If you would like to schedule a poverty simulation for your group, contact Amanda Helfer.

Poverty Simulations: Living in a State of Poverty

Poverty affects us all but do you really know much about what it would be like to living at the Federal Poverty Level in Larimer County? The poverty simulation is a unique and experiential volunteer opportunity that will increase your understanding of what it might be like to live in poverty; as well as, provide a profound training for any type of future community involvement you may undertake. See if you have what it takes to make it a “month” in poverty. Volunteers participate by acting as families living in poverty and by role playing the community resources that families must access to meet their basic needs. After simulating the hour long “month” in poverty, we will reflect as a group about the experience as well as explore options to help our neighbors who aren’t making it. This project is youth and family friendly and is also a great experience for groups exploring relevant local social issues. By volunteering your time and expanding your knowledge about poverty in your community you can make a difference. There are two sign-ups: one for volunteer participants (who will be put in families) and one for volunteer community resources actors (who will be assigned a specific role). Please make sure you are correctly registering for the experience that best fits your interest.

Volunteer participants are assigned a family unit for the simulation. It is their “job” in the simulation to accurately portray the person they are described as to the best of their ability. Family units in the simulation range from a single widow to a family of four.

Volunteer community resource actors play the role of the community resources in the simulation. The best volunteer staffers have experience living in poverty or experience working within community resources. Volunteer community resource actors must arrive 30 minutes early for training on their roles. Here are the possible roles:

-Police Officer

-Utility Collector

-Pawnbroker

-Grocer

-Banker

-School Teacher

-Employment Officer

-Food Bank Volunteer

-Landlord/ rent collector

-Quik Cash/ Currency Exchange Manager

-Department of Human Services Case worker

-DHS Receptionist

-Welfare rights organizer

-Illegal Activities Instigator