Poverty is a reality for many individuals and families. Approximately 31,000 people living in poverty in Chester County face daily challenges of choosing between rent, medicine, or food.  This Poverty Simulation is a learning tool to help the community understand what it could be like to be part of a family trying to survive from month to month and to inspire change. The Poverty Simulation Experience is an interactive, immersion experience that gives participants a glimpse into the structural barriers, as well as some of the personal and emotional repercussions of people in poverty.

What to Expect:

• Role-Playing: Assume the identity of a person living in poverty* and navigate through various real-life scenarios.

• Limited Resources: Encounter firsthand the struggles of making ends meet with limited financial resources.

• Critical Decision-Making: Make tough choices related to healthcare, education, employment, and more, while facing the daily obstacles of poverty.

• Interactive Dialogue: Engage in conversations with others and learn from their experiences.

• Debriefing Session w/ Light Refreshments: Reflect on the simulation, discuss insights gained, and explore solutions to address poverty in our community.

What is the role of the Volunteer Staff?

The volunteers staff will staff the resource tables representing community resources and services to families. A few examples of the services include a bank, super center, Community Action Agency, employer, utility company, pawn broker, and grocery. An orientation and debriefing will be provided to all participants.

Poverty Simulation 
Friday, October 25, 2024
10:00 am – 1:00 pm
St. Christopher's Episcopal Church
116 Lancaster Pike, Oxford, PA 19363

All volunteer staff are required to arrive at 9:00 am for orientation.
Volunteer Staff assignments and further instructions will be sent the week of the event. It will be important for volunteers to inform organizers if their plans change and they cannot participate.