VISTA Poverty: Concepts, Insights, & Strategies (7 of 14) PSO - Facilitator Guide - Poverty Concepts Guide

PSO Facilitator Guide Poverty: Concepts, Insights, & Strategies
Poverty: Concepts, Insights, & Strategies

Session Format and Design Review
VISTA PSO
Models and Types of Poverty/ How Poverty Is

Causes of Poverty
Financial Asset Development Measured?
Introduce session by
Definition of poverty, models, Government measures:
reviewing charted
types, and mini-teach statistics and eligibility
causes of poverty.
on financial asset development (expenses activity)
Perspective of Poverty in the U.S.

Conclusion Those in Poverty (U.S. map activity
Reflection (journal (Maslow “needs” & overview of
questions) discussion & gallery walk) poverty statistics)
VISTA Integrated Training Program June 2008 1

Poverty: Concepts, Insights, & Strategies

3 hours, 15 min. (1:00 – 4:30 p.m., with a 15 min break)
Session set-up:
• Chart paper
• Markers
• Causes of poverty discussed during previous session. Put on chart paper (see
“Note to Facilitator” below)
• Six charts with “Realities of Meeting Basic Needs” questions for step 6 in
“Perspective of Those in Poverty” section
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Discuss causes of poverty
• Describe models and types of poverty and how poverty is measured
• Relate poverty data and research to VISTA’s programmatic responses
• Describe poverty from the perspective of those living in poverty
Time Steps Resources/

Materials
Note to Facilitator:
Before the session, prepare a “causes of poverty”

chart. Chart the points made during the discussion
in the “Personal Perspectives of Poverty” session.
If not already mentioned, be sure to include the
causes listed below:
• The unequal distribution of income and wealth
• Issues related to class, gender, and race

• Educational opportunities—both in terms of
access to and quality of schools
• Low minimum wage
• Natural disasters
• Lack of a national health care system
• International trade agreements
• Global economy

30
Causes of Poverty
minutes
1. Quickly review the causes of poverty by Chart paper
presenting the chart.
2. Share with the group that it’s important to be

aware of causes that tend to blame people in
poverty for their situation. We want to work
against the assumption (held by many) that
people in poverty are the cause of their poverty.
3. Explain to participants that there are many

lenses through which we can discuss poverty.
The causes of poverty are complex (refer to the
list you charted) and people in poverty are not a
homogeneous group. The term includes people
ranging from the homeless to the working poor.
We could spend the entire session on how the

distribution of wealth impacts poverty, or how
poverty is built into the structure of our capital-
ist economy, or the implications of tax laws.
But we are choosing to look at poverty from the Overhead:

point of view of those who study it as well as Outcomes
those who experience it. Using the overhead,
introduce the session and its outcomes.
Key Points To Make:
• The hope is that participants will be better pre-

pared to address poverty as VISTAs once they
have gained a broader perspective of it and
move away from the deficit model of thinking
about poverty.
• Underscore the importance that they understand

the context in which they are working: VISTA is
the only national service program whose mission
is to address poverty.
4 June 2008 VISTA Integrated Training Program

4. We want participants to understand that poverty Overhead: Points

is an economic state, not a set of behaviors. A to remember about
deficit framework model hinders all parties. living in poverty
• People in poverty have knowledge based

on their life experiences.
• People in poverty have a set of social and

cultural tools they use to navigate the
world.
• People in poverty are resilient and

resourceful.
5. Say: “As VISTAs, you have the opportunity to

address poverty at the community level and
to change a system that perpetuates poverty.
Keep the question we charted yesterday in
mind throughout the training: How will this
information help you be more effective during
your year of service?”
6. Explain that some people in poverty go without
certain resources or assets. Many of these
assets are at the heart of what sponsoring
organizations address.

7. Tell participants that we are going to get a Training Materials

better understanding of five different types of & Optional
resources/assets. This activity can be done in Overhead:
Poverty: A Lack of
two ways:
Resources
A. Divide the room into five groups and give each
group an asset to define. They will chart their
definitions.
B. Put up five charts, one with each asset on it.

Have participants do a gallery walk and fill in
definitions on the charts. After 2 - 3 rotations
you may be ready for a report out.
If any key information is missing, use the overhead

to fill in gaps. Otherwise you do not need to refer
to the overhead.
Financial—Not only having the cash to purchase

goods and services, but having assets such as
credit, property, health insurance, savings, and a
retirement plan.
Emotional—Being able to choose and control

emotional responses, particularly to negative situ-
ations, without engaging in self-destructive behav-
ior. This is an internal resource and shows itself
through stamina, perseverance, and choices.
Mental—Having the capacity to process informa-

tion, evaluate a situation, and use prior experience
to make decisions in daily living.
Social Capital—Having friends, family, backup

resources, and knowledge bases available to
access in times of need. These are external, social
networks, and resources (e.g., child care, job con-
nections, financial support). This is known as
“social capital.”
Role Models—Having access to appropriate adults

who are nurturing and who do not engage in self-
destructive behavior (mentors, teachers, etc.).

