Poverty Simulation Invites Victoria Community to See Through a Different Lens
/First United Methodist Church Victoria recently partnered with United Way Victoria and Victoria College to host two interactive poverty simulations, inviting participants to spend an afternoon seeing our community through a different lens.
The first event was held as part of a staff development day on Friday, September 18. The team gathered again for a community-wide event hosted at First UMC Victoria on Monday, September 21.
During the simulation, participants were assigned to families with different circumstances and asked to navigate a month of daily life with limited resources. They had to make decisions about housing, employment, transportation, food, bills, and other basic needs, all while facing unexpected challenges along the way.
At the beginning of the event, participants were pretty jovial, but as the simulation unfolded, the tone in the room changed. The decisions became harder. The stress built. Participants began to experience, in a small way, the pressure of making difficult choices with limited resources and the frustration of systems that can make it difficult to get ahead.
The experience quickly reminded us that poverty is rarely as simple as making good or bad choices. Limited resources, complicated systems, transportation, childcare, health concerns, unexpected expenses, and circumstances beyond our control can create barriers even when people are working hard to do the best they can.
The simulation did not allow us to truly experience what it is like to live in poverty. But it did give us an opportunity to listen, learn, ask questions, and recognize some of the barriers our neighbors face every day.
After the simulation, participants had an opportunity to debrief and reflect on their experience. They talked about the stress they felt, what it was like to be treated as less than, and how the experience changed the way they think about people experiencing financial hardship. Many left with a desire to offer more hope and more help in our community.
As people of faith, we are called to see our neighbors, to listen to their stories, and to respond with compassion. Sometimes the first step in serving our community is learning to see it differently.
Story and photos provided by: Rev. Dr. Celia Halfacre
