What is COPE?
The Cost of Poverty Experience offers participants a glimpse into the lives of low-income individuals and families living in our community.
The obstacles they face, the decisions they must make, and the consequences that impact these families every day.
COPE is a 2.5 hour experiential event that accommodates 40 to 120 participants and 17 to 21 volunteers.
The Chalmers Center (authors of When Helping Hurts) and Think Tank partnered to create COPE as an experiential link between adult psychology and the best adult learning practices. ICNU now partners with Unite Greater Dallas to deliver COPE in the DFW Metroplex and beyond. Chalmers Center and Think Tank co-designed this tool with low-income individuals who have shared their story so that participants could gain greater understanding of the plight affecting millions nationwide.
What are the facts?
152,822 FAMILIES IN DALLAS ARE LIVING AT OR BELOW POVERTY LEVEL
The poverty rate in the City of Dallas increased 42% over the past 15 years, while the City’s total population only increased by 4.4% during the same time period
Almost 1 in 3 Hispanics and African-Americans live below the poverty line
Almost 153,000 Latinos and more than 94,722 African-Americans live in poverty in Dallas
Interested in attending a COPE or hosting your own? Complete this form, and we will contact you to begin the discovery and pre-planning process
“In dramatic contrast to the surrounding region’s economic prosperity, the city of Dallas has one of the highest concentrations of poverty in the nation. Many of these residents are unemployed or underemployed, preventing them from benefiting from the region’s economic growth. This opportunity gap is disproportionately affecting African-Americans and Hispanics, who represent a large and growing pool of potential middle-skill workers, just as the region needs to expand its talent pipeline.” — JP Morgan Chase & Co., New Skills at Work Report, May 2015