ACCESS took the “Living On the Edge” Poverty Simulation workshop on the road to Lansing on Tuesday, April 28th.  We were given the excellent opportunity to offer the workshop to our legislators and others who are involved in government.

Those who participated experienced the difficulty of paying bills, struggles with finding time to complete tasks, and the stress that many low-income families deal with on a daily basis.  Most of them were evicted from their “homes” and others resorted to crime in a desperate attempt to provide for their families.

The simulation was successful and ACCESS was thankful for the opportunity to be able to bring such an important educational tool to our state’s decision makers and their staff.  One participant stated, “Changing the way we think about poverty is essential for the health of our state and for all of us.”  Hopefully, those who participated will be able to take their experience in the Poverty Simulation and use it to fight for social justice.

To read more about the Poverty Simulation in Lansing, please read the following article by Brian Paff.  Brian Paff writes about social issues for the Micah Center, a grassroots faith-based justice movement in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  He attended the Poverty Simulation in Lansing and reported on his experience. Click here for Brian’s article.

ACCESS also has two Calvin College Comenius Scholars who participated in the simulation.  To read about their experience click here: Comenius-Scholars-Feature