Poverty Education & Awareness

Through partnerships with Family Promise of Bristol, United Way of Bristol TN/VA, EnVision Center, Salvation Army, Haven of Rest and others, Bristol’s Promise uses education and awareness about poverty and finances to set parents and children up for success.

About

Poverty is about not having enough money to meet basic needs including food, clothing and shelter. However, poverty is much more than just not having enough money. In addition to a lack of money, poverty is about not being able to participate in recreational activities; not being able to send children on a day trip with their schoolmates or to a birthday party; not being able to pay for medications for an illness.

What We Do

Poverty Simulations

Poverty is a reality for many individuals and families. But unless you’ve experienced poverty, it’s difficult to truly understand. The Community Action Poverty Simulation (CAPS) bridges that gap from misconception to understanding. CAPS is an interactive immersion experience. It sensitizes community participants to the realities of poverty.

The Experience

Meet Ann Aber. Like many people in poverty, Ann faces the daily struggle to keep a roof over her head and her children fed. Ann is just one person in the up to 26 families part of the Poverty Simulation.

During the Poverty Simulation, you will take on the identity of someone like Ann. You will work together with your family to live a month in poverty.

Payday Lending

& Title Loans

Tens of millions of Americans are turning to high-cost loans that routinely carry interest rates of more than 400% for everyday expenses, such as paying their bills and covering emergency expenses. For many, those rates end up being just too high and lead to a seemingly endless debt cycle.

Payday loans have become the face of predatory lending in America for one reason: The average interest rate on the average payday loan is 391%.

And that’s if you pay it back in two weeks!

If you can’t repay the loans – and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says 80% of payday loans don’t get paid back in two weeks – then your interest rate soars to 521% and continues rising every time you can’t repay the debt.

Compare that to the average interest rate for alternative choices like credit cards (15%-30%); debt management programs (8%-10%); personal loans (14%-35%) and online lending (10%-35%).

Payday loans are a quick-fix solution for consumers in a financial crisis, but are budget busting expenses for families and individuals.

Our Partners

The Community Action Poverty Simulation (CAPS)—an interactive, immersion experience— is owned by the Missouri Community Action Network. The simulation provides a glimpse into the structural barriers of poverty to transform participants’ perspectives about their own communities. These transformed perspectives inspire action toward positive community change. If you are interested in learning more about the Community Action Poverty Simulation or purchasing a CAPS kit license, please visit communityaction.org or povertysimulation.net.

Schedule a Poverty Simulation

For more information or to schedule a poverty simulation for your group, call (423) 444-0622 or fill out this form.