8. Remind participants: “As we go through this

session, ask yourself, ‘How does my VISTA
project address the lack of one (or more) of
these resources?” Allow for a few people to
popcorn out responses OR for the group to
write their response in their PSO Notebooks.
60 Models and Types of Poverty / Financial Asset

minutes Development
1. Explain that the next part of the session will

focus on the terminology used by academics to
describe poverty.
2. Explain that there are two main models used to

describe poverty: absolute and relative.
3. Present overhead, “Models of Poverty: VISTA PSO

Absolute.” Inform participants that absolute Notebook
poverty is also known as “extreme” and
Overhead:
“severe” poverty. Ask participants to observe
“Models of
the photos and respond in their VISTA PSO Poverty: Absolute”
Notebooks to the following question:
• What does it mean to live in absolute

poverty?
After two minutes, popcorn out responses.
Key Points To Make:
• Absolute poverty is characterized by a lack of

basic human needs.
• Approximately 3.5 million individuals experience

homelessness in the US each year, about half of
whom are children (1.35 million).
• In 2004, 16 million Americans lived in “severe”

(or absolute) poverty, making $4,800 per year or
less, according to the
US Census Bureau.

In participants’ Training Materials, absolute poverty

is defined by the United Nations as being “a condi-
tion characterized by severe deprivation of basic
human needs, including food, safe drinking water,
sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education, and
information. It depends not only on income but also
on access to social services” (UN, Copenhagen
Declaration, 1995). This definition may be helpful to
refer to when facilitating discussion about the pho-
tos.
4. Show overhead, “Thoughts on Relative Overhead:

Poverty.” Thoughts on
Relative Poverty
“Being relatively poor in a rich country can be a
VISTA PSO
great capability handicap, even when one’s abso- Notebook
lute income is high in terms of world standards.”
—Amartya Sen, Winner of the 1998 Nobel in

Economics
Ask participants to discuss at their tables the fol-

lowing questions:
• What does it mean to live in relative poverty in

America?
• What impact might living in relative poverty in

America have on people?
After two minutes, popcorn out one response from

each table.
Key Points To Make:
• Relative poverty is the lack of diets, health, ame-

nities, standards, services, and activities that are
common or customary in society.
• When people live in relative poverty, they live

below the standard of others in their commu-
nity. It is a comparison between individuals and
groups. If your neighbors can afford something
that you can’t, then you live in relative poverty.

• Although many families in poverty own applianc-

es once associated with rich households, such
as color televisions and dishwashers, they live
in a society in which many families also possess
desktop computers, broadband Internet connec-
tions, health-club memberships, and vacation
homes.
• Without access to these goods, children from

families in poverty may lack skills and oppor-
tunities—such as how to use PCs and the
Internet—that could enhance their prospects in
the job market and in school. In other words,
relative deprivation may limit a person’s capacity
for social achievement.
5. Inform participants that we’re now going to Overhead:

examine types of poverty. Present overhead, Situational Poverty
“Situational Poverty” and tell them that this is
one type of poverty.
6. Ask participants to observe the photo on the

overhead. Then ask,
• What does it mean to experience situational

poverty? Hypothesize what might have hap-
pened to this woman.
Popcorn out answers.
7. Confirm or add to their responses:
Photo of situational poverty is of a woman who

just got laid off from work (note the plant in her
hand that is typically found on a desk; she is in
a parking lot of what looks like a school, office,
or factory).

If she has resources (recall earlier discussion) to fall

back on, she may be okay in a few months if she
can find another job. If not, she could experience
extreme hardship and possibly homelessness.
Key Points To Make:
• Situational poverty: There is no single path into

or out of poverty; many events throw people into
poverty and many events help people exit from
poverty. Poverty is a fluid rather than static con-
dition for most.
• “Trigger events” like changes in employment sta-

tus, disability status, and household composition
are often the cause for entry to or exit from pov-
erty. People in situational poverty usually blame
the situation, not themselves.
• The likelihood of entering or exiting poverty is

highest for people living in households with
employment changes, followed by people whose
households experience a shift in who heads it.
• The majority of Americans live in a two-adult,

married household (though these numbers are at
an all time low with only 51% of people over 15
living in a household with both married partners
present); however, those who experience house-
hold shifts because of divorce or death are more
likely to enter into poverty than those who lose a
job.
• Conclude by referring back to the poverty wall

discussion and the assumptions that we have in
society about poverty. Often we think that peo-
ple who are in poverty will remain in poverty, but
for many poverty is a transitory experience.

