Yuma News Now

Yuma, Arizona - City of Yuma executive staff and members of the Yuma City Council are among more than 60 participants in Thursday's poverty simulation event taking place at the Yuma Civic Center.

The Yuma Community Action Poverty Simulation takes place 3 to 6 p.m. Thursday, May 7, with the goal of raising the awareness of government officials, politicians, administrators and policy advocates as to what poverty looks and feels like in the Yuma area.

"This will help people understand the obstacles and challenges people in poverty face on an everyday basis," said Greg Stopka, Management Intern with the City of Yuma.  Additional goals are to sensitize people to the realities of poverty and to encourage people to take action to fight poverty.

The City of Yuma and the Western Arizona Council of Governments (WACOG) are leading the steering committee that organized the simulation. The event is co-sponsored by the City of Yuma, Yuma County, WACOG, Community Legal Services, Yuma Food Bank, EXCEL Group, Crossroads Mission, Arizona Department of Economic Security and Cenpatico.

"The simulation puts a real face on how poverty manifests itself," Stopka said. "For example, you feel the frustration of a single parent who has to take the bus from one end of town to the other to travel between part-time jobs, and still somehow get to the daycare to pick up their child before it closes."

The committee will gather feedback following the event in order to form recommendations to policymakers for making improvements.  The group also plans to hold at least one other simulation, possibly later this year.