REVOLUTION at the MatPAC

CCSCT, TLU pairing up to host poverty simulation event

Cindy Aguirre-Herrera

(Seguin) -- Poverty is a reality for many individuals and families. But unless you’ve experienced poverty, it’s difficult to truly understand. That’s the awareness that the Community Council of South-Central Texas wants to bring to us this week. In helping to share those dynamics behind living in poverty, Bobby Deike, the CCSCT executive director, says together with the TLU Nursing Program, the group will be hosting an interactive poverty simulation and free lunch this Thursday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Seguin Coliseum.

During the simulation, individuals will role-play a month in poverty and experience low-income families’ lives.

Deike says while many entities have been invited to participate, he extends the invitation to anyone else who thinks that they too might benefit from this learning experience.

“Many of the departments with the city or the county or the hospital through their day to day work, they encounter people living in poverty and sometimes by having more of an understanding of the barriers that people living in poverty have, they will be able to better serve and understand those individuals and families and so that’s the real purpose is to just increase the awareness and increase the understanding of what people living in poverty have to go through just to make it through the day, through the month to make ends meet. That’s the primary purpose,” said Deike.

CCSCT officials say the Community Action Poverty Simulation (CAPS) bridges the gap from misconception to understanding. Officials say CAPS is an interactive immersion experience and again, sensitizes community participants to the realities of poverty.

Registration, which includes a free lunch, is available at https:// ccsctpovertysimulation.rsvpify. co. A QR code to reserve a spot can also be found on the CCSCT Facebook page. Limited space remains so registration is encouraged as soon as possible.