8. To facilitate discussion of generational poverty, Overhead:

choose one of the following two options: Generational
Poverty (optional)
Option 1)
Show the overhead photo of generational poverty. PSO Notebook

Ask participants to observe the photo and discuss (optional)
the following question at their tables:
• What does it mean to live in generational pov-

erty?
Option 2)
Prompt participants to imagine what a photo of

generational poverty might look like. Then invite
groups to discuss what they imagined and what it
means to live in generational poverty.
Key Points to Make
• Generational poverty: Of the 34 million

Americans living in poverty, about 75 percent are
in generational poverty and the remaining are in
situational.
• Without interventions, it is very likely that the 25

million living in generational poverty will remain
in this state for the remainder of their lives.
People in generational poverty usually internalize
the poverty and feel shame or blame for it. Often
they do not see a choice, nor do they know how
to access proper resources.
• Being in poverty is rarely about a lack of intel-

ligence, ability, or motivation (60% of people in
poverty worked full-time in 2003). Education and
job training are key for getting out of generation-
al poverty.

The photo of generational poverty might lend itself

to a deep discussion that challenges assumptions
about the appearance and affect of people who live
in generational poverty.
9. Conclude this discussion by going back to the

charted question (“How will this information
help me be more effective during my year of
service?”). Ask: “What are some reasons why
it’s helpful for VISTAs to understand the models
and types of poverty?”
Participants should offer answers about being

able to appreciate their sponsoring organiza-
tion’s mission; that poverty is fluid; that there
are different types of poverty and no one “cul-
ture of poverty;” many different types of people
live in poverty for many different reasons; and
how the experience of poverty in an affluent
country like the US is profound.
10. Transition to a discussion of financial assets

and asset development: “Many of you are
going to be serving in organizations that
address poverty through programs that
support asset development, such as Habitat
for Humanity or Dress for Success.
1) Why is asset development important?
2) How does asset development relate to

addressing poverty?”
Popcorn answers.

Once the group has discussed general ideas about

asset development, guide the group toward a
more detailed discussion by covering the following
points:
• Explain that there has been a shift away from

income-based policies to asset-based policies
to help people in poverty. This approach holds
that maintaining income to support minimum
consumption is not enough to move people
out of poverty. For the vast majority of house-
holds, the pathway out of poverty is not through
income and consumption but through sav-
ings and accumulation. You cannot spend your
way out of poverty; in order to break the cycle
of poverty, low-income people need to build
assets.
• Remind the group of what we mean by finan-

cial assets: credit, property, health insurance,
savings, and a retirement plan. Emphasize that
assets aren’t just cash; the assets mentioned are
just as important as cash in the bank.
• Explain that this is not a new idea. Asset build-

ing has received bipartisan support over the
years. Historically, the government has helped
upper- and middle-class people build assets.
Ask if the group can provide any examples of
government-based asset-building programs in

US history. If they can’t, give these examples:
• The 1944 GI Bill provided loans for housing

and education.
• Retirement programs provide tax breaks on

investments (such as 401Ks and IRAs).
• Mortgage interest on homeownership is

deductible.
• Social Security, which is based on income,

helps working people accumulate assets for
retirement.
• When people begin to accumulate assets, their

thinking and behavior change as well. Asset
accumulation often leads to more long-range
planning, better care of property, increased
learning about financial affairs, and increased
social and political participation.
Three asset development programs are defined

Overhead
below. Before you present them, ask participants & Training
for examples of asset-based programs; they will Materials:
probably be able to provide you with explanations Some Areas of
of some or most of these. Show overhead to fill in Financial Asset
any information not provided by the group. Development
• A microenterprise is defined as a small busi-

ness with five or fewer employees with initial
capital needs of $35,000 or less. Most microen-
terprises are sole proprietorships and can be
any type of business—graphic design, cleaning
services, jewelry making, and t-shirt printing are
some examples.

• Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) are Training

incentivized, matched, and restricted savings Materials:
Resource List
accounts to be used for purchasing an asset.
IDAs are commonly used to buy a first home,
pay for post-secondary education, start a small
business, or save for home repairs, computers,
automobiles, or retirement. Those who qualify
for an IDA agree to save a certain amount of
money each month, which is then matched with
money contributed by an organization or govern-
ment agency. Depending on the program, partic-
ipants receive 50 cents to four dollars for every
dollar saved. VISTA members qualify for IDAs;
you can find more information about them in the
Resource List for this session (in the Training
Materials of their binders).
• Financial Literacy is the ability to read, ana-

lyze, manage, and communicate about per-
sonal finances. It includes the ability to choose
between different financial options, discuss
financial issues, plan for the financial future, and
understand general economic events and their
impact on personal finances.
11. Wrap up pre-break discussion on a positive VISTA Campus

note by summarizing that asset development Flyer
is a powerful, effective concept for their
upcoming year of service. Explain that no
matter what area of service they are entering
(mentoring, literacy, housing), they will be
serving a population that could benefit from
knowledge about asset development. And
for participants that want to learn more on
this topic, tell them that the VISTA Campus
(vistacampus.org) has additional poverty
resources including information on:
• Models of poverty
• Poverty data
And a resource list for further reading. They can

find this information in the “Poverty in America”
section of the campus.
15
2:30–2:45 BREAK
minutes

40
How Poverty Is Measured
minutes
1. Advise participants that the next part of the

session will focus on:
• How poverty is measured in the US
• How the measures were developed
• How the measures are used today

2. Show overhead, “Measuring Poverty— Overhead:
Discussion Questions.” Assign each table one Measuring
question to discuss. Ask the tables to spend the Poverty—
Discussion
next 5 minutes discussing their question with
Questions
one person acting as the recorder. Have them
select a reporter to share their responses with
the larger group.
Discussion Questions:
1) Is it important to have an accurate measure of

poverty? Why or why not?
2) What problems might result from inaccurate

or incomplete measures of poverty?
3) What besides income could be used to deter-

mine poverty?
3. Allow each group one minute to share their

responses.
Key Point To Make:
Advise participants that they have just consid-

ered the same questions that have stumped—and
continue to stump—academics, statisticians, and
policy analysts.

4. Tell participants: “You’ve come up with some VISTA PSO

very interesting reasons for measuring poverty Notebook
and problems that may arise from inaccurate
measures. Spend the next couple of minutes
individually making a list in your VISTA PSO
Notebook of what you spend money on each
month. Only include WHAT you spend money
on, NOT how much. You will share from this list
only what you want to volunteer to the group.”
5. Ask the group to share some of their expenses Chart paper, blue
by popcorning answers. Use a black or blue or black marker
marker (not red) to chart the things they spend (not red)
money on. Chart approximately 10 items and be
sure that one of them is food.
6. Once the list is complete, ask: “Which of these Chart paper

expenses do you spend the most on?” By a
show of hands, tally how many spend the most
on housing, child care, etc. Put a check mark
next to the number one expense.
7. Ask, “The government uses one of these Chart paper, red

expenses to measure poverty. Which one do marker
you think it is?” Circle “food” with a red marker.
Ask for thoughts and reactions. Allow a minute
for group to express reactions.
8. Tell participants: “The poverty measures are Overhead

based on food costs alone: In fact, they’re & Training
based on what it cost a family of four to provide Materials:
Time Line of US
food in the 1960s.” Show overhead “Timeline
Poverty Measures
of US Poverty Measures” and quickly review
history.

Key Points To Make:
• The goal of defining and measuring poverty

in the US was first instituted in 1962 when
President Kennedy asked his Council of
Economic Advisors to gather statistics on pov-
erty.
• In 1963, Mollie Orshansky, a statistician at the

Social Security Administration, published an arti-
cle, “Children of the Poor,” that proposed a new
way to count the number of people in poverty.
• Her method was founded on the cost of meeting

a family’s nutritional needs based on food plans
set forth by the US Department of Agriculture in
the 1960s. The food plans were first developed
by the USDA in the 1950s and outlined quanti-
ties and types of food that met desirable nutri-
tional goals.
• Using the cheapest of these food plans,

Orshansky determined that the minimum income
a family of four could survive on was $3,955
per year. Families living below this threshold (or
amount) would be counted as living in poverty;
the amount was adjusted based on a family’s
size and composition.
• Show “Orshansky’s Poverty Threshold” over- Overhead

head. Say: She arrived at $3,955 by multiply- & Training
ing the annual cost of the cheapest food plan Materials:
Orshansky’s
for a family of four, $3.60 per day, by three Poverty Threshold
(because families spent 1/3 of income on food
in the 1950s) and then by 365 (days per year)
to arrive at $3,955. Families of four earning less
than this amount were in poverty, according to
Orshansky’s formula.
• [return to “Time Line”] In 1964, after President

Johnson declared war on poverty, the Council of
Economic Advisors cited Orshansky’s paper in a
report to the President.

