On January 21, 2025, 86 Cedar Valley community members came together for “A Walk In Their Shoes,” a free poverty simulation event organized by Advancing Equity in the Cedar Valley that brought participants face-to-face with the realities of poverty. Hosted at the Waterloo Center for the Arts, the event was designed to increase understanding, inspire local change, and transform perspectives on poverty in the Cedar Valley.

Sponsors for this event included the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa (CFNEIA), Veridian Credit Union, Grow Cedar Valley, ONE Cedar Valley, 24/7 Black Leadership Advancement Consortium, Black Hawk County Public Health, and ISU Extension and Outreach of Black Hawk County. In addition, 26 people, many with lived experiences of poverty, served as volunteers for the simulation.

During the simulation, participants assumed the roles of low-income family members navigating four 15-minute “weeks” of real-life challenges, such as transportation barriers, providing food for their families, managing chronic illness, and overcoming language barriers. Family scenarios ranged from single mothers raising children with disabilities to elderly couples living on Social Security income, to households grappling with job loss. The event concluded with a debriefing session where participants discussed their experiences, volunteers shared their perspectives, and together they explored systemic issues contributing to poverty.

“It’s crucial that we work together as a community to build solutions that foster equity and opportunity for all. This simulation sheds light on the daily struggles faced by so many in our community,” said Kaye Englin, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa. “We hope it inspires meaningful conversations and actionable steps to address these challenges.” The event was a step forward in addressing the realities of poverty in the Cedar Valley. By fostering empathy and understanding, it empowers individuals, organizations, and the Advancing Equity collaborative to take action toward meaningful change.

Advancing Equity in the Cedar Valley is a community collaborative working to dismantle barriers to equity in Black Hawk County and surrounding areas. The initiative brings representatives from the business and nonprofit sectors together to eliminate inequity in the areas of transportation, childcare, education and training, basic needs, and culture and language to create a Cedar Valley where everyone has an opportunity to thrive. Core planning organizations include Black Hawk County Public Health, Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa, Grow Cedar Valley and ONE Cedar Valley with over 20 organizations serving on the Steering Committee.