me to understand first hand what is it like to live in poverty. I see this on a regular basis with friends that I have as well. nure007
I attended the poverty simulation, but little do a lot of people know I live that life everyday. I played the part of the grandmother who has a sick husband and is currently caring for two grandchildren for my daughter who was incarcerated. Although that's not the exact situation I'm living now it is close to it. There are a lot of resources for people who need help with different bills to get your cars fixed or for food. I did pretty good during the simulation I had money left to get the things my family needs. The key is to save as much money or even your entire check as much as you can . The simulation showed others the struggles of living in poverty and it may have given others a different out look on a person whom is not as finically blessed as themselves.MotherOf4678
My entire experience at the poverty stimulation, was definitely an experience from both sides of the spectrum. Being a social worker and actually being impoverished. I'm not going to say that I know what it's like to be poor. Yet I can say that I do understand. My mother made sure my siblings and I were supplied with our basic needs. Yet I know others that were truly impoverished. Mother and I would wake up early mornings and prepare pb&j sandwiches and fruit, to take the bus stop to feed those who were hungry. Even when mother had extra money while grocery shopping she'd buy extra food to make sack lunches. We don't always lend a hand to those who need help, being that we are so tied up with our own lives. However we feed the needy and poor in other countries; while several are staving in our own. I feel for children who don't have the proper nutrients needed to survive and concentrate in school or outside. We look down on others as of they are so beneath us because they are less fortunate than we are. As I begin to view the reality of it all I would like to find more ways to help to bring my city out of poverty. We should all think about ways that we can help of we are able. I've committed to myself that after cooking Sunday dinner instead of letting the left overs go to waste afterwards I take plates to the homeless on the Riverfront. Meanwhile looking for more ways to help instead of hurt, we together can make society a better place to live. Tricey345
When i was young many of the factors in the poverty simulation were very real for me. When i was in the simulation i got a green card and told i needed glasses in real life how ever the situation would go on years before getting them. My first two years of school i went without and my parents barely had money for dinner every night the other meal came from the school lunch program. This simulation did a good job at showing people what it can be like but i still dont think the gravity and psychology can be grasped on how it actually weighs on the kids ad parents. The recidivism can easily be understood when you actually live it as a kid the anger and out lash you have to any one who has more then you controls alot of your emotion. I grew up with a chip on my shoulder for the longest time fighting any one who said anything remotely insulting to me. Also needless to say i very rarely attended my high school because i was embarrassed i didn't have the new shoes or clothes, i never saw the new movies that came out, and never really had money to go do things with kids my age other then outside play. How ever i had a great set of parents that gave me a lot of good verbal advice with out that i would be positive i would on a complete different path than i am on now today. When we look at what we should be doing in my opinion is putting the money at the start and not at the end. Its sad to watch others suffer but we may be able to keep a lot more from suffering instead of trying to dig people out of the hole by keeping them from ever falling into it in the first place by simply putting the money upfront and helping parents with kids a lot more then we do today. Scraut22
I went through something like this back in high school and it was called the real world, but for it we got to pick cars and have fun with growing up. With the Poverty Simulator you got to see how some people have to live there lives to survive. I though it gave a good out look on how some people really have to leave and struggles they go through. Going through this it showed me kinda new out look on life on a part i don't see, but also showed me things that you can do to make it easier on yourself. what i mean is all the different services out there that can help you to survive and to make it were you can put your money where it really needs to go the most. Gt_racer678
I agree with you completely because this experience really shows you a complete different outlook on life. It really taught me some facts on life and how certain people do certain things to just survive in the real world. I feel more people should experience this to learn how living in the real world is not always the best and can be very stressful to survive with limited money. JoJo345 & JoJo678
I enjoyed the poverty simulation even though it made me think about being younger. seeing my mother struggle to try in feed us made me cry a lot being a kid. some nights we would go to bed without having any food to eat that's brought back so many remembers being at the simulation. even when my mother was younger she had to deal with poverty as well. not having food some night and having to wait to go to school the next day to eat a meal.The simulation showed others the struggles of living in poverty and it may have given others a different out look on a person whom is not as finically blessed as themselves. I mean its crazy that people is still facing the same situation I faced being a kid which is very sad. The simulation was a great way to show people what it feels like to be in poverty. I have a much better understanding of the meaning of poverty because of this simulation and I am very glad that I participated in it. lashay345