• In May 1965, the newly-created Office of

Economic Opportunity used Orshansky’s thresh-
olds to determine eligibility for anti-poverty pro-
grams such as Head Start. Many other federal
agencies followed suit.
• Her method was later adopted in 1969 by the

White House as the official way to measure pov-
erty in the US.
• Since 1963, the poverty threshold amounts

have been calculated using the Orshansky for-
mula, while being updated annually for infla-
tion. Currently a family of four is considering to
be living in poverty if their income is less than
$20,000.
• However, studies show that we spend less than

a third of our income on food today. In fact,
although the cost of food has increased since
the 1960s, the amount of money people spend
on food has decreased overall in comparison
to other expenses like housing, transportation,
health care and child care.
9. Show overhead “How the Government Uses Overhead

the Poverty Threshold” to explain how the & Training
Orshansky formula is used today. Materials: How
the Government
Uses the Poverty
Key Points To Make: Threshold
• The Orshansky formula informs how the govern-

ment determines 1) who is in poverty (statistics);
and 2) who is eligible for federal and state ben-
efits and services.

STATISTICS
• When preparing its statistics of the US popula-

tion, the Census Bureau looks at pretax cash
income to determine the number of people living
in poverty.
• Pretax cash income includes earnings, unem-

ployment compensation, workers’ compensa-
tion, Social Security, public assistance, and
veterans’ payments; however, it does not include
noncash benefits like food stamps and housing
subsidies.
• If a family’s income is less than the poverty

threshold amount set for the family’s size and
age composition, then they are counted as being
in poverty.
• The US Census Bureau uses the poverty thresh-

olds as a “statistical yardstick.” The measure-
ment allows the government to count who is in
poverty; these statistics then inform policy mak-
ers.
• The poverty thresholds are recalculated each

year based on inflation. They are NOT adjusted
for regional, state or local variation in the cost of
living.
ELIGIBILITY
• Explain that while the Census Bureau’s poverty

thresholds provide statistical analyses of pov-
erty, other government and non-government
agencies use them as the basis for determining
eligibility for assistance.
• For example, the amounts are used to determine

whether a person or family is eligible for assis-
tance through various federal programs such as
Head Start, food stamps, free or reduced-price
school lunch, etc.

• Tell participants that many federal and state

programs increase the amount of income you’re
allowed to earn and still receive services by
using percentages of the guidelines. Programs
can increase allowed income amounts by any-
where from 105% to 400% of the Department
of Health and Human Services’ maximum to
allow more people to be eligible for services.
For example, to be eligible for the USDA’s WIC
program (Women, Infants & Children), your gross
income cannot be more than 185% of the pov-
erty guidelines.
• This is similar to the way that states and cities

interpret the minimum wage. The federal govern-
ment has set the minimum wage at $5.15/hour,
but many states and cities have set it as high as
$7.75/hour.
10. Share with participants that their VISTA living

allowances are based on a percentage of the
poverty guidelines. Ask if they know what
percentage their stipend is. VISTAs are paid
no less than 105% of the HHS guidelines
(a.k.a. “the poverty line”) with allowances
made for the cost of living in their assignment’s
communities.
11. To wrap up discussion of how poverty is Overhead

measured, show overhead, “Problems With & Training
Official Measure of Poverty.” Refer participants Materials:
Problems With
to their Training Materials. Say: “Let’s compare
Official Measure of
your answers from earlier with what the Poverty
majority of economists and policy analysts say
are the results of flawed measurements:”

• How it defines INCOME—ignores all noncash

government transfers (like Earned Income Tax
Credit, food stamps, Medicaid, and housing and
child care assistance).
• …and therefore OVERSTATES poverty—by

ignoring these sources of income.
• How it defines EXPENSES—excludes payroll

and income taxes, work-related expenses (child
care and transportation), cost of out-of-pocket
medical expenses. No adjustment for the sub-
stantial variation in the cost of living from state
to state and between urban and rural areas.
• …and therefore UNDERSTATES poverty—

ignores significant costs associated with getting
to work, medical and child care, and geographic
cost of living when calculating income produced
by a job.
Background Information:
The Federal Earned Income Credit (EIC) program

was created to give tax breaks to working, low-
income families. It is an important anti-poverty and
work incentive program run by the federal govern-
ment via the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
To qualify for the EIC, you (or your spouse) must

have a job, have wages below a certain level, and
file a federal tax return to the IRS. There are addi-
tional rules and restrictions as well, such as the
income amount allowed for workers with children.
For workers who qualify, the EIC reduces their

income tax bill and may even generate a tax refund
for those who did not pay income taxes.
In 2006, 18 states offered a State Earned Income

Credit program that could be claimed in addition
to the federal EIC. Participants can find out if their
state has an EIC program at www.taxcreditresourc-
es.org.

