What’s the difference between systemic and situational poverty? In brief, systemic poverty is a result of social and economic structures that produce and re-produce cycles of poverty; in contrast, situational poverty is usually caused by a sudden crisis or loss and is often temporary. The two types of poverty can at times overlap in a person’s life, making the barriers to economic mobility seem insurmountable.
An example of different forms of poverty intersecting is when someone is denied the opportunity to earn an income because of their criminal record (systemic), then loses their housing suddenly (situational). That’s precisely what happened to Darcy, a Rubicon participant who completed the Foundations workshop series in November 2021.
“I came to Rubicon in a moment of crisis,” Darcy says. “I was recently released from incarceration, and I was staying at my cousin’s house with him and his wife until they needed to bring her mother home from the hospital. I was out of a place to live, and starting over, I had no monetary resources because I had lost everything. I knew I just needed a hand up not a hand out.”
Fortunately, Darcy quickly found housing through the help of another community-based organization, where a staff member then referred her to Roosevelt Terry, Impact Coach for Rubicon Programs. Darcy connected with Roosevelt on a Friday, and on the following Monday she joined the next two-week Foundations cohort.
“I went from a week before barely knowing what resources there were for reentry individuals, to being surrounded by an amazing organization that really put the missing pieces into place to help me,” Darcy says. As a Rubicon participant, Darcy connected with an attorney, a wellness coach, and multiple career experts, all of whom were able to offer different resources and support that she could count on as she needed them.
Darcy’s relationship with Rubicon and the community deepened when she met Alisha Semplar, Rubicon’s Community Connections Program Manager. Alisha introduced Darcy to the Participant Advisory Board (PAB), and Darcy immediately accepted the opportunity to join. As a PAB member, Darcy gives input to senior leadership that guides Rubicon’s policies and practices, sits in on potential staff interviews, and is a part of a committee that plans to address homelessness via community projects and initiatives that align with Rubicon’s values.
Less than one year after first learning about Rubicon, Darcy obtained a transitional employment role as a Receptionist at the Concord America’s Job Center of California (AJCC), and she now works a full-time job with a national nonprofit. It’s Darcy’s goal to build a new career working with nonprofits that give back to the community and to become an advocate for people who experience similar hardships to what she has overcome.
“Just witnessing and marveling at the work that Rubicon does made me believe that it was a possibility for me to now go into the community and make a difference,” Darcy says. “I made a vow to myself on getting out of prison that, now I have more years behind me than I have ahead of me, so I’m going to make these count. There’s plenty to advocate for; you’re definitely going to hear from me in the future.”
