Members of the following organizations have participated in the Step Up Silicon Valley network and make an on-going contribution of staff time and resources to the efforts to cut poverty in half by 2020 in Santa Clara County. Each is a valuable resource not just for the poor, but for all of us who are concerned about building a better community. We encourage you to visit their websites to learn more about their work in the community.
- "I appreciate better the overwhelming tasks faced by individuals struggling to leave poverty."Willow Glen United Methodist Church poverty simulation participants"I got a quantitative grasp on poverty stats as well as an empathetic understanding and feeling of a financially struggling family."Santa Clara University poverty simulation participants"Poverty is far more prevalent than I'd believed. I learned about the extremes some people are forced to take just to get CalFresh or pay bills."Santa Clara University poverty simulation participants“The experience gave me a glimpse into poverty,” says Cat Pham, Corporate MarCom Manager at Synaptics, where a recent Poverty Simulation was held. “You make assumptions about whether poor people are trying hard or not, but now I see it’s not for lack of trying. People are trying their hardest; they just don’t have the same access and conveniences as people who aren’t in poverty.”Synaptics poverty simulation participants"I was affected by how stressful it is to deal with all the necessities to care for a family."Santa Clara University poverty simulation participants