Poverty simulation mimics real life

Of all the services available to volunteer “families” during a May 25 poverty simulation, Big Dave’s Pawn Shop, run by Zee Henry, was the busiest. Getting cash to cover bills and pay for transportation was top priority for many of those taking on roles of family members.

The event was sponsored by United Way of Delaware with co-sponsors Sussex Housing Group, First State Community Action Agency and Delaware Technical Community College, the site of the simulation. It offered several dozen volunteers, who were assigned roles to play as members of families struggling with poverty, an understanding of poverty they had never experienced before.

“You will see how to navigate the system just to survive,” said First State Executive Director Bernice Edwards.

United Way monitor Tierra Fair laid out the rules of the event. “You will be living in poverty for one month in four 10-minute segments representing a week,” she said. “These are real-life experiences. You will all take on different roles in your families. Be as realistic as possible, act your age and the role you’ve been given.”

She said a transportation pass is required to take advantage of any of the services offered. “Transportation is one of the most critical issues facing low-income families. You can’t go anywhere without a transportation pass,” she said. The passes could be purchased.

That presented serious problems for one group which had no transportation passes but had checks, and no cash and no way to get to the bank to set up an account to cash the checks.

Services offered included healthcare, banking, employment, a mortgage and realty company, utilities, a homeless shelter, school, police department, shopping center, pawn shop and quick-cash shop. They could also receive Social Security cards, food stamps and EBT cards.

Family members had to get their children to school or find child care, get to work, pay bills and make appointments.