You are invited to a Community Action Poverty Simulation!

Come join us and:

• Spend a “month” in four 15 minute “weeks”  trying to make ends meet with limited resources.
• Share your experiences and your insights with others.
• Learn about next steps you can take to cut poverty. 

This unique event enables participants to view poverty from different angles in an experienctial setting.  It is designed to reflect the day to day ealities of life with a shortage of money and an abundance of stress.  During the simulaiton, participants role-play the lives of low-income families, from single parents trying to care for their children to seniors trying to maintain their self-sufficiency on Social Security.  The task of each family is to provide food, shelter, and other basic necessities while interacting with community resources such as the bank, store, utility company and pawn shop staffed by low-income volunteers.

Although it uses “play” money and other props, fictional scenarios and time limits, the Poverty Simulation is not a game.  It is a simulation tool that enables participants to view the real world of poverty.

Following the role-play participants and low-income volunteers reflect upon their experiences, share their insights, compare these with the reality of poverty today in Santa Clara County and learn about next steps to cut poverty in our community. 

There will be a simple lunch.  A $5 donation will be appreciated.

For additional information contact Peter Troop, St. Jude Social Justice Outreach, at 408 888-4495 or email  stjudes-sjoutreach@sbcglobal.net

or

PovertySimulation@CatholicCharitiesSCC.org