CA Hosts Poverty Simulation

Community Action of Southern Kentucky will host a Poverty Simulation on July 22, 2010 at 1pm at 25 J.L. Turner and Son Place, Scottsville, KY. The Poverty Simulation was developed to stimulate change by improving services for people with low income, increasing connections among programs and organizations serving families with low income, and increasing advocacy for the millions of families living in poverty.

The Poverty Simulation enables participants to “experience” some of the frustrations, obstacles and constraints of living with limited resources and trying to access services to cover life’s basic necessities during a month (four, 15-minute weeks). Each participant is given a role and a set of circumstances through which they live this month.

Generally, the Poverty Simulation causes the participants to question:

•   long-held assumptions about the reasons people remain poor;

•   processes and procedures used by institutions serving families with low income;

•   the adequacy of services and support available in a community for families with low income;

•   the equity of policies at all levels of government; and

•   the efficacy of their own role in helping people with low income achieve basic levels of

     economic self-sufficiency and security.

Cheryl Allen, CEO of Community Action of Southern Kentucky said, “The simulation’s month of poverty is followed by a facilitated dialogue that enables participants to share their experiences, reactions to those experiences and then transform them into action steps for change.”

If you would like to participate, please contact Brandy Jones at 270-237-4149 or Charity Johnson at 270-782-3162 or charity.johnson@casoky.org. Register online at www.casoky.org/news.

Community Action of Southern KY is a part of America’s Poverty Fighting Network, which concentrates on helping people and changing lives. For more information, please contact Charity Johnson, Public Information Coordinator by phone at 270-782-3162 or by email charity.johnson@casoky.org, or visit www.casoky.org.