Joe Cory/Key photo Bishop Robert W. Finn speaks to a gym full of sixth graders at the "That's Not Fair" rally at Archbishop O'Hara High School Feb.23.

The students, from 16 Kansas City-St. Joseph diocesan elementary schools, had begun the poverty awareness program, "That's Not Fair," about three months ago. The program was developed and piloted by Bishop Sullivan Center in 1999 to familiarize and involve sixth graders and later, seventh and eighth graders, in the principles of Catholic social teaching.

Participants are provided with video and reading materials, visit social service agencies and play games designed to prick their awareness of societal inequities.

The program gained national attention and spread to two other dioceses in Missouri and several outside the state.

The 2006-07 "That's Not Fair," program culminated in the Indigent Elderly Forum at O'Hara. Led by Patty Haney, a middle school teacher at St. Patrick School in Kansas City, the students reviewed the lessons learned during the past three months.

The "M and M's" game taught one student that "even though we are all equal in God's eyes, some of us still struggle more than others." Another described the difference between charity and justice as "charity is a gift, and justice is something everyone should have, like just laws." The "Not Enough Chairs" game taught several students that people, especially lawmakers, don't always listen to what other people tell them.

Bishop Sullivan Center director Tom Turner and Sheila Christensen, emergency services coordinator, introduced the students to some of the social services agency's clients through slides, a video, and two women who shared their experiences with them.

A slide appeared on the screen of an 80-year-old woman, who resorted to a chunk of ice melting in a roasting pan in front of a small fan to keep cool in Kansas City summers.

Turner said that since Bishop Sullivan Center launched a program to provide air conditioners to low income elderly people five years ago, the agency has installed more than 2,000 units, 450 in 2006. One unit was installed in the home of a 106-year-old woman, who had never had air conditioning.

"Izzetta," "Margareta" and "Mary" spoke on the video of how difficult it was to ask for help. Margareta said she had to lose some of her pride in order to ask others for help, and that was very hard for her. "Georgia," 85, agreed, having lived alone since 1951.

Christensen described how the homebound and chronically ill elderly most often need assistance in paying bills for utilities, medicine and home maintenance as well as food.

The faces on screen changed from weary and worried to smiling as Turner told the story of "Sterling," a man who had received assistance from Bishop Sullivan Center for many months.

Sterling had lived in dumpsters and behind buildings after a heart attack left him unable to work and he lost his job and home.

Recently, Turner said, Sterling's address on the agency's food pantry computer records was updated from homeless to an actual address. Sterling had an apartment.

As the students absorbed the messages from the elderly on the video, Virginia Lee, 77, and Margaret Beeson, 76, rose from their seats and faced the children in the bleachers. Virginia had been widowed in 1997 and didn't think she could make it on her own. Margaret moved to Kansas City in 1952 with bright dreams, but things changed. She has been on Social Security disability since age 55 because of heart surgery. Her financial situation was adversely affected by Medicaid cutbacks in 2005.

"God put people on my side," Margaret said. "God always puts people in your life who can help."

She turned first to Bishop Sullivan Center, and has since received help from Medicare Plan D and the American Association of Retired Persons.

"You never know what the future holds," she said.

Deacon Larry Weber, executive director of the Missouri Catholic Conference, told the middle schoolers that the MCC works with the state legislature in Jefferson City to help with the actual needs of the elderly poor, not just what the legislators think the needs are.

He said he and his staff encourage the legislators to do their homework to learn more about the poor since they are human beings, not simple statistics.

Bishop Robert W. Finn of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph told the students that the church should stand by the poor.

"Loneliness, poverty and lack of basic needs and services intensify in the elderly poor," the bishop said. "We have a connection to all God's people. We know it is important to have access to adequate health care, education, food and medication. Some people may need a bit of help, some may need a bit more help."

Money can help with basic needs and human rights. Companionship is also important, the bishop told the children. "Companionship helps people - especially the elderly poor - keep their dignity and know they have value to us," he said.

Charity is a motivation of love, Bishop Finn said. It is a motivation of reciprocity - people who receive blessings or help often want to give something back.

Waving handmade posters proclaiming: "Don't tax twice, it's not very nice," "Help them out without a doubt," and "If we don't help the poor who will?" the children marched from the high school to nearby St. Regis Church for Mass.

On the way, Sarah Kostoryz of St. Peter School described the "That's Not Fair," program as a way of teaching people that not everyone is treated equally.

Elizabeth Arensberg, also of St. Peter School, said her class wrote letters to Missouri State Rep. Rod Jetton, telling him that "The elderly and the poor should be given the same rights and treated the same as we are."

Classmate Peyton Gajan plans to tell her grandchildren one day that "Through 'That's Not Fair,' we got to see how things are not fair. We talked about it, prayed about it and tried to make things right."

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