I thought it was fun and very interesting to experience. It was kind of sstressful as well because I was only 7 years old, which I could not do much. I basically just went to school because I was not able to help out. It really surprised me that majority of the people did not worry about the food or clothes situation. I felt like everyones main focus was the bills, which I still felt like not every family accomplished that. My family did not. I really thought it was a great experience overall because I felt like it gave me a taste of what people do go through in their everyday lives. JoJo 345 & JoJo678
My experience at the poverty simulation didn't really shock me because I live that life honestly. My mother is a single mother and I was 1 out of 6 kids. Growing up I didn't notice the financial aspect of my house hold. It wasn't until I was old enough to want certain things and couldn't get them because my mom had bills to pay. People really live this life but honestly it doesn't define were your financial status in the future could be. So this experiencing wasn't anything new, but I'm glad that others that's different from me got to experience what life could be with out college or anything else that could make financial matters better. The poverty simulation was a fun activity and I'm glad I went. Ajones345
The poverty simulation was fun to me to be honest it gave me power over my life and living situations i grew up poor my mother raised me and me 4 other siblings by herself and i had a wife in the simulation i saw how having both parents in a family can make even a poverty stricken family succeed in life by the end of my 4 weeks my family was back on track we had all expenses paid for and i even got a job that made us a normal suburban family. In all i liked the simulation and i'd look foward to attending another one in the future. Music345
I think the poverty simulation was a great experience. I think more people should go to things like that so they understand the real life problems low income families go through. The poverty simulation all together was a fun interactive event that I would do again for sure. My family was one of those families in the simulation that didn't buy food the whole four weeks we were given, father lost his job, can you imagine what they was like when he was the only income coming into the house. The bills were costing way more than his check, we almost got evicted, it was just all bad. It was many financial issues. #Honesty007
I had the privilege of attending the poverty simulation. I worked one of the tables. If I am to be brutally honest, I have mixed feelings on the simulation. On one hand, it seemed almost perverse or sick to me to be in a position of wealth/stability/security enough to engage in a "simulation" of what real people have to struggle with every day of their lives. Poverty is not a game, it is not a simulation, it is a real scenario which results in real suffering, homelessness, drug abuse, and even death for many people. Children are brought up starving, life becomes a matter of simple survival rather than something to enjoy with leisure and opportunity. So in a way, attending the simulator made me feel ashamed in an abstract way.
At the same time, though, I was glad to have experienced it. I feel the simulation is an excellent opportunity to teach people who truly have never had to suffer or be put in the shoes of someone living in dire poverty. Hopefully this experience will encourage people to see and consider those who have nothing, and to engage in community service and give to the needy.
When working the table, I was actually instructed to rip people off. This came as a surprise to me, but as I handed out transportation passes, I did. I noticed a definite pattern-- at the beginning of the simulation people were far less careful with their money. Starting out, they would not count it or watch what I was doing as closely. It taught me that people in poverty must be especially careful to fend from the unforgiving and the prey, because a vulnerable person is even more likely to get taken advantage of. As the simulation wore on, I also noticed people watching what I did more, and counting every pass, every dollar I returned to them. Even if I was caught giving them short change, people were generally trusting of me, assuming I'd made a counting error. Because we (well, most of us. I cannot speak for everyone who attended) are so used to living a more comfortable life financially, we assume people are friendly and won't take advantage of us. In reality, someone in poverty must always be watching out to keep from being taken advantage of or abused in some way. Though what I did was part of a simulation, it's a very eerie reflection of what happens every single day to real people. If someone lost ten or twenty dollars to negligence or dishonesty in the simulation, once the sim ended nothing much was lost from that, but in reality someone who only has thirty or forty dollars to last to the end of the week (if even) can't afford to lose five or ten of it, because that is their livelihood, their rent, their food. --Rainshadow007
