Our mission has always been to inspire and equip families and communities to thrive and resolve poverty. We believe strongly that responsibility for both poverty and prosperity rests not only in the hands of individuals, but also with societies, institutions, and communities. It’s the underlying foundation of the Circles model – engage people and organizations in the community to end poverty.
Our Method and Model:
We discovered many years ago that in order to solve the issue of poverty, we had to approach things in a very different way. We know that in order to make a real change it has to be addressed using a multi-dimensional method. Our method has impacted thousands of individuals throughout North America. Here’s how it works:
Community leaders and/or organizations work with Circles to establish a local chapter. This begins with localized trainings. We take a collaborative approach during implementation by building on the strengths of existing community-based organizations. Our model focuses on three stages:
Crisis management and stabilization, education and job placement and job retention, advancement and economic stability. Circles brings people together, helping communities and individuals thrive. Here, Lanae, a Circles Leader takes moment to have some fun with her Allies.Local chapters sponsor groups of up to 25 participants who are known as Circle Leaders. They are asked to:
Enroll in the Circles Leadership Training Class to build financial, emotional and social resources as well as an Economic Stability Plan,
Partner with trained middle- to high-income community volunteers, called Allies, who support a Circle Leader’s efforts through networking, listening and guidance,
Attend weekly community meetings with peers, Allies and other interested community members for planning, support and networking opportunities, and attend monthly Big View meetings, which include community discussions around systemic barriers to escaping poverty and the strategies needed to remove them.