Optional: 12. Remind participants of the question, “How will

(as time this information help you to be more effective
allows) during your year of service?” Say: “Now
that you know how poverty is defined, what
causes it, and how it is measured, how will
this information inform your VISTA service?”
Popcorn responses.
13. Conclude poverty measurements discussion by VISTA Campus
sharing with participants, “The valuable service Flyer
you are about to commit to as a VISTA has the
potential to have a positive impact on many
lives. If you are interested, you can read more
about the measures of poverty in the Poverty
in America section of the VISTA Campus.
10
Poverty in the US
minutes
1. Tell participants: “Now we are going to
briefly discuss poverty in the US. One of the
reasons why we are doing this is to confront
assumptions we may have about this topic.”
2. Ask participants: “Where do you think people

in poverty live? In what areas would we find the
greatest concentrations of poverty in the US?”
3. Show the overhead with the two maps “US Overhead

Population Density (2000)” and “Percentage & Training
of Total Population in Poverty (2003)” and Materials:
“US Population
explain to participants that while the greatest
Density (2000)”
concentrations of people live in cities, the “Percentage of
greatest concentrations of poverty are in rural Total Population in
counties. Although there are more people Poverty (2003)”
living in poverty in cities, the percentage of
people living in poverty is greater in rural areas.
According to recent studies, the number of
people in poverty who live in the suburbs is
quickly rising, too.

4. Explain that there are many other factors

besides geography to consider when examining
poverty in the US. Factors such as race and
ethnicity, marital status, age, and education
level all have an impact on the number in
poverty. Advise participants: “We have provided
you additional maps and tables of information
about these factors on the VISTA Campus.
These materials provide information that may
help you plan programs and effectively reach
out to the community.”
5. Show overhead, “Poverty Statistics Overview,” Overhead

and explain that this is a quick highlight of & Training
the more detailed tables in the binders. Briefly Materials: Poverty
Statistics Overview
review bullets, stating that these conclusions
were drawn from the US Census Bureau’s 2005
American Community Survey and 2006 Current
Population Survey.
Age
Children comprise the greatest numbers and per-

centages of people in poverty.
Race & Hispanic origin
The highest numbers of people in poverty are

white; however, people of color have the highest
percentages of their population in poverty.
Household type
Out of the large number of married households,

a small percentage of them live in poverty. Out of
the small number of female-headed households, a
large percentage of them live in poverty.
Employment status
The total number of people in poverty who worked

full time or part time is higher than those who did
not work at all.

Educational attainment
The more advanced one’s education is, the less

likely it is that he/she will experience high rates of
poverty.
6. Conclude this section by advising participants Training

that the US Census Bureau offers an Materials:
abundance of information online including Resource List
maps, reports, and statistics at the national,
state, county, and city levels.
Using the directions provided in the “Resource

List” (Training Materials), participants can
research their community to find more detailed
poverty statistics.
40
Perspective of Those in Poverty
minutes

1. Tell the group: “Throughout this session, we

have referred to people and families as living
in poverty—not as ‘the poor’ or ‘poor people.’”
Ask participants: “Why do you think that is?”
Popcorn out answers.
Key Points To Make:
• Saying “the poor” or “poor person” makes a

statement about their entirety; it characterizes
everything about them, which is something we
do not want to do.
• The difference between saying “people in pover-

ty” and “poor people” is that “people in poverty”
demonstrates a recognition of the person first
and foremost—the fact that they’re in poverty is
just one aspect. If we say a person is IN poverty,
then we imply that a person can also get OUT of
it; this challenges the assumption that poverty is
a static state.
2. Ask, “Why is it important to look at poverty from

the perspective of those in it?” Allow time to
popcorn responses. Emphasize that while we
have discussed terminology and measurements,
people in poverty (generational poverty, in
particular) live a reality that statistics cannot
possibly convey.
3. If not already mentioned, explain that

understanding the point of view of the
people they serve will help VISTAs be more
effective in their communities and sponsoring
organizations.
4. Explain: “To begin to understand poverty from Overhead

the perspective of those who are in it, we will & Training
first examine a model developed by Abraham Materials:
Maslow’s
Maslow: The Hierarchy of Human Needs.” Ask
Hierarchy of Needs
if anyone has seen this model before. See if
there is a volunteer who will quickly review the
definitions of the various stages as indicated in
the graphic. If not, provide a review.

