As part of the York Cares United Way campaign, community members are encouraged to challenge their perspective on poverty using an online simulator created to help Canadians understand the experience of living in poverty.
As York staff and faculty members continue to work together to raise $150,000 for the United Way Greater Toronto as part of the York Cares United Way campaign, community members are encouraged to challenge their perspective on poverty.
Living on a limited budget is tough, and for those living in poverty, making the month can be a difficult challenge. MaketheMonth.ca is an online tool that helps Canadians understand the experience of living in poverty. It is the first online poverty simulator in Canada and is designed to offer a unique way to engage, build empathy and raise awareness about the complicated issues related to poverty in local communities such as housing, mental health, food security, child poverty and employment.
The tool challenges participants to ‘make the month’ on a limited budget and is meant to offer a glimpse into the challenging decisions that people living with limited resources can face in their daily lives. Participants engage in a virtual situation where they are asked to make difficult choices and can see the resulting challenges for those living in poverty.
Try MaketheMonth.ca on your own, with family, or colleagues at work, and see if you can make the month. To make this into an interactive virtual team building experience with discussion and facilitation from United Way, contact yucares@yorku.ca. The York community is committed to creating positive change for its students, communities and the world around us.
For more information and to see stories of people who faced barriers and overcame them, visit https://www.yorku.ca/alumniandfriends/united-way/. Questions and inquiries can be directed to yucares@yorku.ca.