vISTa

Last night I returned home from my In-Service Training (IST) in Columbus. The training is designed to help VISTA members re-focus and get back on track after their first 3 months of service. Normally, the training lasts 3 days, with participants also trained in a program called Bridges Out of Poverty, complete with a poverty simulation. Our group is so small, though, that training lasted only 1 day total and we received a condensed version of the Bridges Out of Poverty program.

At 8:00 a.m. Monday morning, we May/June PSO babies left our posh digs at the DoubleTree Hotel and ascended the 31 floors of the Riffe Center to start our training. As I mentioned, it had been three months since we had seen each other, so the day began as a mini-reunion, as well. It was great to see everyone again! We might be doing different projects, but we share a common goal: to eradicate poverty across the state (and the country). Our experiences working to better our respective communities (while living in poverty) create a strong bond among us.

Two VISTAs from the Grow Food Grow Hope program in Wilmington, Ohio, chatting on a break. Check out that view!

The first part of the morning was spent working through logistical issues that can arise during our year of service (i.e. resolving payment/reimbursement problems, etc.). Then we spent some time envisioning the remaining 9 months of service. I know I have a lot of work to do, but from what I can tell, I am on track with completing the goals listed on my VISTA Assignment Description. It's hard to believe that I am already a quarter of the way through my year, but I am excited for the upcoming months.

Shortly after the visioning session, we took a break for lunch. A few of us took our boxed lunches to some tables near the river across the street from our hotel.

Meet Sonja and Rob. Rob was the first VISTA I met in the airport(s) en route to Indianapolis, and Sonja was my PSO roommate! At the end of PSO, these awesome VISTAs made sure I got home after storms grounded my flight leaving Indianapolis. Good times.

After lunch, Zach Reat from OASHF did our Bridges Out of Poverty training. The Bridges program teaches about how economic class can not be defined solely by income level; economic class also tends to come with a [hidden] set of rules or beliefs.

When you live in poverty, you live in crisis mode. This is called the Tyranny of the Moment--being so consumed with meeting immediate needs that planning for the future isn't really an option. However, with more money, people in the middle class can afford to shift their priorities to plan for the future. American society mistakenly believes that the more money you have, the higher your economic class. But to truly move up in economic class, you have to know (and follow) the "hidden rules" of that class.

This idea particularly rings true for people in poverty moving towards economic self-sufficiency in the middle class. Even when people in poverty come into some money through a job or tax refund, it doesn't necessarily mean they will climb the class ladder. For that to happen, their mindset would need to shift. However, people in poverty often spend or give away money as soon as they get it, because this is how they have always survived. Saving is a middle class rule, and doesn't often exist in poverty because there really isn't room for it. When your mentality has been one of immediacy, it is unrealistic to expect a shift into a middle class mindset of meeting future goals. In this way, money is an incomplete indicator of class because it ignores the ramifications of the "hidden rules" of economic class.

Because most of the social workers, case workers, and administrators live in the middle class, that's how our agencies are set up, with middle class rules and expectations. When people in poverty come in for services, their mindset doesn't match up with that of their caseworkers, which ultimately creates a barrier in securing help. The Bridges program says that we (service providers) must explicitly teach people in poverty the "hidden rules" of the middle class so they can hold onto benefits, a job, and their money. Without access to these "hidden rules," economic advancement is nearly impossible.

I agree with this idea, but I am still struggling with how this might look in the real world. I guess I am uncomfortable with the idea of the person in poverty having to make all of the changes, as if their way of life has been all wrong. Maybe there should be a transitional period in which the "Bridges Out of Poverty" are two-way: with both the caseworker and the client meeting in the middle. Yes, people in poverty do need more education on how to gain economic self-sufficiency and manage their money, and that takes time. In the meantime, caseworkers must also take into account the "hidden rules" of poverty and administer social services accordingly. For instance, instead of lecturing and judging people for missing appointments when their car breaks down, maybe caseworkers can understand the Tyranny of the Moment and make some adjustments for this person. Instead of setting up appointments early in the morning or mid-day when people are trying to get their kids to child care or themselves to work, maybe agencies can change their hours to better accommodate people accessing services. There should be a mutual understanding of both parties' perspective, and a respectful interaction between the two that reflects that. Lets hold everyone to a higher standard of understanding and communication, not just one group of people.

Maybe with the full two days of training this program would be clearer to me, maybe not. One thing is for certain, though; issues of poverty and class are complex and difficult to work through, and there are no perfect solutions. I will continue to explore these ideas and reflect on them here throughout the year.