Third of residents struggle financially: Exercise proves eye-opener for participants

About one-third of households in Bartholomew County live in poverty or are considered among the working poor.

Ten percent are below the federal poverty threshold, and 24 percent fit into the category of Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed (ALICE), according to the United Way of Bartholomew County.

The remaining two-thirds of households in the county should be bringing in enough money to make ends meet, according to local United Way data.

However, more than 10,000 Bartholomew County households struggle to survive on a daily basis, the agency said.

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For the Columbus-based Community Education Coalition (CEC) and other educational organizations, this is a concern.

Educational attainment provides a pathway to better-paying jobs and self-sufficiency, but poverty negatively impacts educational attainment, said Kathy Huffman, manager of the CEC’s EcO Attainment Network.

To help educators and members of community organizations and businesses better understand the realities of living in poverty, five groups presented a Oct. 30 poverty simulation at The Commons in Columbus. They were the CEC, United Way, Council for Youth Development in Bartholomew County, Cummins Inc. and Madison Consolidated Schools

More than 80 people participated in the Community Action Poverty Simulation, which involved role-playing the lives of low-income families.

Simulated families in the exercise faced a variety of challenges, and interacted with human service agencies, grocers, bill collectors, law enforcement and others in an attempt to make ends meet.

They were asked to live four weeks as a family, with a 15-minute block of time equaling a week.

After the simulated month of living as a low-income family, a debriefing period allowed participants to share thoughts and ask questions. Participants described how chaotic and stressful their simulated lives were, and the emotions and anxiety they felt, Huffman said.

“The chaos was overwhelming. They didn’t have enough money. They didn’t figure out how to get to work,” she said.

Some participants, in their roles, even resorted to stealing from neighbors to get money or something else they needed, Huffman said.

“There was definitely an overall collective increase in empathy and awareness,” Huffman said.

United Way President Mark Stewart said it was good to see some board members of organizations — those that make decisions about allocating money — participate in the simulation, providing a clear understanding of the needs of some people.

“When we can empathize with people, we tend to help out more if we know their story,” Stewart said.

The simulation concluded with call-to-action presentations from several groups about resource programs they offer, such as United Way’s Avenues to Opportunities, which helps people transition from poverty to self sufficiency, and the state’s Next Level Jobs program, which provides free training in high-paying, in-demand jobs.

Heather Carson, director of the Council for Youth Development, spoke about efforts to build developmental assets in the community to assist children. Assets can be internal, such as learning positive values and developing a commitment to learning; or external, such as safety, leadership opportunities and support from people who love, care for and accept children, she said.

“In general it was a new concept for many — and how do we integrate them into our personal or professional lives?” Carson said.

The poverty simulation was beneficial, Carson said, because it allowed many people to experience poverty for the first time, and the associated stresses.

Goal in mind

The idea to conduct a local poverty simulation originated with the EcO Attainment Network and its Guiding Team’s equity imperative. The Attainment Network consists of teams working regionally to increase high school graduation rates and the rate of individuals with post-secondary degrees or certifications.

“We know we have to help build in support for those facing additional barriers,” Huffman said.

Madison Consolidated Schools, which the EcO Attainment Network works with, had attended a conference where a poverty simulation that had been developed by the Missouri Community Action Network was presented. Madison Schools purchased the kit and conducted simulations in Jefferson County. The school district was willing to help share them with other communities, Huffman said.

Participants for this simulation were mostly from the educational field in order to better understand the situations low-income students face trying to reach their educational goals, Huffman said.

“We thought this would help us understand the challenge,” she said.

Michael Tinsley, Components corporate responsibility manager for Cummins and a member of the EcO Attainment Guiding Team, said it was important for him to get some Cummins employees involved to increase their awareness of issues being faced by people living in poverty.

“My hope is that not only will those that participated be inspired to do more, they will lead by example and inspire their teams to help as well,” Tinsley said.

Stewart said the organizers were pleased with the results and impact of the simulation, and conducting a poverty simulation for the general public in six months is a possibility.

“It’s just about walking in somebody else’s shoes and understanding the decisions they make on a daily basis,” he said.

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A look at the poverty situation in Bartholomew County, including those defined as ALICE (Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed). Data for 2016.

Households: 31,626

In poverty: 10 percent

ALICE: 24 percent

Above ALICE threshold: 66 percent

Source: United Way of Bartholomew County

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Here is a breakdown of Bartholomew County’s 31,626 households by ethnicity, and percentages of those in poverty, defined as Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed (ALICE) and above ALICE for each household ethnic population.

White: 27,199 total households, 2,771 in poverty (10.2 percent), 6,564 ALICE (24.1 percent), 17,864 above ALICE (65.7 percent).

Asian: 1,818 total households, 48 in poverty (2.6 percent), 176 ALICE (9.7 percent), 1,594 above ALICE (87.7 percent).

Hispanic: 1,409 total households, 200 in poverty (14.2 percent), 698 ALICE (49.5 percent), 511 above ALICE (36.3 percent).

Black: 459 total households, 22 poverty (4.8 percent), 135 ALICE (29.4 percent), 302 above ALICE (65.8 percent).

2-plus races: 371 total households, 66 in poverty (17.8 percent), 82 ALICE (22.1 percent), 223 above ALICE (60.1 percent).

Source: United Way of Bartholomew County

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