The basic concept is that the higher needs in this

hierarchy only come into focus once all the lower
needs in the pyramid are satisfied and that indi-
viduals in poverty are often fighting for their basic
physiological and safety needs.
“Drives” are what we feel about physical needs;

“motives” are inspired by emotional needs.
Abraham Maslow (1908–1970) was an American

psychologist. Maslow’s “Hierarchy of Human
Needs,” was his primary contribution to psychol-
ogy and is often presented as a pyramid. Maslow
proposed the hierarchy in a 1943 paper, A Theory
of Human Motivation. His theory contends that as
humans meet “basic needs”, they seek to satisfy
successively “higher needs” that occupy a set hier-
archy.
5. Ask participants to interpret the chart. Ask:

“What does this chart mean for people who live
in poverty? Where do you think the average
person living in poverty is on this chart?” Allow
one or two minutes for the group to popcorn
answers.
Key Point To Make:
• Because people in poverty spend so much

time working to meet safety, physiological, and
belongingness needs, there isn’t much time to
focus on the higher needs of esteem and self-
actualization (which are the primary focus of
middle-class people).

6. Tell participants that we are going to look Charts of

at a few of the realities people in poverty “Realities” 1-6
face to meet basic needs. Before you begin,
Markers
tell them that not all people in poverty face
all of these challenges, these are meant to
serve as examples of some of the challenges
encountered.
In small groups they will discuss and chart

strategies for responding to these realities.
Explain that not all of us have the same experi-
ences with poverty. Some of us have lived it.
Others have worked with it and for some pov-
erty remains a theory or idea. For those who
have less experience with poverty, it is all right
to stay silent when you don’t feel you have a
response.
This will be a gallery walk. And for some, this will

be the most challenging activity of the day. Before
the session begins, prepare six charts that look
like:
The Reality: [one of the six “Realities” listed below

here]
On each chart, list one of the following realities:
1. Where can you get a loan on your car title?

How much will it cost?
2. How do you get a two-week supply of groceries

home without transportation?
3. Explain what to do if you are being evicted and

have no money to move.
4. Explain how to survive winter nights without

heat.
5. If you had no money for food, where are three

places you could go?
6. How do you deal with waiting hours for social

and medical services and with the attitudes you
sometimes face?
Post the six charts around the room and provide

markers near each.

7. Ask participants to count off to six and regroup

accordingly. Have each group begin with one
chart. Allow 2-3 minutes for the first few charts.
As participants move around the room and the
charts fill up, they might be able to spend less
time at each chart.
8. The goal of the exercise is for participants to

see the resiliency and resourcefulness of people
living in poverty—keep the discussion at a more
general level and do not get bogged down
in the different realities found on the charts.
There may be many different answers to each
question; that is okay, as it emphasizes the
diversity of people living in poverty and the fact
that “people in poverty” includes many people
from the homeless to the working poor.
When the groups have circulated to each chart,

ask:
• What did you think/feel while doing this

activity?
• What knowledge have you gained about the

experience of people living in poverty?
• What did this activity tell you about the

strength and resiliency of people in poverty?
Invite impressions/reactions from participants.

Popcorn responses.
9. Emphasize the resourcefulness and resiliency of Training
people in poverty—this is the takeaway from this Materials:
The Realities of
activity. Explain that resiliency and resourceful- Meeting Basic
ness are assets. Needs
Refer participants to the “Realities of Meeting

Basic Needs” list in their Training Materials; this
provides a more expanded list of questions to
consider.

10. Explain that to convey the reality of people in Training

poverty, we have based a lot of our discussions Materials:
on valuable insights provided by the personal Resource List
experience and research of Dr. Donna Beegle,
a noted poverty expert who was born into
generational poverty and now speaks to
organizations across the country on the subject.
Her important work is cited in the Resource List.
10. Show the overhead “Questions That Consider Overhead

Context of Those Living in Poverty.” Urge & Training
participants to refer back to these questions Materials:
Questions That
to improve their project’s chance of success.
Consider Context
Refer to this page in their Training Materials. of Those Living in
Poverty
11. Show the overhead “Thoughts on Poverty in Overhead:

the US” and explain that noted educator and Thoughts on
theorist Paulo Freire says: Poverty in the US
• Poverty in America is internalized.
• Immigrants see the USA as the land of

opportunity and often do better than
Americans born into generational poverty.
• Americans are socialized to believe that pov-

erty is a basic flaw in character (not smart
enough, don’t work hard enough, not as
good as someone in the middle class).
Paulo Freire was a Brazilian educator and influential

theorist of education. Born to middle-class parents
in Recife, Brazil, Freire knew poverty and hunger
during the 1929 Great Depression, an experience
that would shape his concerns for people in pov-
erty and would help to construct his particular edu-
cational worldview.
Trained as a lawyer, he never actually practiced

law and instead worked as a teacher in secondary
schools. In 1967, Freire published his first book,
Education as the Practice of Freedom. The book
was well received, and Freire was offered a visiting
professorship at Harvard.

