A Building Social Equity Conference is being held Thursday in Austin.

North Norfolk's Healthy Community Committee and Southern Health Santé Sud have partnered to host the event. The day will feature a poverty simulation to start -- after introductions -- then will lead into group discussion and workshops in the afternoon. North Norfolk's Rec Director Karla Gurke says Southern Heath Sante Sud approached them and asked if they could do a conference on building social equity, which was a new topic to her. She says after some digging, they realized what an important issue it actually was.

Gurke says they were a little worried in the opening weeks of registration. 

Karla Gurke

"First it was very slow, because people didn't understand what it was all about," admits Gurke. "Once people phoned and asked questions, people started talking about it more, and people ended up signing up. So I believe right now we're sitting at about 80 to 85 people taking part in the day's conference, and about 20 people that are volunteering to be on the other side of the simulation. Being the person that is the police officer, or the school teacher."

Once the event gained some traction with the public, people starting signing up from all across the region. Gurke says "We've got people coming from Morden and Morris, it's drawing people from everywhere -- which used to be the Central District but now it's Southern Health -- it's drawing people from everywhere. Not too long ago they had one of these in Portage, there's becomming more of these (conferences) out here to show people what social equity is."

Gurke's hoping people will take what they've learned, and apply it to their community when they leave.

"The board's sat down and we've made a little action plan sheet. So after our last coffee break, you'll sit down as a group and make a sort of action plan. So when you go back to your community you actually have something written down saying we need to make a little bit of a food bank, or we need to make sure everyone has a way to get to school. It's just having a little bit of an action plan, so its written down, it's accountability to yourself."

The cost of the conference is $35 which covers your lunch and snacks, and volunteers are being asked to provide $25 to cover their lunch, so the healthy communities don't lose out on their lunch. Gurke adds the best way to sign up is to call the HRC.