Poverty Simulation Event Coming To Pickaway County

Article Presented By Pickaway Ross CTC…

(Circleville) – Pickaway County Community Action will host a “poverty simulation” to help the community better understand the day-to-day issues facing those living in poverty. The one-day event will take place August 10th, from 9:30am-12:30pm at Heritage Hall on the Pickaway County Fairgrounds. Doors will open at 9am.

The maximum number of participants allowed in the simulation is 74 individuals, with a box lunch provided for attendees from Elegant Eats upon completion of the simulation.

The Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies’ (OACAA) Poverty Simulation is a walk in another person’s shoes. It’s about sharing experiences and making a connection to the conditions of those in poverty. Give yourself one time in this experience of poverty and it can lead you to a new understanding and renewed dedication to fighting against the ties that bind people to poverty.

During the 2-hour simulation, participants role play one month in the life of a low-income family and aim to provide their family’s most basic needs which include food, clothing, and shelter, while overcoming financial limitations such as unemployment, health issues, housing challenges, food insecurities and other obstacles. Family units interact with resources available in the mock community including banks, grocery stores, community action agencies, Job and Family Services, pawnshops, utilities, employers and more. The simulation occurs over four 15-minute “weeks” and mirrors life below or near the poverty line.

For 46.5 million people in the United States, poverty is not a simulation or game. OACAA’s poverty simulation illustrates the realities of poverty and emphasizes the awareness of policies in your community which hinder individuals from becoming self-sufficient. OACAA hopes this simulation will spark in the participants their desire to volunteer, fund, and initiate innovative ideas that will alleviate poverty and empower low-income families in their communities.