Poverty Simulation

Attempting to sleep on a cold concrete floor without a blanket, awaking to someone kicking you out of your shelter at six in the morning, hiding your sweatshirt only to discover hours later that it was stolen, walking the streets of New York in the rain with no umbrella and forget about brushing your teeth or showering…

The Summer in the City students participated in a three and a half day poverty simulation to help them experience the day to day struggles of the working poor and the homeless in a controlled environment.

Wednesday night we had the students meet for a scheduled “prayer meeting.” After praying, we told them they were entering a poverty simulation and they had fifteen minutes to grab three items – literally, three. After collecting all of their money, cell phones, room keys and extra belongings, they headed to the Here’s Life Inner City warehouse in Queens for what would turn into a very long three days.

Each day, students were given $20 in “simulation money.” They had to pay for their transportation, housing fee and all meals, which usually meant they only had enough money to buy a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and piece of fruit for dinner.

While participating in the simulation, students still served at their ministry sites, in the same clothes two days in a row. If any students ever arrived late or broke the rules of the simulation, they earned a chance card. Chance cards introduced various scenarios ranging from losing all of your possessions to paying for your child’s lunch. If someone couldn’t pay, they collected money from other group members. Just as in a real homeless shelter, if a student failed to carry all of their belongings at all times, it was stolen and had to be purchased to get it back.

In the evenings, we did various activities and studies to explore what poverty and the term, “working poor” truly means and how our stereotypes feed into our understanding of this culture. Saturday, students were sent out, in the rain again, to complete a scavenger hunt. They talked to homeless people and listened to their stories, gave away one of their possessions-a handmade blanket, collected cans from the trash and most ended up at various shelters across Manhattan to find lunch, all the while meeting people who live like this every day.

By the end of the simulation, they students were completely exhausted and sleep deprived, hungry and miserable. Let’s just say, their staff team were not their favorite people. But it was when they hit their breaking point that the Spirit really began to move in their hearts. Their perspectives were changing. Their hearts were softened. They were clinging to the only thing they had – their Savior.

Written by: Jamie, SITC staff

On the last morning, Dayne's barely hanging in there.

Just found out the poverty simulation is over!