DAEOC to host CAPS, raising awareness of poverty issues

32.9 million Americans, 11.7 million of whom are children under the age of 18, live in poverty every day, according to DAEOC Community Resource Developer Tori Crucani.

Crucani added that many other families have incomes above the poverty line, but still qualify for programs like Food Stamps and Medicaid. While unemployment rates are rising as a result of the recent economic downturn the use of emergency food pantries is increasing, Crucani noted.

"It is difficult for those of us who have enough to truly understand the situation that families living in poverty experience every day, the decisions they have to make, and the fears and frustrations they feel," Crucani said.

The Community Action Poverty Simulation (CAPS) invites the public to participate in the program and learn about the factors facing individuals living in poverty on a regular basis.

The CAPS provides participants with the opportunity to assume the role of a low-income family member living on a limited budget, Crucani said.

"The experience is divided into four 15 minute sessions, each of which represent one week in which the participant must provide for the family and maintain their home," Crucani explained.

The program will be set up with different booths, schools, police officers, drug dealers, agencies, and other community aspects.

"The people that come in from the community are assigned as families and are given a specific scenario," Crucani said.

Some of these scenarios are Temporary Assistance recipients, disabilities, or senior citizens on Social Security, according to Crucani.

She has been involved in the program at Kansas City, Mo., where 500 people showed up to participate, and two weeks ago at East Prairie, Mo.

"This really opens your eyes to what these people deal with," Crucani said.

One former participant commented, "This welfare simulation dramatically demonstrates how much time and energy many families have to give just to survive from day to day. It quickly dispels the myth 'that people would do fine if they would only go out and get a job.'"

This program is designed to enable participants to look at poverty from a variety of angles and to recognize and discuss the potential for change within their local communities, Crucani noted. She added that the simulation is set to sensitize those who frequently deal with low-income families, as well as create a broader awareness of the realities of poverty among policy makers, community leaders, and others.

The simulation will be hosted from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, on Tuesday, June 23, at the United Methodist Church in Kennett. RSVP's or further information on the event can be received by contacting (573) 888-9230.