Interactive Community Event Detailing Poverty Coming to St. Cloud

ST. CLOUD -- Challenging stereotypes, changing perspectives and sparking conversation is the goal of a community wide event put on later this week.

United Way of Central Minnesota is holding an interactive event call This is Life: The Cost of Community Crisis. The event depicts real-life scenarios many families face living in poverty.

Spokesperson Sam Switzer the event is about putting yourself in someone else's shoes.

It's almost a choose your own adventure. You're given a character and you're asked to live life. You can choose if you want to go to school or work and how do you get there. So you're kind of hopping around the room going to different stations.

Jessica Houle is the Vice President of Development and Community Engagement. She says the goal for the event is to educate the community.

It's the education about what's going on in the community and our current community conditions. We talk a lot about living someone's real-life scenario but there's a lot United Way is doing to help and there is a lot you as an individual or company can do to get involved and to help that.

The event will be held Thursday inside the Capitol One meeting room from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. the event is free but registration is required.

Switzer says they are still looking for volunteers who want to act out these real-life situations.