His most famous book, Pedagogy of the

Oppressed, is currently one of the most quoted
educational texts (especially in Latin America,
Africa, and Asia) and has made a considerable
impact on the development of educational practice.
12
Conclusion
minutes
1. Refer participants to “To All Advocates/Social Training
Service Providers” in their Training Materials. Materials:
Strongly encourage them to read these tips To All Advocates/
Social Service
from Dr. Donna Beegle on their own time and
Providers
refer to them during their year of VISTA service.
2. Ask participants to reflect on the session by VISTA PSO
journaling for the next several minutes. They Notebook
should respond to the following two questions
in their VISTA PSO Notebook:
1. What part of the session struck you as the

most interesting/surprising/upsetting?
2. What strategy or insight did you gain into

poverty that you’ll remember during your
VISTA year of service?
When they are done, give participants a chance to

share what they wrote with a partner or their table.
Then ask for one or two responses from each
table.
The two journaling questions above are important

for participants’ reflection process. Please be sure
to allow sufficient time for them to consider and
process these questions.
Reflecting on these questions will help participants

appreciate the practicality and importance of this
session—both personally and for their VISTA ser-
vice.
3. Again reference the Resource List in Training

participants’ Training Materials for further Materials:
reading. Resource List
Be sure to let the participants leave at 4:30 p.m.

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PSO Facilitator Guide Poverty: Concepts, Insights, & Strategies

Poverty: Concepts, Insights, & Strategies

Models and Types of Poverty/ How Poverty Is

Perspective of Poverty in the U.S.

VISTA Integrated Training Program June 2008 1

Poverty: Concepts, Insights, & Strategies

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

Time Steps Resources/

Before the session, prepare a “causes of poverty”

• The unequal distribution of income and wealth

• Issues related to class, gender, and race

VISTA Integrated Training Program June 2008 3

2. Share with the group that it’s important to be

3. Explain to participants that there are many

We could spend the entire session on how the

But we are choosing to look at poverty from the Overhead:

Key Points To Make:

• The hope is that participants will be better pre-

• Underscore the importance that they understand

4 June 2008 VISTA Integrated Training Program

4. We want participants to understand that poverty Overhead: Points

• People in poverty have knowledge based

• People in poverty have a set of social and

• People in poverty are resilient and

5. Say: “As VISTAs, you have the opportunity to

VISTA Integrated Training Program June 2008 5

7. Tell participants that we are going to get a Training Materials

B. Put up five charts, one with each asset on it.

If any key information is missing, use the overhead

Financial—Not only having the cash to purchase

Emotional—Being able to choose and control

Mental—Having the capacity to process informa-

Social Capital—Having friends, family, backup

Role Models—Having access to appropriate adults

6 June 2008 VISTA Integrated Training Program

8. Remind participants: “As we go through this

60 Models and Types of Poverty / Financial Asset

1. Explain that the next part of the session will

2. Explain that there are two main models used to

3. Present overhead, “Models of Poverty: VISTA PSO

• What does it mean to live in absolute

After two minutes, popcorn out responses.

Key Points To Make:

• Absolute poverty is characterized by a lack of

• Approximately 3.5 million individuals experience

• In 2004, 16 million Americans lived in “severe”

VISTA Integrated Training Program June 2008 7

In participants’ Training Materials, absolute poverty

4. Show overhead, “Thoughts on Relative Overhead:

—Amartya Sen, Winner of the 1998 Nobel in

Ask participants to discuss at their tables the fol-

• What does it mean to live in relative poverty in

• What impact might living in relative poverty in

After two minutes, popcorn out one response from

Key Points To Make:

• Relative poverty is the lack of diets, health, ame-

• When people live in relative poverty, they live

8 June 2008 VISTA Integrated Training Program

• Although many families in poverty own applianc-

• Without access to these goods, children from

5. Inform participants that we’re now going to Overhead:

6. Ask participants to observe the photo on the

• What does it mean to experience situational

Popcorn out answers.

7. Confirm or add to their responses:

Photo of situational poverty is of a woman who