Sisters and staff attend poverty immersions in Louisville and Memphis

P
overty immersions raise awareness
of great needs
By Jennifer Kaminski, Mount Saint Joseph Staff
What do those living in poverty consider to be their
possessions? The answer is…people. Unlike the middle
class whose possessions are “things” or the wealthy who value
one-of-a-kind objects,* the vantage point of the person in
poverty strips away all of the nonessentials. It says something
to all of us about setting priorities.
“The poor welcome people they like into their social circles.
And they have such a tenacious love for their mothers,” said
Ursuline associate Judy Gray, who, along with Sister Maureen
Griner, directed a poverty immersion experience Aug. 17-18 at
Mount Saint Joseph.
I attended this virtual immersion and a poverty immersion
in Louisville, Ky., a week later. Seeing people in poverty can
burden one’s heart with the thought of living such difficult
lives. It can be
People who are much too
sensitive to demand of
cripples that they run races
ask of the poor that they
get up and act just like
everyone else in society.
~Michael Harrington,
American activist and writer
* Taken from a chart titled, Hidden Rules Among
Classes, in “A Framework for Understanding
Poverty,” by Ruby K. Payne, Ph.D.
humbling when
you consider that
you could be just a
calamity away from
walking in their shoes.
It’s also uplifting
when you see their
grateful acceptance
of assistance, whether
it’s a meal at the
soup kitchen, or a seat in an air-conditioned building on a hot
summer day, or an iron bunk bed at the shelter at night.
In order to better address the poverty of body, mind and
spirit in the communities they serve, the Ursuline Sisters of
Mount Saint Joseph planned poverty immersion experiences for
sisters, associates and employees in August.
“An immersion experience is a powerful way to confront a
critical issue,” said Congregational Leader Sister Michele Morek.
“Through hands-on and face-to-face exposure to the sights and
sounds of suffering and alienation, we can see clearly how we are
part of the problem and the solution.”
Judy called poverty a national disaster that seems to be an
accepted part of American society. “It is all around us. It can be
overwhelming,” she said. “But we can bring light into difficult
situations. The bottom line is that we need to see Jesus in the
face of the homeless.”
Thirty-seven million Americans, or 12.7 percent of the
population, live in poverty. Poverty can
be caused by hard times (situational
Sister
Maureen
Griner, right,
leads the
discussion at
the virtual
poverty
immersion at
Maple Mount.
Twenty-four
attended the
workshop.
Poverty is like punishment for
a crime you didn’t commit.
~Eli Khamarov, Lives of the Cognoscenti
F a l l 2 0 0 7
Sister Clarita Browning
and Sister Mary Irene
Cecil look at a map
of the United States
at a virtual poverty
immersion Aug. 17 at
Mount Saint Joseph.
The population of
the states in yellow is
equal to the number of
Americans who live in
poverty: 37 million.
life changes), or it may follow a generational pattern. The
latter is characterized by a lack of education and skills and a
“desperation” which can lead to substance abuse, violence and
crime.
“They can have layers and layers of problems,” Sister
Maureen said.
There is a misconception that the poor are not working hard
enough. “The working poor struggle to hold down two or three
jobs,” Judy said. “A lot of people are living on the edge.”
The pressing needs of the poor are the basics: food, clothing
and shelter. At meals, the poor ask, “Did you have enough?”
while the middle class ask, “Was it good?” and the wealthy are
more concerned with its presentation.*
During the Maple Mount immersion, 19 sisters, three
associates and two employees learned about poverty statistics and
watched a movie, “God Bless the Child,” a realistic portrayal of a
single mother (Mare Winningham) struggling to survive.
“There’s a level of exhaustion associated with poverty,” Sister
Maureen said. Single women and children are hit particularly
hard by poverty, with 85 percent of homeless families headed by
females. Children under the age of six are at greater risk. In fact,
the poverty rate is higher among children than the elderly.
Can a head of household working full-time earning
minimum wage move out of poverty? The short answer is no.
Even if the family can afford shelter, utilities, transportation,
food, health care, medicine, and child care, the income doesn’t
cover “extras” such as clothing, toiletries,
and furniture.
To illustrate the wide chasm between
the poor and the wealthy, Sister Maureen
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