Making a Difference:
One Family at a Time
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Poverty Simulation Crises Turn Real During Virus Outbreak –
We need your help
All of the worst case-scenarios played out during the March 12th Poverty Simulation (see story below) are coming to life and are more devastating than imagined. Our clients’ children are home from school taking online classes. This means for families with more than one child, access to computers is a challenge. Most childcare facilities for school-aged children are closed, putting additional pressure on working parents. At the same time, many employers are cutting work hours which means clients will not have rent money. Utility companies say they will not cut off power but those bills will accumulate and will need to be paid eventually.
As this crisis grows, possibly extending into this summer, more families who had been able to “get by” before the virus and its economic impact no longer can. As a result we anticipate a large influx of new clients within the next month. So we are asking you to help.
We Are All Stepping Up
Our case managers, working from home, have reached out to each of our current families to see what their most pressing needs are and we will relay that information on a weekly basis. Requests are already coming in from parents who are fully employed but need funds to cover additional childcare costs.
Our volunteers have jumped in, offering to drop off supplies to families.
Yes, we do have an ongoing need for household goods, including toilet paper,
but we ask you to please help us with a donation of cash,
either through our online donation or by mailing a check to:
Family PASS, 2740 Chain Bridge Road, #123, Vienna, VA 22181
These funds will be used for emergency rental assistance for new families referred to Family PASS who are on the brink of eviction as a result of the current economic and health crisis and the funds will help us keep ahead of childcare and utility bills for current clients.
We are all in this together.
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Family PASS Poverty Simulation a Success
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The Family PASS sponsored Poverty Simulation March 12th was a tremendous success as participants assumed roles emulating different families and individuals in challenging poverty scenarios. The purpose of this simulation was to broaden understanding and awareness of the obstacles people living in poverty face every day.
We heard and saw the mounting frustrations of both the “poor” and those in authority experienced over either losing metro passes, being denied benefits, being shortchanged, or, as employers, having to fire people knowing that their tardiness wasn’t their fault. Time after time, mini dramas played out as one women, with little choice, left her child alone to get much needed food for her family. The police came and took the child.
Eighteen participants played roles as employers, mortgage bankers, policemen, case managers, interfaith workers, utility companies, teachers, childcare workers and pawn brokers to simulate the paperwork hurdles and other basic requirements and other everyday obstacles in the life of those living in poverty.
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Sixty-five people participated in the Poverty Simulation despite quickly developing restrictions on public gatherings and we are grateful to them for that leap of faith! Among those participating were Vienna Councilwoman, Linda Colbert, and representatives from Kaiser-Permanente and Board of Supervisor Dalia Palchik’s office. The Vienna Business Association’s Peggy James played the role of “employer” and Bards Alley’s Jen Morrow (pictured here) was a “case manager.”
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Special thanks go to John Ruthinoski, Senior Program Manager for Fairfax County’s Department of Family Services for presenting this simulation and keeping everyone on track, and Karen Temple of the Community Action Advisory Board for making the simulation available. To learn more about this simulation model, click
here.
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We also express our deepest gratitude to Poverty Simulation project leader, Nancy Socher (pictured here as a utility company employee "shutting off the electricity"), and other board members Suzanne Jenkins, Brian Wallenhorst and Jodi Bentley for making this happen and to board members Bill Grossman and Sonny Ellis for their roles as family services employee and pawn broker respectively.
Family PASS hopes to help organize other Poverty Simulations later in the year.
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For Your Information (FYI)
Recommended
related reading
from The Washington Post Outlook section March 14, 2020.
The Shame Game
, Mary O’Hara;
Tightrope,
Nick Kristof/Sheryl WuDunn;
Invisible Americans
, Jeff Madrick; and
Maid,
by Stephanie Land.
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Mark Your Calendars!
Spring Breakfast June 3, 2020 7:30 am, Maggiano’s Tysons Galleria
Oktoberfest October 3, 2020 11-7, Vienna Town Center
Fall Benefit Golf Tournament October 5, 2020 Westfields Golf Club, Clifton, VA
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Family PASS
2740 Chain Bridge Road, Suite 123
Vienna, VA 22181
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