Residents experience realities of poverty during CAPS event

The CAPS program was designed to help people better understand the realities of poverty, according to DAEOC Community Resource Developer, Tori Crucani. Participants in the event included staff members of human service agencies and local, civic, and community leaders.

"This program helps people understand the complexities and frustrations of living in poverty day to day," Crucani said. "With a greater awareness of its impact, we can more effectively address the poverty issues in our community."

Using a simulation kit, participants role-played the lives of low-income families, according to Crucani. The simulation kits included roles of TANF recipients, disabilities, and senior citizens on Social Security. Crucani added that the participants had the stressful task of providing basic necessities and shelter on a limited budget during the course of the four 15-minute "weeks."

The program involved the participants interacting with human service agencies, grocers, pawnbrokers, bill collectors, job interviewers, police officers, and others.

More than 637,000 Missourians are living at or below the federal poverty level, according to the 2000 census. An additional 989,702 individuals have incomes just above the poverty level. These total more than 1.6 million Missourians struggling to meet their basic needs, according to Crucani.

"This is the everyday reality of thousands of Missourians," Crucani said. "Understanding that reality will help us change it."

"CAPS enables participants to look at poverty from a variety of angels and then to recognize and discuss the potential for change within their local communities," Elaine West, executive director of the Missouri Association for Community Action said.

The Missouri Association for Community Action was responsible for making the simulation available statewide, according to Crucani.

The CAPS simulation was designed to sensitize those who frequently deal with low-income families as well as to create a broader awareness of poverty among policymakers, community leaders, and others.

DAEOC is the community action agency providing services to low-income residents of the six Bootheel counties of Missouri. The Missouri Association or Community Action is a network of 19 community action agencies throughout the state that provide a variety of service to low-income individuals and families.