Catholic Charities of Long Island hosted a Poverty Simulation on Oct. 3, with more than 50 employees and volunteers navigating the challenges faced by low-income families.
The experience led to hectic exchanges between participants portraying family members and vendors representing banks, supermarkets, law enforcement agencies, community health centers, schools, pawn shops and other local businesses and agencies.
During the simulation, families coped with problems including the unexpected loss of a week’s salary or a job, child care issues, transportation concerns and the lack of affordable housing. A couple of the families faced eviction notices.
Formally known as Community Action Poverty Simulation, or CAPS, the simulation was first developed in the 1970s. This was the first time Catholic Charities’ Parish Social Ministry hosted the simulation, which was sponsored by Catholic Health. Catholic Charities and Catholic Health are both entities within the Diocese of Rockville Centre, which encompasses Nassau and Suffolk counties.
“Planning and coordinating such a complicated event takes many people and much effort,” said Paula Malloy, director of Parish Social Ministry.
“However, all involved agreed that it was well worth it as we heard from the participants how their perspective of and attitudes toward those living in poverty were changed by the experience.”
Malloy said Catholic Charities hopes to conduct the Poverty Simulation a couple of times a year.
According to statistics recently published by the Long Island Community Foundation, the poverty rate on Long Island is about 5.9 percent, an average of 5.4 percent in Nassau County and 6.5 percent in Suffolk County. That corresponds to about 166,000 people, including more than 80,000 children.
Malloy said despite the perception of Long Island as “a very affluent region,” the region’s poverty is “very complex, nuanced and affects more of our neighbors than meets the eye.”
The income of some Long Island households, while above the national poverty level, falls well below the cost of living here, she said.
Following the simulation, participants shared thoughts in a “breakdown” session in which they answered questions about their feelings during the exercise, how their assigned families and children fared, and a perspective of vendors.
A participant at the interfaith center later told Malloy that she became aware how “transactional and even dehumanizing” the interactions can become for both vendors and recipients.
As participants left the Poverty Simulation, they received information about how they could help bring about change. The materials encouraged them to tell family and friends about their Poverty Simulation experience; to make a commitment “to reduce poverty barriers” in their community; to volunteer with organizations seeking to help people in poverty; and to write letters to government officials, newspaper editors and local business leaders about the causes and conditions of poverty and what can be done locally or nationally to alleviate it.
Catholic Charities of Long Island is one of the largest human service networks in the region.
Our Mission:
"Catholic Charities of Long Island shares the love of Jesus by offering dignified and compassionate care to poor and vulnerable neighbors of every faith and background. As a ministry of the Roman Catholic Church, our work is inspired by the Gospel message that every human life is sacred."
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