Leadership Development Spotlight: ALLIES AND VOLUNTEERS! Meet Michelle Crawford of Circles Salt Lake
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At Circles, we know that leadership is more than a natural talent or a paid professional role. It’s the cumulative process of weaving each setback and success we meet into a consistent, goal-focused practice that benefits the whole collective. The more deeply we root our identity in service to our families, chapters, and communities, the more we distinguish ourselves as leaders within these groups striving to move from surviving to thriving.
The first volume of Circles USA’s Leadership Development Spotlight series spotlighted graduated Circle Leaders who have stepped into challenging service roles at the chapter, regional, and even national levels. Throughout this year, we’ll introduce you to inspiring Allies and volunteers, past and present, in chapters nationwide who exemplify our shared mission of building community to end poverty.
Please share your name, where you’re based, and your past and current roles with Circles.
My name is Michelle Crawford and I’m based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Over the years, I’ve served Circles Salt Lake in several roles, including Resource Team volunteer, Ally, and Board Member. Today, I serve as Executive Director of Circles Salt Lake and as a Western Region Coach for Circles USA.
How did you become involved with Circles?
I first became involved with Circles in 2017. Kelli Parker, Program Manager for Circles Salt Lake and a classmate of mine from junior high and high school, invited me to volunteer on a Resource Team. At the time, I was working in mortgage lending, so I was able to support Circle Leaders with credit repair and homeownership planning. I was also a single mother of three with a growing career at a startup, and I did not feel like I had much extra time to give. Even so, I was quickly drawn to the long-term commitment of Circles, the relationship-based model, and the way it combines personal transformation with systems change.
What have you learned in your time as an Ally or volunteer, and how has your relationship with your Circle Leader(s) changed your perspectives on poverty?
One of the most important things I’ve learned through Circles is that every person’s journey is deeply individual. Because I was raised by a single parent in poverty, I thought I understood what families were facing and what they needed. I came into the Ally role believing I could lean on my own lived experience and make a meaningful difference in the life of my Circle Leader and her young son. What I learned, though, is that while there are shared barriers, no two experiences with poverty are exactly the same. That lesson has stayed with me, and it continues to shape how I lead.
At the same time, Circles deepened my understanding of the systemic barriers that make progress harder than it should be for families working toward stability. Learning about the benefits cliff had a lasting impact on me. It became a passion of mine to help others understand it, to elevate the conversation around it, and to work toward solutions that better support families as they move forward.
What I learned is that while there are shared barriers, no two experiences with poverty are exactly the same. That lesson has stayed with me, and it continues to shape how I lead.
What would you say to a newer Ally/volunteer who is doubting themselves or their ability to help their Circle Leader(s) move out of poverty?
To a newer Ally or volunteer who is doubting themselves, I would say this: be a friend. That’s it. I learned that lesson the hard way, and after talking with other Allies, I realized I was not alone. Many of us felt a sense of responsibility for whether our Circle Leader succeeded. But that weight is not ours to carry. As people who are not currently experiencing poverty, we are often looking through a very different lens. That can make us more optimistic about solutions or quicker to see what seems possible, but it does not make us responsible for fixing someone else’s life.
The role of an Ally is not to be a case manager or coach. There is staff for that. The role is to show up consistently, build a real relationship, walk alongside someone on a different path, and offer perspective, encouragement, and connection. Sometimes the most meaningful thing we can do is simply be present.
Read the other installments in our Leadership Development Spotlight series:
Building Community to End Poverty in 25 States
