Some community members learned a difficult lesson Tuesday about what it’s like to live with a very low income. They volunteered for a poverty simulation sponsored by the Healthy Blair County Coalition.
Each participant was assigned to a group representing a low income family. They had to decide how to pay bills, keep the lights on, keep food on the table, and get medical care, for a month.
They came into the simulation with an optimistic attitude, but it didn’t last.
“By the end of the month, they’re frustrated, they’re stressful, they’re yelling at each other, they’re not talking with their kids, they’re not enjoying life, because they’re trying to figure out how they’re going to survive,” said Ashley Gay Vocco, Family Services, Inc.
Vocco says poverty is a reality for many people in Blair County.