When you see the words “Spring
Break”, what are your first thoughts? Most likely, you would think of “vacation”
or something positive. My first day of break was a tough one. I was a participant
at C.O.P.E. According to Think Tank, the operator of this program, “C.O.P.E.
(Cost Of Poverty Experience) has been used to help many organizations and
communities across the nation work more effectively with low-income families
and understand and address the issues of poverty more comprehensively.” By
participating in this event, I was able to understand the culture of those
living in poverty.
When
I arrived, I was placed in a seat and given a packet. The packet had all of the
details about what role I would be playing. The simulation was based off the
real stories of 25 families. My family consisted of a single mom with two sons.
My partner decided to play the role of the mother and I was the oldest son.
There was a doll to represent the baby. All other participants in the room had
similar roles depending on the situation of the family. Each family had to
learn to survive in their situations.
The
simulation was one month long. Each week was 15 minutes with short breaks in
between. There were tables set up around the room representing services such as
daycare, school, work, food stamps, pawn shops, jail, faith and healing center,
homeless shelter, etc. Each family had to follow the rules in their packet and
go from table to table obtaining services and paying utilities. It didn’t take
long to notice how hard this was to do.
They
typical stereotype of poverty is negative. Those living in poverty are looked
upon as lazy. This simulation helped me to see the other side of the story. I was
so frustrated in the situation I was role playing. There were long lines at the
common services tables and waiting in line for those meant wasting precious
time needed at other tables. Sacrifices had to be made in every decision. There
were no win-win’s. In my family, the mom spent half of the “week” waiting in
line to get her pay check. When it was almost her turn, the whistle would blow,
signaling the end of the week. Then she would have to go “home” and try again
the next week. In the meantime, the bills were not getting paid, and she didn’t
have the time or money to get food. At the end of the experience, we did a
group discussion.
The
feeling of frustration was felt by everyone. Those in the role of children felt
that they were responsible for helping their parents and this took away from
their lives as kids. A lot of time was wasted waiting in lines. All were so
busy living in the tyranny of the moment that they missed out on opportunities
and services. Many tables had services that no one knew about because they
didn’t have the time to go and find out. For example, a few tables offered jobs
but no one thought to inquire about any services other than advertised. Only
three families paid their utilities on time and many went weeks without proper
nourishment. Some didn’t have the time to cash or collect their checks. Kids
were neglected by not receiving enough attention from their parents and
suffered in school because their parents didn’t have time to help them with
homework. There were barriers everywhere!
This
was an eye opening simulation. Just because someone is living in poverty does
not mean they are lazy. We were exhausted in the two hours we spent imitation
poverty. I can’t imagine how taxing that life must be in reality. They worked
harder than most middle class people and for minimum wage. People in poverty
may be trying to get out of it but circumstances and fate prevent that from
happening. I believe that this helped my stereotype of those living in poverty.
I realized that everyone has a story and everyone is a human. I don’t know the
reasons why but I can put myself in their shoes and understand their situation.
The key is understanding!
This was written by Emily Cole, a former Connect2Complete Advocate at Miami Hamilton, about her experience at the Cost of Poverty Experience (C.O.P.E.), poverty simulation, put on every March by the Center for Civic Engagement. This is also the kick off event for STAYcation, the poverty immersion alternative spring break program. To learn about C.O.P.E. or STAYcation please contact the Center for Civic Engagement at MUHCCE@miamioh.edu
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