Recently, some of our team had the opportunity to participate in a poverty simulation, and it was an eye-opening experience. The simulation was designed to simulate the experience of living in poverty for a month, and it was a sobering reminder of how difficult it can be to make ends meet when you don’t have enough resources.
During the simulation, we were each given a set of circumstances that represented a family’s situation. We had to navigate the challenges of paying bills, transportation costs, buying groceries, and caring for our family’s needs, all while dealing with unexpected expenses and other setbacks. We quickly realized how much time and energy it takes to keep everything together when living on a limited budget.
One of the most challenging aspects of the simulation was dealing with unexpected expenses. No matter how carefully we budgeted, something would always come up that we hadn’t planned for, whether it was a medical emergency or a school expense. These unexpected expenses threw off the budget and made it even harder to make ends meet.
Another challenge was dealing with the stress and anxiety that came with living in poverty. Each “week” was a race to pay the bills or put food on the table. It was exhausting and helped us better understand the struggles of those living in this reality.
Despite the difficulties, there were some bright spots in the simulation. Some connected with others going through similar experiences, supported each other, and shared resources. It was also a reminder of the importance of having a safety net and a community of support when living in poverty.
Overall, the poverty simulation was a powerful reminder of the daily challenges that so many people face. It was a wake-up call to how our society must do more to support those struggling to make ends meet. I want more people to participate in simulations like these so that we can all better understand the realities of poverty and work towards creating a system that genuinely works to help build bridges out of poverty for families living in our community.