Spring Break
Greek houses participate in poverty simulation
OSU Extension Services, Greek leaders planned program in response to transient shooting
Jennifer Meyer
Issue date: 4/16/07 Section: News
Sunday afternoon at Club Escape, several Greek chapters experienced the lifestyles of the homeless by participating in an event simulating poverty.
The event was hosted by OSU extension services and facilitated by Lil Brown, a member of Benton County's Department of Human Services, and by volunteers.
Brown has been doing social work for over 20 years and has assisted OSU with the program in the past.
After the shooting of a homeless man in October, OSU Greek leaders and advisers agreed it would be a good idea to offer the opportunity for fellow Greeks to attend a poverty simulation activity.
The activity divided participants into groups, and each group was given a packet with different possibilities of real-life situations. Each group was then challenged to "problem-solve for how their family will survive for a month," Brown said.
The simulated scenarios varied from group to group, and students were given around an hour to come up with different methods to survive for one month as a person in a welfare position.
"The goal was for [participants] to walk away with a sense of what life can be like when you're not privileged," Brown said.
Throughout the various situations, participants needed to implement survival plans to support themselves and dependents as either single parents, disabled elderly or individuals coming from less-privileged backgrounds.
"Each simulated family had issues with finance and needed to find a way to survive for a month - buying food, looking for work, finding childcare - like in a real-life situation," Brown said.
There were other challenges during the simulation, such as one involving families and "how families will navigate for the month with assistance through social services, if they are even eligible for social services," said Paulette Ratchford, a volunteer with the event.
The numerous Greek members who had volunteered left Club Escape having learned the significance of saving receipts for reimbursements, collecting food stamps and figuring out how their state's welfare system works.
The event was hosted by OSU extension services and facilitated by Lil Brown, a member of Benton County's Department of Human Services, and by volunteers.
Brown has been doing social work for over 20 years and has assisted OSU with the program in the past.
After the shooting of a homeless man in October, OSU Greek leaders and advisers agreed it would be a good idea to offer the opportunity for fellow Greeks to attend a poverty simulation activity.
The activity divided participants into groups, and each group was given a packet with different possibilities of real-life situations. Each group was then challenged to "problem-solve for how their family will survive for a month," Brown said.
The simulated scenarios varied from group to group, and students were given around an hour to come up with different methods to survive for one month as a person in a welfare position.
"The goal was for [participants] to walk away with a sense of what life can be like when you're not privileged," Brown said.
Throughout the various situations, participants needed to implement survival plans to support themselves and dependents as either single parents, disabled elderly or individuals coming from less-privileged backgrounds.
"Each simulated family had issues with finance and needed to find a way to survive for a month - buying food, looking for work, finding childcare - like in a real-life situation," Brown said.
There were other challenges during the simulation, such as one involving families and "how families will navigate for the month with assistance through social services, if they are even eligible for social services," said Paulette Ratchford, a volunteer with the event.
The numerous Greek members who had volunteered left Club Escape having learned the significance of saving receipts for reimbursements, collecting food stamps and figuring out how their state's welfare system works.
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joannebeck
joanne beck
posted 4/17/07 @ 1:20 AM PST
I would like to know where the sorority houses think a homeless shelter should go? The more we isolate them, the easier it becomes to look the other way. (Continued…)
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