I was a baby. Our family was robbed of our household goods and spare cash. My mother, without money for transportation, had to drop out of school. She never made it to her job because I got sick and she couldn’t find a place to put me up for the day.
I never saw my grandfather, who was acting as my dad, because he was trying to keep the family afloat, but just barely, because I went a week without eating. My 9-year old brother, left alone on his own because the adults of the family were trying to fend for us, got into mischief and the police ended up taking him to child protective services.
It was a painful month. A painful month that played out in an hour.
In reality, I had just eaten a sandwich, and I was in a warm and well-lit safety of a Cummins building, and I was among friends of many years. I had just completed the poverty simulation exercise the United Way of Bartholomew County had conducted with Cummins Inc.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]
I had several observations that haunted me following the simulation:
First, my simulated parents were smart, working professionals in real life, yet they seemed immobilized to figure out how to navigate the complex challenges to get us out of our near poverty. These were smart people, yet being organized and trying to make tough choices on life and death priorities left them powerless.
Second, the time to deal with poverty and trying to meet the needs was much greater than I anticipated. There was a wait for every type of support we needed, whether it was for social services, quick cash or child care services. There simply seemed not enough hours in the day for us to try to get out of poverty.
Third, I realized that safety, for those living anywhere near the poverty line, is a deep and true issue. Poorer communities are more susceptible to danger. Every day, many of our fellow citizens are literally living in fear.
Finally, and most profound of all, were the words shared by Cummins vice president of human resources Mark Osowick and a local representative from the sheriff’s department. They explained that the things we experienced in this simulation are not isolated, nor unusual. Over 30 percent of Bartholomew County citizens are living at subsistence level.
At subsistence level, it’s a daily struggle to make ends meet, especially if young children are in the family. You may even be surprised at who some of these people are. They attend your church. They are serving in restaurants and stores. They work in factories that build goods. They may even be you.
A sheriff’s deputy commented at the end of the simulation that the situations experienced during the simulation were only about 20 percent of what he sees on a day-to-day basis as he is patrolling and serving in the community.
I want to thank the United Way of Bartholomew County’s president, Mark Stewart, its community impact director, Cheri Stone, and its financial stability coordinator, Cathy King, for so much work to help the poverty simulation be a reality. United Way truly helps to mobilize our community to make life better for the citizens of Bartholomew County.
My biggest takeaway from the day: How can we give a helping hand to those working to rise out of near poverty situations?
Volunteer.
Give.
Find ways to pass along your skills, learnings, and means to temporarily get through situations where the hole seems so deep it seems impossible to get back to level.
My community question of the quarter: How can you bring your special brand of hope to our community?
Ginger Lirette of Columbus is a member of the United Way of Bartholomew County board of directors. She is an account director with Cummins Inc. and has lived in Columbus for the last 20 years. She is currently serving as a mentor for Columbus Robotics Team 4926. She will write about her United Way involvement on a quarterly basis. Please send any feedback to her question of the quarter to [email protected].
