Poverty Simulation

This Poverty Simulation is our community coming together to address this issue in a new way. Please RSVP. Hosted by OneParis & United Way Date: Thursday, August 11 Time: 10:00 am - 1:00 pm, Lunch included Location: Paris Junior College Ballroom RSVP & Questions to Hilary Wilkerson: hwilkerson10@outlook.com United Way of Lamar County has been working with several different groups over the past few years to address Poverty, to look beyond what we've always done and create sustainable lasting change. The purpose is building from work that been accomplished in the past, bringing together our community so everyone has a voice, and strengthening partnerships to develop deeper relationships and understanding of how poverty impacts everyone in Lamar County. The Poverty Simulation is sponsored and supported by United Way of Lamar County. We are leading these efforts and providing this service locally. Here's the formal description (http://www.caastlc.org/programs/poverty-simulation.html): "Understanding the day-to-day reality of poverty is important for everyone involved in fighting poverty - from policymakers to service providers. Missouri’s COMMUNITY ACTION POVERTY SIMULATION (CAPS) is a unique tool that helps people begin to understand what life is like with a shortage of money and an abundance of stress. During a simulation, participants role-play the lives of low-income families, including single parents, people with disabilities, and senior citizens on Social Security. The task of each family is to provide for food, shelter and other basic necessities during four 15-minute "weeks.” Families interact with community resources. Although it uses "play" money, fictional scenarios and time limits, CAPS is not a game. It's a simulation that enables participants to view poverty from different angles and then to discuss the potential for change within local communities. It's designed to sensitize those who frequently deal with low-income families and to create a broader awareness among policymakers and community leaders." The meal are sponsored by OneParis.