In-service Training

I found out VISTA in-service training to be quite insightful. In particular, the poverty simulation was beneficial in helping create a greater awareness for the stresses that those in poverty undergo. I confirmed that "getting by" is definitely a challenge and that improving one's socioeconomic status sometimes depends on luck. In the poverty simulation, my family ended up better off than we had started; this was the result of luck and a few good choices. Even though our house was temporarily evicted, we had food three out of four weeks, and had jobs. I think this was possible because my group was more familiar with public benefits than other groups and we had knowledge of where to go. Ultimately, in every sense, knowledge is power. Importantly, I learned to distinguish minimum wage from living wage, why it is important. In the end, I felt good that I am working to help power people to access resources that are available to them. I still feel discombobulated with the challenges the those in poverty face and I know there is much more to do.