In February, 60 Salem Health employees and community members took part in a fast-paced poverty simulation workshop. Participants navigated the pressures and challenges that people living in poverty face daily.

Salem Hospital hosted the 90-minute event, which simulated four weeks of living in poverty. Each work week took just seven minutes, and weekends flew by in three minutes. In that short time, participants were tasked with budgeting limited cash flow, arranging transportation, finding employment, making sure children went to school, and putting food on the table.

The Salem Health Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council presented the event, while Salem Health Government & Community Relations co-sponsored it. Members of the Salem Leadership Foundation facilitated the poverty simulation.