In Their Shoes - Poverty Simulation for 40 Days of Peace

Yavapai County, AZ—Serve Yavapai, a collaboration of Prescott College and Community Counts, will join Catholic Charities, Coalition for Compassion and Justice, Prescott Area Women’s Shelter, Prescott United Methodist Church, and Sacred Heart Catholic Parish to bring the community together in an interactive event designed to help people better understand the realities of poverty. The poverty simulation, In Their Shoes, has participants role-play the lives of low-income families.  Some will be AHCCCS recipients, disabled, or senior citizens on Social Security.  They will have the stressful task of providing for basic necessities and shelter on a limited budget through interactions with human service agencies, bill collectors, job interviewers, police officers, and others.  Participants will also receive lunch and time to reflect upon their experience.  In Their Shoes will take place on Saturday February 25th, from 9am to 12pm at the Sacred Heart School Gymnasium, 150 Fleury Ave in Prescott.  The event is free and open to the public, however, space is limited so please call Catholic Charities at (928) 778-2531 to register.

 

This event will mark the end of the 40 Days of Peace, a nation-wide initiative led by Service for Peace. For 40 days, beginning with the Martin Luther King Holiday Jr. in 2012, individuals, families, and communities will focus on helping to start building a peaceful community.  This year, over 400 community members made a commitment to support the 40 Days of Peace.  In Their Shoes enables participants to discuss the potential for change within their local communities and create a broader awareness of poverty among policymakers, community leaders, and others.  City officials have been invited to participate and many have already made a commitment to attend.  “This event clearly speaks to Catholic Charities’ mission to advocate for our community’s most vulnerable, but it also contributes to the spirit of civic engagement that builds strong communities, promotes tolerance and increases our understanding of each other” says Haley Hyatt of Catholic Charities. 

Special thanks to our partner organizations and to Service for Peace.  For more information about Serve Yavapai, visit www.ycvp.org or contact Erika Stone at (928) 515 – 4454 or events@ycvp.org.