Poverty Simulation Event

Why a Simulation?

The Poverty Simulation is not a game. It's based on real people and their lives. 
Poverty is a reality for many individuals and families, and without having experienced it, it’s difficult to truly understand. The Poverty Simulation bridges that gap from misconception to understanding with an interactive immersion experience that sensitizes community participants to the realities of poverty.
Our goals: 

1. Promote Poverty Awareness – During the simulation, role-play a month in poverty and experience low-income families’ lives.
2. Increase Understanding – After the simulation, participants will unpack their learning and brainstorm community change.
3. Inspire Local Change – Together, participants can be a voice to end poverty in their family, friends and community.
4. Transform Perspectives – The ultimate goal is to shift the paradigm about poverty away from being seen as a personal failure and toward the understanding of poverty as structural, a failure of society.

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ALICE, which stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, is the population of people who work hard, earn above the federal poverty level, but not enough to afford a basic household budget. Find out more.
The future success of our communities is directly tied to the financial stability of ALICE households. This event will serve as a reminder that these financial hardships do not necessarily occur as a result of bad financial decision making and will better define the types of decisions this population is faced with on a regular basis. After the event, you can expect to have more knowledge around the financial stress of this population, improve the culture within your organization and/or community, and indirectly increase your return on investment in your employee experience.
 
You will be able to:

• Explore ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) in our area
• Experience the tough choices made in everyday life for those who fall into the ALICE threshold
• Discover resources in our area, why it matters, and how you can help