This was my first poverty simulation, and being the head of the household it was a struggle to provide for my family of four while working full time. I was unable to care for one of my children who ended up going to jail. I ended up going to jail for doing something right and making it known that something was a set up. I felt that I was protecting my fellow neighbor by doing that. Instead I felt that I faced a penalty for being honest. This was a set back as I was unable to help my family. Overall I felt this was an adiquite simulation with lots of valuable take always. Medic678
At the poverty simulation I portrayed a mother with two children, 14 and 17, who's father had just walked out. That role was especially hard for me because I got to see things from the point of view of my own mother for an hour. My father was abusive towards my mother and I, my sister was only 2 when he left and I was 6, which while that is a little different helped me to see how hard life truly was for my mom when I was little. After my dad left my mom had the rent on the apartment, the utilities, and everything else to pay. Needless to say a single mom with two young children couldn't afford all of that and daycare for my little sister. We ended up moving in with her friend and then bouncing around from place to place in an attempt to avoid rent. Then my mom met her current husband when I was about 10 and our lives got crazier. My biological father came back into the picture, my mom and dad officially got divorced, we moved into an apartment, and my mom and soon to be step-dad would just leave all the time leaving me to take care of my sister. once we almost ended up in foster care, that sucked. I guess the hardest part during the simulation, for me, was that I tried my hardest to keep my "kids" above board on the things that would potentially put them in foster care as I am now part of a family that takes in foster children (my husbands parents and my husband and I are foster families) and I know exactly what lands kids in care and that isn't something I want for my fake or future children. During the simulation however there were families that in real life would have been separated and placed in homes but that didn't happen. Also there were a few things that I felt the simulation was lacking, like a library and a liquor store. When I was growing up I spent all of my time at the library. I went there instead of going to school most days because the other kids in my class didn't understand what was going on and I was an outcast. Also, my mother would sell our food stamps for alcohol and my sister and I would go hungry. These key factors made it difficult for me to really get into the simulation because I am a 'fixer' as my husband calls me and I want to make everything the best it can be and these things in my opinion are key things that real society has.
When I went to the poverty simulation, I didn't believe I would have struggle because I once lived it. The difference was that I was the child when I did live the struggle. In the simulation I was the adult and taking care of 3 kids. I wasn't on my own, so I had to provide for everyone other than myself. I had barely any income, got hustled out of items I was selling, barely got any assistance, not get what I paid for and many other things. It sucked. Not knowing or having an idea of when and where the next meal will be. The method I tried in making money was snitching out the cash guy and trying to jail him. Luckily I got some break when I won money and I used it for clothing. The funny thing is I ended up with 5$ at the end of the month and still had more than half of the bills to pay. I never got to fully pay the whole thing. My family would've starved to death due to lack of funds. It definitely made me hug my parents and saying thank you. This honestly made more passionate to finish my college education as I pursue a well paying career so I would never have to experience in real life. I plan on doing this simulation again to see if I could do any better .
ReplyDeleteRugby345
I feel you.
DeleteIts sad because there are families like that all over America and even with that said its a lot of younger families that have to go through poverty because of kids having kids and they do not have anyone to fall back on Poverty does not have a color its all about knowing the ways to get a job and keeping a job and having enough education to make ends meet. America is a rich country but we have a poor population.
DeleteRebel 345
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteMy experience at the poverty simulation was a rather familiar one to say the least. Growing up in a lower middle class, government assistance dependent family I have been through this process more times then I care to count. For me it was easier being a child and not having to worry about making ends meet and as a kid in my own life I saw it that way, but now becoming an adult the simulation is teaching the everyday struggle for many. Choosing between feeding your family and keeping a roof over their heads is just one of the many trials and tribulations families face not including the untimely surprises life springs on us. During this simulation they were clever enough to include things like having your car stolen or someone going to jail to make it even more life like and accurate which I highly appreciated. What I learned from this was even more places that offer assistance to families in need that I can use and refer to others if need be. Hopefully they continue this simulation because it offers so much vital information and the opportunity to live in someone else's shoes if even just for a few hours. Scooby345
ReplyDeleteNo doubt here. I also felt psychologically poor. Felt like people treated me differently and I accepted it. What a struggle. Awakening345
DeleteI know how you feel. Grew up on food stamps, link , and etc. It sucked being frowned upon in society because money was tight and we had to be "cheap". I feel you and I am happy that I did this simulation.
