Liberty Campus to host Poverty Simulation November 13
                  “Welcome to the State of Poverty”   
 
                 The Liberty Campus of Savannah Technical College, in affiliation with Step-Up Savannah, Savannah’s Poverty Reduction Initiative, will host a poverty simulation exercise on November 13 from 1 – 3:30 pm at the campus, 100 Technology Drive in Hinesville.
     “Welcome to the State of Poverty” is designed to help participants develop an
understanding of the day-to-day struggles of individuals and families living in poverty in our community. According to the US Census Bureau, 17.7% of Liberty County residents live at or below the level of poverty. Some of these individuals receive TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, formerly AFDC), food stamps and other forms of government assistance.   Most are considered the “working poor,” only receiving a minimum wage.   The poverty simulation experience is designed to help participants begin to understand what it might be like to live in a typical low-income family trying to survive from month to month.  
            Groups of 35 to 75 people assume roles in 26 typical families living in poverty.    These 26 families must survive for one month or four 15-minute “weeks.”   During the month the families must:

keep their shelter secure

feed their family each week

keep their utilities on

make loan payments

pay for daily living expenses like transportation

handle unexpected emergencies

keep their children in school

access local support and resources

            “We’re inviting the community to participate so that we can all become more attuned to the realities facing many in our area,” says Terrie O. Sellers, campus dean for student affairs at the Liberty Campus and facilitator of the poverty simulation. “We believe this will help us deliver better customer service to our community.”
            The event is open to adults who lives and works in Liberty County. To be effective, the simulation requires participation of between 35 and 75 people, says Sellers. RSVPs are required so that facilitators can effectively plan for participation to make the simulation meaningful.  The deadline for RSVP is November 10.
For information and to RSVP, please contact Gia Smith at 912.408.3024 x 6024 or gsmith@savannahtech.edu .