BRAINTREE -- "This experience is not a game. You don't win."

Those words introduce "In Their Shoes," a "poverty simulator" created by Catholic Charities USA. The simulation is an interactive project where participants are introduced to the lives of fictional people in dire financial situations. Participants step into the characters' shoes and must make difficult choices about how to spend their limited time and money. The simulations include a veteran, a senior citizen, and a family raising a child with a disability.

"In Their Shoes" is part of the People of Hope Museum, a traveling exhibition on poverty in the U.S., which Catholic Charities is taking on a three-year tour of every diocese in the country. The museum began its journey in New York this March and made a stop at the Archdiocese of Boston Pastoral Center in Braintree on April 17.

"It's really to educate people about the power of Catholic service and neighbors helping neighbors," said Catholic Charities Boston Chief of Staff Jennie Moore.

The mobile museum, operating out of a modified tractor-trailer, features an interactive screen offering statistics on poverty in all 50 states. Graphs showed that virtually every financial crisis families can experience in Massachusetts, from homelessness to food insecurity, exploded after the COVID-19 pandemic. The People of Hope Museum also educates visitors on how Catholic Charities is helping those in need.

"Our aspiration is that visitors to the museum will grow in their empathy for people in need, in their communities, and be inspired to get involved and look for ways to serve others, especially through their local Catholic Charities," said Catholic Charities USA Vice President of Communications Kevin Brennan.

One exhibit allowed visitors to listen to stories from 40 people across the country who are involved with Catholic Charities, including former Catholic Charities Boston Vice President of Basic Needs Beth Chambers.

In her video, Chambers told the story of how she gave a Thanksgiving meal to a family she had known through Catholic Charities for over 30 years. The week after Thanksgiving, she offered the family a bouquet of flowers, provided by volunteers from St. Cecilia Parish in Boston. The volunteers apologized for having flowers instead of food, but Chambers felt that there was nothing to apologize for.

"It's also about giving people something they couldn't afford or would never think about buying," she said, "and just a bouquet of flowers made a difference to this woman during the time of year."

Students from St. Catherine of Siena School in Norwood visited the museum when it stopped at the Pastoral Center. Eighth graders Nolan Flynn and Jack Caulfield entered a booth where visitors could record themselves answering the question, "Who gives you hope?" They said that their school gives them hope.

"We gave all our credits to our principals," Jack said. "I think they all do an amazing job."

Nolan said the museum is "very cool."

"The amount of different stories, the amount of struggles and the things people have done, it's pretty cool to listen to," he said.

The final exhibit before exiting the museum, "What Will You Do?" allowed visitors to write anonymous notes about how they would serve their community and post them for all to see.

"I will live as Jesus did by living a life of non-judgment and by helping my brothers and sisters in need -- as he would do," one card read.

"I will help my neighbors by being kind!" another read, accompanied by a doodle of two girls holding hands.

Archbishop Richard G. Henning also visited the museum and received a tour.

"It's a beautiful opportunity to learn more about the impact of the work done by Catholic Charities here in the archdiocese and across the country," he told The Pilot.