Poverty simulation happening Wednesday at Festival Hall
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to live in poverty, a unique experience is happening this Wednesday.
Hosted by the Central Alberta Poverty Reduction Alliance, the Welcoming and Inclusive Communities Network, and United Way Central Alberta, the latest poverty simulation will aim to make participants empathetic to the plight of someone living paycheque to paycheque.
“You’re going to take away from it an understanding of the experience of an individual who lives with low income, who has challenges in making ends meet, having to make decisions about what they are going to buy today, what bills they’re going to pay or what they’re going to be able to sign their kids up for,” says Monica Morrison, executive director at the Golden Circle and member of CAPRA and WIC. “You’ll be dealing with banks and social workers; it’s a full real life simulation.”
The simulation comes at an interesting time in Alberta as the minimum wage just increased to $15/hour on October 1.