ReplyDeleteRugby345
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteThis is my second Poverty simulation I have gone to. The first time I was on the side where I was the clerk at the Food-A-Rama and I must say people did not make sure they had the right change and everything they needed. It was families that went weeks without eating and then the last week of the month they tried to buy food for the first two weeks they missed and because I was the clerk i denied them and with the vouchers it was worth 10 $ for food and 10$ for clothes but they did not know that I never told them they can use it for both I just said one or the other. People never really understood how EBT worked or the vouchers worked they was just in a rush and thought it was a game but really this was real life for some people. The second time I went I was a 14 year old child who only had a mom and a brother with a baby on the way I went to buy some transportation passes so i can go to school but i found myself in detention. It was not a good feeling and then my so called mother left me there. My family had no money so me being a delinquent I decided i was going to go into other people houses and steal anything i could, money, belongings, TP etc.....just so I can get money to give to my mom so we wont get evicted or so we can have lights and food. People go through these thing everyday just to survive it did not feel good being on the other side of thing but it helped me understand that everyone is not as privileged as i am.
ReplyDeleteREBEL 345
The poverty simulation was a very valuable experience. Coming from an upper-middle class family, I personally did not have any knowledge of life in poverty. I always heard about it on the news but never really thought anything of it. This simulation has not completely, but somewhat put into perspective what life in poverty is like. During the simulation I felt rushed and pressured to make ends meet by the end of the month (15 minute time limit). I cannot imagine that applied to real life. It makes me upset that this is a real thing that millions of people must go through on a daily basis. I now understand why people can turn to crime as a way of making ends meet whether its stealing or selling drugs. The sad part about it is that I feel it is a never ending cycle. Overall I am very glad that I took part in the simulation. Not for just the points, but for the perspective it gave me on poverty. -AUT345
ReplyDeleteI think the poverty simulation was very interesting and fun at the same time. I think it really helped me see how things are for some people. Being able to somewhat go through what they would have to made me realize a lot. Growing up in the class I did I didn't really have to go through the things some of these kids or teenagers have to. During the simulation i felt really rushed and I didn't really know what I was doing at first. Once it started going I sort of got the hang of it, however I did not realize how many things that had to be paid and how many little things there are that must be attended to to live a decent life. Granted we only had 15 minutes to do some of the things these people get a month to do, but at the same time it was a good experience. I really enjoyed the poverty simulation and took a lot from it. AD678
ReplyDeleteI actually enjoyed the poverty simulation but I felt left out being assigned as a 7 year old. I did want to try to help my family but because we were told to act our role, I could not offer them advice I have learned over the years growing up in a poor family. While others felt rushed or as if there was not enough time, I quickly thought of a way to help my group but I was still a child. One part I did enjoy was seeing how other participants were struggling only because most of them lived in the middle class and had no idea how stressful being in poverty could be. The experience was a good one and I will gladly do it again if the opportunity arises. -Craft345
ReplyDeleteI felt sort of left out too being a 7 year old too. Seeing how everyone else was running around trying to balance a budget. But that is how life is but I too would also go to this seminar again if the chance comes.
DeleteTex678
When i was young many of the factors in the poverty simulation were very real for me. When i was in the simulation i got a green card and told i needed glasses in real life how ever the situation would go on years before getting them. My first two years of school i went without and my parents barely had money for dinner every night the other meal came from the school lunch program. This simulation did a good job at showing people what it can be like but i still dont think the gravity and psychology can be grasped on how it actually weighs on the kids ad parents. The recidivism can easily be understood when you actually live it as a kid the anger and out lash you have to any one who has more then you controls alot of your emotion. I grew up with a chip on my shoulder for the longest time fighting any one who said anything remotely insulting to me. Also needless to say i very rarely attended my high school because i was embarrassed i didn't have the new shoes or clothes, i never saw the new movies that came out, and never really had money to go do things with kids my age other then outside play. How ever i had a great set of parents that gave me a lot of good verbal advice with out that i would be positive i would on a complete different path than i am on now today. When we look at what we should be doing in my opinion is putting the money at the start and not at the end. Its sad to watch others suffer but we may be able to keep a lot more from suffering instead of trying to dig people out of the hole by keeping them from ever falling into it in the first place by simply putting the money upfront and helping parents with kids a lot more then we do today. Scraut22
DeleteAt the seminar I was a 7-year-old boy with ADHD and it was tough seeing how I had to wait till the end of the month to be able to receive my meds. There was other things like food and shelter that where more important. I was good awakening to get a very small glimpse at what people have to go through to survive.
