Picture having to decide whether to pay rent or put food on the table. Think about what it’s like to navigate a city when you don’t speak the language or to finish a late-night shift with no car or running public transit.
House of Bread asked the Â鶹´«Ã½¹ÙÍø community to not only imagine the challenges of poverty but to step into someone else’s shoes during a simulation Wednesday exploring the barriers many people face while trying to create a stable life.
Kanini Susan Wilhelm, from left, Jim Ellison, Lisa Goad and Desirae Dillon seek out better housing during a poverty simulation offered by the nonprofit House of Bread at St. John’s Episcopal Church on Wednesday.
House of Bread mentors women who were formerly incarcerated. The nonprofit helps strengthen women through training in the baking and food services. But another underlying goal is to build relationships with the underserved community and to bring down barriers that hold them back.
“We are going to change Â鶹´«Ã½¹ÙÍø so that Â鶹´«Ã½¹ÙÍø is a much friendlier city for anybody to thrive,†said Jen Brothers, co-founder of House of Bread.
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“That piece means it’s going to take all of us to shift, all of us to change our minds to try and remove the barriers for anybody that’s trying to rebuild their life.â€
During the House of Bread “Understanding Poverty†simulation on Wednesday, attendees were put into groups and took on the life of fictional characters whose stories were rooted in real experiences of people struggling with poverty.
The event aimed to shed light on the complex struggles people face in poverty while dealing with trauma, language barriers, and limited access to transportation, housing or livable wages.
While the characters in the simulation were fictional, their stories were rooted in real experiences of women who trained with House of Bread. Groups of people stepped into the shoes of one person experiencing their life by navigating the bus stop, trying to find a job or a better paying job, getting evicted, going to the shelter, picking kids up from daycare and going to get groceries.
One such story was a chemist from El Salvador, who came to the U.S. seeking a better future for her family. She slept on the couch, with no car, limited English, and relying on a bus system that didn’t operate during the hours she worked.
Sheriff Antonio Hash volunteered and spoke during the House of Bread “Understanding Poverty†simulation on Wednesday at St. John’s Episcopal Church.
For many attendees, the simulation was an eye-opening look into the day-to-day grind of women working tirelessly just to survive—especially those facing the dual pressure of providing for their families while navigating systemic barriers.
“I felt defeated at one point, like completely defeated, stressed, lost and confused,†said Desirae Dillon, a simulation participant.
Organizers hope the experience encourages deeper compassion and less judgment toward those experiencing poverty. House of Bread is currently conducting a fundraiser and is always seeing donations to help keep their bakery training classes going.
Participants gather to talk about their experiences and what they learned during the House of Bread “Understanding Poverty†simulation at St. John’s Episcopal Church on Wednesday.
Dillon, who is 35 and lives in Â鶹´«Ã½¹ÙÍø, said she has pulled herself out of poverty and has volunteered with House of Bread.
“I think we all need to be open to everyone’s journey and that, you know, tables turn quickly,†Dillon said. You never know if you’re going to be in somebody else’s shoes. So, just try not to have judgment towards anybody’s situation, because you never know when it’s going to be yours.â€
