Leadership Development Spotlight: Meet Sarah Haworth of Circles Reno County
- Circles USA
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
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.
Circles USA’s new Leadership Development Spotlight series spotlights graduated Circle Leaders who have stepped into challenging service roles at the chapter, regional, and even national levels. Among the most skilled, dedicated participants in the Circles network, these big-L Leaders’ stories offer insights and hard-won lessons guaranteed to inspire us all in our shared mission of building community to end poverty.
Please share who you are, where you’re based, and what you do there!
Hey, I’m Sarah Haworth. I am in Circles Reno County in Hutchinson, Kansas, and I am the Executive Director.
Welcome, Sarah. Will you tell us when and how you got involved with Circles?
It's been about nine years. I actually started Circles because I was homeless with my three kids and in need of help. A friend invited me to come to Circles and see the program and how it works. I was a pretty cranky person; I didn't trust anyone! And with all the love and compassion, they slowly broke me down. I did the class, and I've now been out of poverty and on staff for several years—recently just moving into that Director position.
What were your financial goals at that time?
My goals at that point were to be able to take care of my children, to have enough food in the house. And my big goals, huge goals, were…well, I promised my kids I'd take them to the ocean and into the mountains before my oldest graduated. I was late on the deadline: we made it three weeks after graduation to the mountains. We did the Rockies because they wanted to see the snow cap, and we ended up going up Pikes Peak and everything. I mean, we did the full experience, so they really loved it. But we did do both. Those were my goals, and I accomplished them.
I grew up in the upper middle class, so I was in situational [as opposed to generational] poverty; I did not grow up that way. And so we traveled a lot when I was a kid. The first mountain tunnel that I went under just blew my mind. You know, one of those, like, eight mile tunnels through the mountain… it just was amazing. So I want to take them [to the Appalachians] next. Maybe in a couple years!
That is amazing! So how did those goals transform over time? And what do your goals look like today, now that you're an Executive Director?
Well, they definitely transformed. My goals continued to get bigger over time. It [went] from maybe doing a one- or two-day trip out to the mountains or to the ocean to full-blown weeks, four or five days. So the goals themselves got bigger. My goals now are just to maintain my stability. I definitely want to do more vacations, and save enough money that when my kids all leave home, I can go travel by myself all the time.
Do you have any wins or New and Goods to share from your chapter?
Oh, man. I have a million of those! I was an Ally as well at one point, and I think that's my favorite win. I had [married] Circle Leaders, and they were both recovering addicts. She unfortunately went from using drugs to spending a bunch of money on things like makeup and wigs. It made her husband frustrated because he tried to save money. And then they came to Circles, and I helped them. They ended up getting in a car wreck, and they got a settlement. She called me and she said, “Sarah, I got my check… I paid off all my credit card debt.” Instead of blowing all of that money like she normally would have, she made a really good, healthy adulting choice and paid her credit card debt off. And now they own a home. We're still friends. They are doing amazing.
Where you are right now is not your final destination. And who you are today doesn't have to be who you are tomorrow. You can change.
What is one thing that you'd like people to know about your journey from a Circle Leader to an Executive Director, and everything in between?
I would say that where you are right now is not your final destination. And who you are today doesn't have to be who you are tomorrow. You can change. To me, that's the biggest thing because people lose that spark.
I also have to say that we have an amazing executive team; [they’re] kind of my “checks-and-balances.” If it wasn't for them seeing all of this beautiful good that I have inside of me and helping pull it out, I wouldn't be where I am today in any capacity—whether it's the Director portion, or even just being a successful person and getting out of poverty.
Read the first installment in our Leadership Development Spotlight series here.
Building Community to End Poverty in 25 States
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