ReplyDeleteTex678
In the poverty simulation, I was the part of a 13 year old girl. With that being said, I wasn't able to partake in helping the adult figure out how to pay for things and to go pay bills or find ways of income. I felt like I couldn't help at all and I felt bad for the adult because he had so much stress put on him. If he were just caring for himself, it would be different. But he was caring for me and another 13 year old girl, both who were complaining about being hungry and that the utilities were shut off. While I didn't have any complications in my part personally, I was able to witness many others who were struggling to pay for bills or food and I could see my caretaker in distress as he was running around everywhere and trying to manage his money. The simulation was a great way to show people what it feels like to be in poverty. I have a much better understanding of the meaning of poverty because of this simulation and I am very glad that I participated in it.
ReplyDelete- flxr007
I thought that was a fascinating part of the simulation, the 'roleplay' aspect. Like you said, taking on the role of a very young girl, you're simply unable to help the adults brainstorm, even if you have ideas, because realistically a young girl would probably just be trying to get by and live her life rather than helping the adults with complex finances. It also helped put a realistic strain on the families by having members of it unable to contribute but also using the food sources and transportation money, etc. I thought that was a cool, realistic touch. --Rainshadow007
DeleteAlthough I did not come from poverty, my mother did. She grew up with 9 brothers and sisters in a two bedroom house. She paid her way to nursing school on her own and now is retired at age 55. She has told me many stories growing up that it was not easy to get by and that she never bough clothes. Her mother made all of the clothes for her and her brothers and sisters. During the simulation, I was a 9 year old girl with a 7 year old brother, a disabled granddad and a working grandmother. While in school I received a card saying I brought a weapon to school, so in turn my granddad had bailed me out for $50 dollars or else it would accumulate day for day. It seemed we were obviously struggling as a family, and it made me realize how much my family had to do to achieve self sufficient ways. We did not have to pawn anything, but I was astonished to here people really pawned off their stove and refrigerators. I thought the simulation was a great experience for me to understand first hand what is it like to live in poverty. I see this on a regular basis with friends that I have as well. nure007
ReplyDeleteI attended the poverty simulation, but little do a lot of people know I live that life everyday. I played the part of the grandmother who has a sick husband and is currently caring for two grandchildren for my daughter who was incarcerated. Although that's not the exact situation I'm living now it is close to it. There are a lot of resources for people who need help with different bills to get your cars fixed or for food. I did pretty good during the simulation I had money left to get the things my family needs. The key is to save as much money or even your entire check as much as you can . The simulation showed others the struggles of living in poverty and it may have given others a different out look on a person whom is not as finically blessed as themselves.MotherOf4678
ReplyDeleteMy entire experience at the poverty stimulation, was definitely an experience from both sides of the spectrum. Being a social worker and actually being impoverished. I'm not going to say that I know what it's like to be poor. Yet I can say that I do understand. My mother made sure my siblings and I were supplied with our basic needs. Yet I know others that were truly impoverished. Mother and I would wake up early mornings and prepare pb&j sandwiches and fruit, to take the bus stop to feed those who were hungry. Even when mother had extra money while grocery shopping she'd buy extra food to make sack lunches. We don't always lend a hand to those who need help, being that we are so tied up with our own lives. However we feed the needy and poor in other countries; while several are staving in our own. I feel for children who don't have the proper nutrients needed to survive and concentrate in school or outside. We look down on others as of they are so beneath us because they are less fortunate than we are. As I begin to view the reality of it all I would like to find more ways to help to bring my city out of poverty. We should all think about ways that we can help of we are able. I've committed to myself that after cooking Sunday dinner instead of letting the left overs go to waste afterwards I take plates to the homeless on the Riverfront. Meanwhile looking for more ways to help instead of hurt, we together can make society a better place to live. Tricey345
