Encompass Blog
Why Don't They Change Their Situation?
Many times I have been asked this.
The answer is complex at best.
The causes of the downward spiral into extreme poverty
are as varied as the people affected.
Everything from health concerns to medical debt to stagnant wages
to tragedy to addiction to mental health
to job loss to a fixed income
can start a person on the journey to houselessness.
The farther people descend into poverty,
the harder it is to claw back out.
Why is this?
What are the obstacles, burdens and barriers to people becoming housed?
Why can’t they pull themselves up
by their proverbial “boot straps?”
Do they really try that hard?
Come to a Poverty Simulation for some answers.
Encompass Homeless Ministry and
Hope Lutheran Church
of Santa Clara are again hosting
Step Up Silicon Valley’s
Community Action Poverty Simulation (CAPS) on May 12th 2018
from 9 AM to noon!
If you’d like to see what a CAPS looks like,
check out this video presentation.
The Poverty Simulation is a free event
that is sustained completely by donations.
Why a CAPS and what is it?
Step Up Silicon Valley responds with:
“Silicon Valley is one of the most affluent areas
in the United States, yet poverty runs deeper than one may think.
According to the Supplemental Poverty Measure,
nearly 1 in 5 in Santa Clara County
cannot afford basic necessities each month without financial assistance.
Sign up here for the May 12th event.
The Community Action Poverty Simulation (CAPS)
immerses us in the reality of a Silicon Valley
that grows in disparity as much as prosperity.
During the simulation, participants form families
that work together to overcome barriers to social services,
live off insufficient income, and encounter unforeseen economic obstacles
along the way.
This experience goes beyond role-play —
participants interact with low-income community volunteers
who share their own stories of day-to-day challenges as all
CAPS attendees reflect on the experience together.
The Poverty Simulation is a free event
that is sustained completely by donations.
This core convening strategy intends to educate
and engage our community members toward action.
The Community Action Poverty Simulation (CAPS)
is a unique tool that Step Up Silicon Valley uses to educate everyone,
from policy makers to local community leaders,
about the day-to-day realities of those living in poverty
in Santa Clara County.”
If you’d like to see what a CAPS looks like,
follow this link to a video presentation.
Please feel free to share this invitation
with any person or agency you think might find this interesting.
Sign up
here for the May 12th event!
Blessings,
Pastor Jim Clark-Moore
