Mission Waco, the host organization of a poverty simulation in Waco, defines poverty as “the condition of having no money, goods, or support with NO power or access” and believes that poverty simulation creates compassion, compassion which “brings new insight and purpose to life which is to hunger and thirst for justice and righteousness.”
On the afternoon of Thursday, February 6th, eight students, along with Mr. Riemer, Ms. Ellsworth, Mr. Hudson, and Mr. Kelley, boarded a bus and travelled almost two hours to Waco in order to develop this “compassion” for the homeless and those in poverty. Jesuit is one of the few high schools to participate in this program by Mission Waco. Many of those who attend are in college or high school students with their parishes.
Waco is a city of extreme poverty compared to the rest of the country and has a poverty rate of 28.7%, almost double that of the entire United States, which hovers around 15.0% (according to the 2012 United States Census Bureau). The annual income for 31% of families is less than $25,000. Even though the simulation didn’t begin until Friday night, the Jesuit participants arrived in Waco Thursday evening.
During the day on Friday, the students learned about how college campuses were aiding the poverty-stricken people of the area, advocating for them and drafting laws. Later in the day, they went into the city of Waco and learned about different agencies across the area, such as Mission Waco, that strive to help the homeless community in Waco. The simulation commenced at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, and the participants were each given $40 of fake money to spend over the weekend. Those taking part in the simulation had to make many tough choices about how to spend their money, emulating the decisions people living below the poverty line must make everyday. For example, they could choose to sleep inside Mission Waco’s shelter and pay $20 or sleep outside.
Describing the simulation, Mr. Riemer, one of the four Jesuit teachers attending, explained, “You’re faced with the same kind of choices that poor individuals could be faced with and you have to set your priorities.” On Saturday, the simulation participants engaged in a scavenger hunt around the city. The Jesuit partakers split into two groups of six for their scavenger hunt. Brice Donovan ’16 listed some of the seemingly simple activities on the list: “get lunch, find a quarter, and talk to a homeless person, among other things.”
The simulation ended on Sunday at 3:00 in the afternoon, but, in the morning, everyone attended a church known as “Church Under the 
Bridge.” Anyone, homeless or not, was welcome to celebrate in the nondenominational service under a highway overpass. In addition to the sermon, food was served to the worshippers. Brice’s experience echoed the goal of the simulation set by Mission Waco, which was to establish a sense of compassion toward the homeless and those living below the poverty line. Brice, who didn’t know he registered for a poverty simulation until the week of the actual event, expressed one of his most profound experiences on the trip as a conversation with a semi-homeless woman, named Mildred. He recalled how she told him about her experience of not being welcome at her daughter’s house and how “everyone pretty much dismisses her…unless she has value brings money to support herself.” He feels his attitude toward the homeless shifted from believing “the general assumption of it being their fault and that they should have done more” to feeling more “sympathetic” toward the predicaments they face after finishing the simulation.
Mr. Riemer, who helps lead these simulations because he lived in Waco for sixteen years and volunteered for Mission Waco for a number of years, acknowledged, “You’re not going to walk away from the trip knowing what it’s like to be homeless, but you will have had a small glimpse of the pain, suffering and complications experienced by those who are living in poverty.” He hopes that the experience will cause participants to assume a sense of calling to take a stand and improve the lives of individuals in need. This past group was the third to travel to Waco for the simulation, and for those interested in attending this simulation next school year, there will be two opportunities to attend, one in the fall and one in the spring.