ReplyDeleteWhen i was young many of the factors in the poverty simulation were very real for me. When i was in the simulation i got a green card and told i needed glasses in real life how ever the situation would go on years before getting them. My first two years of school i went without and my parents barely had money for dinner every night the other meal came from the school lunch program. This simulation did a good job at showing people what it can be like but i still dont think the gravity and psychology can be grasped on how it actually weighs on the kids ad parents. The recidivism can easily be understood when you actually live it as a kid the anger and out lash you have to any one who has more then you controls alot of your emotion. I grew up with a chip on my shoulder for the longest time fighting any one who said anything remotely insulting to me. Also needless to say i very rarely attended my high school because i was embarrassed i didn't have the new shoes or clothes, i never saw the new movies that came out, and never really had money to go do things with kids my age other then outside play. How ever i had a great set of parents that gave me a lot of good verbal advice with out that i would be positive i would on a complete different path than i am on now today. When we look at what we should be doing in my opinion is putting the money at the start and not at the end. Its sad to watch others suffer but we may be able to keep a lot more from suffering instead of trying to dig people out of the hole by keeping them from ever falling into it in the first place by simply putting the money upfront and helping parents with kids a lot more then we do today. Scraut22
ReplyDeleteI went through something like this back in high school and it was called the real world, but for it we got to pick cars and have fun with growing up. With the Poverty Simulator you got to see how some people have to live there lives to survive. I though it gave a good out look on how some people really have to leave and struggles they go through. Going through this it showed me kinda new out look on life on a part i don't see, but also showed me things that you can do to make it easier on yourself. what i mean is all the different services out there that can help you to survive and to make it were you can put your money where it really needs to go the most. Gt_racer678
ReplyDeleteI agree with you completely because this experience really shows you a complete different outlook on life. It really taught me some facts on life and how certain people do certain things to just survive in the real world. I feel more people should experience this to learn how living in the real world is not always the best and can be very stressful to survive with limited money.
DeleteJoJo345 & JoJo678
I enjoyed the poverty simulation even though it made me think about being younger. seeing my mother struggle to try in feed us made me cry a lot being a kid. some nights we would go to bed without having any food to eat that's brought back so many remembers being at the simulation. even when my mother was younger she had to deal with poverty as well. not having food some night and having to wait to go to school the next day to eat a meal.The simulation showed others the struggles of living in poverty and it may have given others a different out look on a person whom is not as finically blessed as themselves. I mean its crazy that people is still facing the same situation I faced being a kid which is very sad. The simulation was a great way to show people what it feels like to be in poverty. I have a much better understanding of the meaning of poverty because of this simulation and I am very glad that I participated in it. lashay345
ReplyDeleteI thought it was fun and very interesting to experience. It was kind of sstressful as well because I was only 7 years old, which I could not do much. I basically just went to school because I was not able to help out. It really surprised me that majority of the people did not worry about the food or clothes situation. I felt like everyones main focus was the bills, which I still felt like not every family accomplished that. My family did not. I really thought it was a great experience overall because I felt like it gave me a taste of what people do go through in their everyday lives.
ReplyDeleteJoJo 345 & JoJo678
My experience at the poverty simulation didn't really shock me because I live that life honestly. My mother is a single mother and I was 1 out of 6 kids. Growing up I didn't notice the financial aspect of my house hold. It wasn't until I was old enough to want certain things and couldn't get them because my mom had bills to pay. People really live this life but honestly it doesn't define were your financial status in the future could be. So this experiencing wasn't anything new, but I'm glad that others that's different from me got to experience what life could be with out college or anything else that could make financial matters better. The poverty simulation was a fun activity and I'm glad I went. Ajones345
ReplyDeleteThe poverty simulation was fun to me to be honest it gave me power over my life and living situations i grew up poor my mother raised me and me 4 other siblings by herself and i had a wife in the simulation i saw how having both parents in a family can make even a poverty stricken family succeed in life by the end of my 4 weeks my family was back on track we had all expenses paid for and i even got a job that made us a normal suburban family. In all i liked the simulation and i'd look foward to attending another one in the future.
