Beyond the Numbers: Texarkana Poverty Simulation Shows Real Struggles

Do you know what it feels like to live in poverty? I mean real, stressful poverty when you don't know where you'll get the money to put food on the table, poverty?

You can get a glimpse of that life on Monday, May 5, at the Poverty Simulation at the Texarkana Resource Center.  The Texarkana Homeless Coalition has teamed up with the East Texas Food Bank and Communities Unlimited to show you what it's like to live every day in poverty.

This event is open to the public to take part in this hands-on experience. The exercise is to help our city decision makers and our friends and neighbors understand what life is like on limited funds while under constant stress.

Vashil Fernandez the Chair of the Texarkana Homeless Coalition, said in a press release,

The poverty simulation exercise enables participants to understand poverty from a variety of angles. It’s designed to inspire action within the community.

Did you realize that more than 15,000 people in Bowie County and over 8,000 people in Miller County were reported living below the poverty line back in 2021.  That news is according to the U.S. Census Bureau and it means that around 20% of the population in our area is struggling to pay their bills.

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The simulation will give you insight into a day in the life of someone in a bad financial situation. You'll be exposed to scenarios like,

A single parent and the struggle of getting kids to school and yourself to work without a vehicle.

A young adult caring for their sister or brother because their parents are in jail.

Come and learn to be a part of the solution. Monday, May 5 from 10 AM to 1 PM at the Texarkana Resource Center located at 3019 S. Lake Drive in Texarkana.

If you would like to help they are looking for volunteers to help in the simulation. Contact Vashil Fernandez at Vashil.fernandez@texarkanatexas.gov or call (903) 798-3904 or Shan Parks at sparks@easttexasfoodbank.org.