Scenes from the 2023 Poverty Simulation at St. Michael’s.
The Community Action Poverty Simulation breaks down stereotypes by allowing participants to step into the real life situations of others. Poverty is often portrayed as a stand alone issue—but this Simulation allows individuals to walk a month in the shoes of someone who is facing poverty and realize how complex and interconnected issues of poverty really are.
During the Simulation, participants are assigned roles as members of a low-income family or as a provider of a community resource (teacher, employer, etc.). To start the exercise, each family is given a card explaining its unique circumstances and a small amount of money. The task of each family is to provide food, shelter and other basic necessities during the (4) 15-minute “weeks” in the simulation while interacting with various community resources around the perimeter of the room. After the experience, individuals then have the opportunity to discuss what they’ve learned with their peers.
Light dinner provided
Sponsored by St. Michael’s, Family Promise & Diaper Train
