WEST CHESTER, PA — What happens when a family’s income simply isn’t enough to cover housing, food, transportation, healthcare, and other basic needs?
Community members are invited to explore that question through the Chester County Poverty Simulation, an interactive learning experience taking place Friday, October 23, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 10 W. Pleasant Grove Rd., West Chester, PA 19382.
The Poverty Simulation gives participants a window into the difficult decisions faced by individuals and families living with limited financial resources. Participants take on assigned roles and navigate a series of realistic scenarios involving employment, housing, transportation, childcare, healthcare, food, and other necessities. The exercise is followed by a facilitated discussion, giving participants an opportunity to reflect on what they learned and consider the broader challenges that contribute to economic insecurity.
“Statistics can tell us how many people are struggling, but they don’t always help us understand the constant decisions and trade-offs behind those numbers, or why people are forced to make them in the first place,” said Clark Davis, Community Education Director at Kennett Area Community Service (KACS). “The Poverty Simulation creates space for people to see those challenges from a different perspective, build empathy, and think more deeply about how we can respond as a community.”
The event is made possible by the Chesco Alliance on Economic Insecurity, a coalition that coordinates, curates, and expands access to community learning experiences that build shared understanding of poverty in Chester County.
The simulation is open to community members, educators, students, nonprofit and business professionals, faith communities, service providers, and others interested in better understanding poverty and economic insecurity in Chester County. No special background or experience is needed to participate.
The goal is not to suggest that a few hours can replicate the lived experience of poverty. Rather, the simulation provides an opportunity to look beyond statistics and gain greater insight into the barriers, difficult choices, and pressures faced by households struggling to make ends meet. Through greater understanding, the Chesco Alliance on Economic Insecurity hopes to encourage empathy, conversation, and informed community action.
EVENT DETAILS
Date: Friday, October 23, 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Location: Westminster Presbyterian Church
10 W. Pleasant Grove Rd., West Chester, PA 19382
Registration: tinyurl.com/chesco-povsim
The Poverty Simulation is co-hosted by an alliance of community organizations committed to addressing poverty in Chester County:
- Aces Coalition
- Chester County Partnership to End Homelessness
- Chester County United Way
- Greater Deliverance Development Outreach, Inc.
- Kennett Area Community Service (KACS)
- Neighborhood Services Center
- Orion Communities
- Penn Medicine
- Resilient Students Network
- United Way of Southern Chester County
- Westminster Presbyterian Church
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