Homelessness can be one step away -- playspent.org

[OneGrassRoot]

Work hard. Do the right thing. Sometimes, all it takes is one life-changing experience to land you on the streets: a job loss, death of a loved one, divorce, natural disaster, or serious illness.

Next thing you know, a chain of events sends things spiraling out of control…

How would you cope? Where would you go? What would you do? Figure something out, right?

SPENT is an online game about surviving poverty and homelessness created by ad agency McKinney for pro bono client Urban Ministries of Durham (UMD), whose mission "is to provide food, clothing, shelter and supportive services to neighbors in need". Players must make the difficult decisions necessary to live for one month on $1,000, often having to choose between equally disagreeable options. The dilemmas they face represent those that bring people to places like UMD: Do you make a healthy meal or keep the lights on? Cover the minimum on your credit cards or pay the rent? Hope your sick daughter gets better on her own or risk your job by leaving early to take her to the doctor? Let your son play in the after-school sports league or save the money needed for his uniform?

http://playspent.org/


Please see the LOVE & COMPASSION OP to help a fellow DUer -- a veteran -- avoid homelessness, as well as help other DUers.

[OneGrassRoot]

1. kick n/t

[OneGrassRoot]

2. kick for evening crowd. n/t

[OneGrassRoot]

3. kick n/t

[lunatica]

4. I don't need to play that game

It's real life for me.

[OneGrassRoot]

6. Me and you both...

I hear you. It may be helpful for others who aren't in that situation, and think they never could be, however.

[LisaLynne]

5. Wow, I am going to check that out.

I think we all tend to think of games as silly, but you know, games are how animals learn to survive. Play is a useful instinct that teaches skills. So, something like this could be a real learning experience, just to give people who have never had to make those really difficult choices a small glimpse into that reality.

[OneGrassRoot]

7. There are other interesting games coming out...

I don't play any games but know a lot of others who do, people of all ages. Especially on Facebook. Egads, the games on there that have tons of players!!!

One is in development about co-ops. This one also looks interesting: Wetopia

http://www.sojostudios.com/howitworks.html