It was an eye-opening glimpse into the shoes of someone facing the tough realities of poverty.

A Poverty Simulation event was hosted Monday night by the Carbon County Community Foundation in partnership with the PA East Central Area Health Education Center.

The event at the Lehighton Orioles Community Center was to help participants better understand the daily struggles faced by people living in poverty and to explore solutions together for our community.

As part of the interactive experience, participants were able to step into the shoes of someone facing the realities of poverty.

The simulation provided insight into the challenges of making difficult decisions, managing limited resources and navigating the complexities of social services.

The goal of the simulation was to build empathy, foster a deeper understanding of poverty and inspire action.

Liz Schaffer, executive director, PA East Central Area Health Education Center, explained the purpose of the event to the participants beforehand.

“What you put into this is truly what you’re going to get out of it,” Schaffer told the participants. “This is a (simulated) real life experience for people going through poverty.”

Schaffer said the participants were comprised of community members and different social service agencies.

“It’s a cross-section of the community at large,” she said. “It’s geared toward Carbon.”

Schaffer added that over 3 billion people live in poverty, and told the participants “this is to walk a mile in the shoes of those who are poor.”

Jill Geissinger, administrator for Children & Youth Services in Lehighton, said she was glad to be able to participate in the simulation.

“I love helping the community,” Geissinger said.

Sharon Alexander, Carbon County Community Foundation president, said she was pleased with the attendance.

“I’m really encouraged by the number of people we had sign up,” Alexander said. “It’s an important simulation; there hasn’t been one in (Carbon County) in quite some time.”

Alexander added that the Carbon County Community Foundation was “really excited to partner with the PA East Central Area Health Education Center. We’re looking forward to debrief to see what they think about this.”