ReplyDeleteMusic345
I think the poverty simulation was a great experience. I think more people should go to things like that so they understand the real life problems low income families go through. The poverty simulation all together was a fun interactive event that I would do again for sure. My family was one of those families in the simulation that didn't buy food the whole four weeks we were given, father lost his job, can you imagine what they was like when he was the only income coming into the house. The bills were costing way more than his check, we almost got evicted, it was just all bad. It was many financial issues. #Honesty007
ReplyDeleteI had the privilege of attending the poverty simulation. I worked one of the tables. If I am to be brutally honest, I have mixed feelings on the simulation. On one hand, it seemed almost perverse or sick to me to be in a position of wealth/stability/security enough to engage in a "simulation" of what real people have to struggle with every day of their lives. Poverty is not a game, it is not a simulation, it is a real scenario which results in real suffering, homelessness, drug abuse, and even death for many people. Children are brought up starving, life becomes a matter of simple survival rather than something to enjoy with leisure and opportunity. So in a way, attending the simulator made me feel ashamed in an abstract way.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, though, I was glad to have experienced it. I feel the simulation is an excellent opportunity to teach people who truly have never had to suffer or be put in the shoes of someone living in dire poverty. Hopefully this experience will encourage people to see and consider those who have nothing, and to engage in community service and give to the needy.
When working the table, I was actually instructed to rip people off. This came as a surprise to me, but as I handed out transportation passes, I did. I noticed a definite pattern-- at the beginning of the simulation people were far less careful with their money. Starting out, they would not count it or watch what I was doing as closely. It taught me that people in poverty must be especially careful to fend from the unforgiving and the prey, because a vulnerable person is even more likely to get taken advantage of. As the simulation wore on, I also noticed people watching what I did more, and counting every pass, every dollar I returned to them. Even if I was caught giving them short change, people were generally trusting of me, assuming I'd made a counting error. Because we (well, most of us. I cannot speak for everyone who attended) are so used to living a more comfortable life financially, we assume people are friendly and won't take advantage of us. In reality, someone in poverty must always be watching out to keep from being taken advantage of or abused in some way. Though what I did was part of a simulation, it's a very eerie reflection of what happens every single day to real people. If someone lost ten or twenty dollars to negligence or dishonesty in the simulation, once the sim ended nothing much was lost from that, but in reality someone who only has thirty or forty dollars to last to the end of the week (if even) can't afford to lose five or ten of it, because that is their livelihood, their rent, their food. --Rainshadow007
This was my first poverty simulation, and being the head of the household it was a struggle to provide for my family of four while working full time. I was unable to care for one of my children who ended up going to jail. I ended up going to jail for doing something right and making it known that something was a set up. I felt that I was protecting my fellow neighbor by doing that. Instead I felt that I faced a penalty for being honest. This was a set back as I was unable to help my family.
ReplyDeleteOverall I felt this was an adiquite simulation with lots of valuable take always.
Medic678
At the poverty simulation I portrayed a mother with two children, 14 and 17, who's father had just walked out. That role was especially hard for me because I got to see things from the point of view of my own mother for an hour. My father was abusive towards my mother and I, my sister was only 2 when he left and I was 6, which while that is a little different helped me to see how hard life truly was for my mom when I was little. After my dad left my mom had the rent on the apartment, the utilities, and everything else to pay. Needless to say a single mom with two young children couldn't afford all of that and daycare for my little sister. We ended up moving in with her friend and then bouncing around from place to place in an attempt to avoid rent. Then my mom met her current husband when I was about 10 and our lives got crazier. My biological father came back into the picture, my mom and dad officially got divorced, we moved into an apartment, and my mom and soon to be step-dad would just leave all the time leaving me to take care of my sister. once we almost ended up in foster care, that sucked.
ReplyDeleteI guess the hardest part during the simulation, for me, was that I tried my hardest to keep my "kids" above board on the things that would potentially put them in foster care as I am now part of a family that takes in foster children (my husbands parents and my husband and I are foster families) and I know exactly what lands kids in care and that isn't something I want for my fake or future children. During the simulation however there were families that in real life would have been separated and placed in homes but that didn't happen. Also there were a few things that I felt the simulation was lacking, like a library and a liquor store. When I was growing up I spent all of my time at the library. I went there instead of going to school most days because the other kids in my class didn't understand what was going on and I was an outcast. Also, my mother would sell our food stamps for alcohol and my sister and I would go hungry.
These key factors made it difficult for me to really get into the simulation because I am a 'fixer' as my husband calls me and I want to make everything the best it can be and these things in my opinion are key things that real society has.
hello_sweetie007