Participants to experience real-life poverty
Apr 7, 2010
From staff reports

The Second Harvest Food Bank will facilitate an interactive poverty simulation from 6 to 9 p.m. Monday, in Baker University Center Ballroom A. 

The event is collaboration between the Food Bank and the Ohio University Campus Involvement Center. It can accommodate up to 70 participants on a first-come, first-serve basis and is free and open to the public.

The welfare simulation experience is designed to help participants understand what it is like to be part of a typical low-income family trying to survive month to month. The object is to sensitize participants to the daily realities faced by low-income people.

In the simulation, participants role play a low-income family member with various resources and barriers scripted for them. For example, they may play a single mom with two kids, no cash and very few assets. During the simulation, families experience a condensed month of poverty consisting of four, 15-minute weeks.

The simulation is part of the university's continuing efforts to collaborate more with the Athens community.

For more details, visit the Community Service Web site or call the Campus involvement Center at 740-593-4007.

Related Links:
Campus Involvement Center