Students stepped into the lives of the 37 million U.S. citizens who live in poverty during Wednesday night's Community Action Poverty Simulation.
TEAMwork for Quality Living, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in Delaware County and Muncie, worked with the Ball State University Social Work Department to raise awareness of poverty and give a small taste of what life is like on an extremely limited income.
"The goal is to raise awareness." said Kyra Hainlen, project coordinator of Teamwork for Quality Living. "By raising awareness we hope to get people involved in the community."
As a part of the Leadership and Service Learning's week of action, students were divided into families and given real-life scenarios with monthly payments for rent, food, utilities, loans and clothing.
"I robbed my friend because I needed money for my family," sophomore Linda Madrigal said of her simulation experience.
Life issues such as drugs, robbery and job loss also came into play, adding to the students' frustrations as the demands of survival exceeded what the families could give. By the end of the night, the only families who had not been evicted or thrown in jail were the ones who had either stolen or been involved with drug dealing during the simulation.
Many participants expressed feelings of being very powerless and frustrated in the end.
"It makes you realize everything you take for granted in life - even the little things like food." senior Kyla Cole said.
Many of the volunteers from TEAMwork for Quality Living are currently living in poverty or had lived in poverty at one time. A few shared their stories and their advice.
Dorothy, a volunteer who asked that her last name not be used, is currently living in poverty. After raising her three grandchildren, she is now raising her great grandchild.
"No matter what you're going through, you can make it," she said.
By the end of the discussion, students said they realized that getting through one week of poverty does not guarantee the success of the next, and having "just enough" or less than enough does not leave any room for the unexpected life emergencies that are guaranteed to happen at one time or another.
"Can poverty be ended?" Hainlen asked at the end. TEAMwork for Quality Living now challenges participants to get involved with their community and find a way to effect for the better.
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