Simulation brings poverty awareness close to home

January 10, 2020 – The University of Wisconsin-River Falls is co-hosting a poverty simulation event on Wednesday, Jan. 22, from 1-4 p.m. at the Lydecker Living Learning Center on campus. The event is open to the public and is free, but registration is required.

The interactive activities and discussions during the simulation are designed to help participants understand the challenges faced by 1 in 3 households in the St. Croix Valley.

The future success of our communities is directly tied to the financial stability of ALICE households. ALICE, which stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, is the population of people who work hard, earn above the federal poverty level, but not enough to afford a basic household budget. 

The event serves as a reminder that these financial hardships do not necessarily occur as a result of bad financial decision making and will better define the types of decisions this population is faced with on a regular basis. After the event, one can expect to have more knowledge around the financial stress of this population, improve the culture within your organization and/or community, and indirectly increase your return on investment in your employee experience.

If interested in attending, please register at https://www.uwrf.edu/CBE/Poverty-Simulation-Event.cfm or email christine.webster@uwrf.edu. Free parking for the event is available in O Lot, adjacent to the Lydecker Center, 851 Wild Rose Ave.

Collaborating partners include UW-River Falls, JACounter, Our Neighbors’ Place and the St. Croix Valley United Way.

For more information, call Webster at 715-425-4725.