Could You Survive a Month in Poverty?

Bringing Knowledge to Life! / Partner Report /
GrandTraverseCounty

520 West Front Street, Suite A
Traverse City, Michigan 49684-2208
Phone: 231-922-4620 / E-mail:
Fax: 231-922-4633
Web: msue.msu.edu/grandtraverse
July 2009

MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status. Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Thomas G. Coon, Director, MSU Extension, East Lansing,MI48824. This information is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned.

Could you survive a month in poverty?

Grand Traverse County MSU Extension has been partnering with the Poverty Reduction Initiative’s social attitudes workgroup to provide workshops for community residents titled, “Survive a Month in Poverty.”

This powerful and effective three-hour workshop enables individuals and representatives of community groups to gain valuable understanding about the daily challenges of living in poverty and about the issues facing the more than 13,200 people with limited or no income who live in northwestern Michigan.

During the last 18 months, eight poverty simulation workshops have been heldacross the Grand Traverse region. A recentsimulation was held for Grand Traverse County district and probate court staff members.

Volunteers played the roles of business and agency representatives. Court staffers were assigned identities and were divided into family groups. Each family (and each member within the family) was given a set of circumstancesand a unique set of barriers which had to be managed to survive the month or transcend poverty.

Themonth in poverty, really four, 15-minute periods, was frustrating for most participants. Of the 20 “families,” eight were on the way to eviction, only

five visited the grocery store within the first two weeks, and some called on help from their school-age “children,”(sometimes to their long-term detriment)to survive.

Most families had to choose between paying bills, eating or seeing their kids off to school. The participants reported that there was not enough time or resources to accomplish all that had to done. They also noted feelings of guilt, hunger and being alone.

They also said that the pace and chaos of a life in poverty would be hard to keep month after month, year after year. Those playing the role of children felt helpless in their“families” and the individual who played the role of the teacher felt that it was difficult for those children to learn in school.

The workshop participants completed a survey following the event.Ninety one percent of participants reported an increasedunderstanding of the financial pressures faced by low-income families. Eighty percent of participants reported a lot or almost complete understanding of the difficulties in improving one's situation and becoming self-sufficient on a limited income.

Ninety one percent indicated they had a much better understanding of the emotional stresses and frustrations created by living with limited resources.

Jennifer Berkey

231-922-4821

Tent caterpillar outbreak spurs MSU Extension response

For the first time in almost 20 years, forest tent caterpillars appeared in extremely high numbers in Grand Traverse area woodlands, resulting in the complete defoliation of many hardwood trees by the middle of June.

The eastern tent caterpillar was also present in high numbers, defoliating various species of wild cherry. Client inquiries about the caterpillars and forest health poured into the MSU Extension offices.

To help answer these questions, MSU Extension district educator Duke Elsner prepared a handout on the two important tent caterpillar species and their impacts on trees. To reach a wider audience, the tent caterpillar information was developed into a three-part newspaper article for the Traverse City Record-Eagle. Click here to seethe first storyand click here to see the second, and for the third story, click here.

Erwin ‘Duke’ Elsner,

231-922-4822

Ready Aim 4-Hclub takes off

Youngsters who participate in shooting sports programs get an introduction to physics, chemistry, mathematics, engineering, history, clothing and textiles, wood science, foods and nutrition, psychology, physical fitness and natural resources. They also have fun learning to use BB guns and air rifles in a safe way.

The Grand Traverse Ready Aim 4-H Shooting Clubis helping 10 youngsters between ages 8 and 14learn about the safe and fun aspects of shooting sports. The club is sponsored by the Zeroed In Indoor Shooting Range. 4-H volunteers Todd and Jennifer Ritter formed the group because there was no shooting club in the area and their kids were interested in learning firearm safety and competing in the sport.

Jennifer Ritter says that she has already seen several young people, “…Make an improvement in their scores [target accuracy].

“Plus, I’ve seen kids go from just pulling the trigger to actually concentrating, taking their time and showing great patience.”

The Ritters and other volunteers plan a lesson for each week’s meeting. Each young person is responsible for keeping a shooting journal, which includes a reflection on each week’s assignment.

Youth write about how they feel about what they learned and provide ideas for improving their skills. Adult volunteers use the feedback from the journals to adjust their lessons to make sure they are meeting the individual needs of each young person.

The group uses the coach/pupil method (one youth coach to one youth shooter) for instruction. Each week youth shooters are pared with a different youth coach to help each participant gain better communication, listening and teamwork skills.

The Ready Aim 4-H Shooting Club began meeting in April for 12 weeks. The members and leaders plan to attend the State 4-H Shoot in August. Several of the youths have the goal of competing at the national level.

The 4-H Shooting Sports Program strives to enable young people, their parents and adult volunteers to become responsible, self-directed and disciplined individuals. It also provides an opportunity to build effective listening and cooperation skills. Its objectives for members focus on building:

Coping skills, which are related to a positive self-concept, social skills, positive attitude toward the future and a sense of control.
Competencies, which are learned abilities like using accepted practices for physical, mental, emotional and social health and safety. Competencies include using firearms in a safe and responsible manner, applying sound decision making, self-discipline and concentration.
Knowledge, skills and attitudes around shooting sports increases the breadth and depth of information and analytical capability for the youth participant.

Michelle Goetz Grahl, 4-H Program Coordinator or 231-922-4825