An interactive traveling museum is coming to Scranton to educate the public about poverty and marginalized communities through people’s stories and experiences.
Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Scranton will bring the People of Hope Museum to Nay Aug Park on June 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The traveling museum, housed in a 53-foot semitrailer, will park in front of the Everhart Museum.
The museum features videos of people serving vulnerable populations in their communities, an interactive poverty simulation, audio clips from nationally known voices such as Oprah Winfrey on poverty, social isolation and community action, and state and national data illustrating need and the role social services organizations play in addressing it. There will also be a recording studio for visitors to share their stories of hope and service. It is presented by Catholic Charities USA, which Catholic Social Services is part of.
Joe Mahoney, CEO of Catholic Social Services, said the museum presents ways people can not only help those in need but also tell their story.
“It’s not just about us reaching out and saying, ‘Hey, here’s all the wonderful things we do to help.’ It’s about Catholic Charities and Catholic Social Services agencies across the country and how they help and how we are the people of hope,” he said.
Mahoney hopes visitors see that everyone is part of a community and everyone has a responsibility to help one another. He said the poverty simulator is a powerful tool showcasing how hard it is to get out of poverty because it demonstrates the many rules and tasks people have to take to do so.
An inside view of the People of Hope Museum, presented by Catholic Charities USA. The travelling museum will be in Scranton on June 10. (Courtesy of Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Scranton)
An inside view of the People of Hope Museum, presented by Catholic Charities USA. The travelling museum will be in Scranton on June 10. (Courtesy of Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Scranton)
An inside view of the People of Hope Museum, presented by Catholic Charities USA. The travelling museum will be in Scranton on June 10. (Courtesy of Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Scranton)
Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Scranton will host the national “People of Hope Museum,” which is presented by Catholic Charities USA, at Nay Aug Park in Scranton from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 10. The free interactive museum features interactive exhibits, including a poverty simulator, and storytelling opportunities focused on compassion and community service. Helping to plan for the visit of the 53-foot semi-tractor trailer, are Catholic Social Services staff, from left, Fikile Ryder, Joseph Mahoney, Mary Nehme and Shannon Ruiz. The ‘People of Hope Museum’ is open to all. (Submitted)
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An inside view of the People of Hope Museum, presented by Catholic Charities USA. The travelling museum will be in Scranton on June 10. (Courtesy of Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Scranton)
It also shows the faces of those affected by hardships, he said.
“When you read so many thousands of people are showing up at our food pantries, that’s a number,” Mahoney said. “It’s these stories more than the statistics that bind us together.”
Catholic Charities USA started the museum this year with a $5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. as part of its National Storytelling Initiative on Christian Faith and Life.
The stop in Scranton is part of a national tour. The museum is expected to visit more than 150 communities nationwide over the next three years.
The museum is intended for those 14 years and older, but there will be activities, including arts and crafts, for people of all ages outside. Attendees will receive free admission to the Everhart Museum and the Brooks Mine during event hours.
Visitors are encouraged to enter Nay Aug Park using the entrance near the Blackwatch Cafe and follow Nay Aug Road to the parking area adjacent to the event site.
Mahoney is looking forward to walking through the museum for himself and having others experience it.
“We just encourage everyone to come on out and enjoy the day with us,” he said. “You don’t have to be a Catholic, you don’t have to be rich, you don’t have to be poor. You’re human. Come on out and have fun.”