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“After 25 years of leadership in the anti-poverty arena,” says Circles USA Executive Director Kamatara Johnson, “we’ve noticed a pattern: moving from surviving to thriving involves five key stages.” In the first season of our new The Big View: Ending Poverty in Your Community podcast, Kamatara and CUSA Chief Integrity Officer Yvette Trujillo unpack these five stages: Crisis Intervention, Stabilization, Readiness, Placement and Advancement. Our first episode, released today, is a brief overview and introduction to the six-episode season. Whether you’re financially secure, navigating poverty, or somewhere in between, grasping the complexities of poverty and finding solutions can feel daunting. The Big View aims to end the silence and stigma by illustrating what it takes for people to move out of poverty, the barriers that stand in their way, and the beautiful transformation that happens as they move towards prosperity. Kamatara and Yvette equip listeners with key insights on how they can foster equity and support individuals and families in their own communities—always with a finger on the deep compassion, humility, and collaboration that this work requires. The Big View podcast will air biweekly on Wednesdays starting May 1 (today!). You can listen, follow, and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The video version is available to watch exclusively on our Youtube channel.

Circles USA is proud to partner with The Workers Circle to support the systemic change needed to remove the barriers that keep people in poverty. As we are “building community to end poverty,” it is important to strengthen our capacity for thoughtful dialogue and taking collective action. The resources from The Workers Circle support the inner work and the outer work of social justice in a powerful, nonpartisan way. We look forward to our local chapters utilizing these resources to engage with their community members and decide to take new steps toward a more accessible and equitable democracy in which all people can thrive. The Workers Circle is a national, secular, Jewish social justice organization founded by Eastern European immigrants who came to the United States fleeing autocracy and persecution, and seeking democratic freedoms and economic opportunities at the turn of the 20th century. That history drives our work for an inclusive democracy and human equality today. As a non-partisan, social justice organization rooted in Jewish culture, we believe uniting at this moment across cultures and races to practice the democracy we are demanding for our nation. We welcome you to bring your culture, your tradition, your experiences to our activist community so together, we can build a better and more beautiful world for all. The Workers Circle offers a variety of resources to support community building and democratic engagement. Chapters can sign up to receive their “Discussion Resources” guide and their “Take Action” guide to support your Big View Team to learn more, deepen your understanding, and above all: take action. Their Discussion Resources support Circles chapters to reflect and think together about the state of our nation. Resources include: articles to read together, videos to watch together, poetry to discuss, and encouragement to share your own stories. Each resource comes with a set of discussion questions. Chapters can select what’s right for their community and their current focus with the Big View. The Take-Action Guide offers specific actions to support a more fair and equitable democracy. For example: writing postcards or calling voters of color in states with harsh voter suppression laws to support their voting actions, recruiting friends and neighbors to become non-partisan poll monitors, joining demonstrations and rallies, or making visits to your Senators. With a list of actions and action steps, chapters can find the right next steps for their community’s Big View. Upcoming events with Workers Circles and resources can be found at their website, very similarly named: www.circle.org

To advance systemic change, each Circles chapter has a Resource Team called the “Big View Team.” It includes community members representing local government, schools, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and Circle Leaders, all of whom bring distinct perspectives. The Big View Team tackles issues such as affordable housing, childcare, transportation, healthcare, financial literacy, quality jobs, and the problem of the Cliff Effect — i.e., when rising wages cut off benefits, resulting in a net income loss. This three-part series offers some impressive snapshots of current, past, and future Big View teamwork at the chapter level. Poverty Simulations By hosting poverty simulations, Circles chapters help organizations and communities more deeply understand the complexities of poverty, paving the way to address the issues for lasting change. Circles Central Florida Circles Central Florida occasionally hosts a Cost of Poverty Experience (COPE) that moves participants beyond stereotypes to a more holistic understanding of the drivers and results of poverty. Many organizations and communities across the nation now use COPE to raise awareness of the lived reality of poverty. COPE is a three-hour experiential, in-person event that accommodates up to 120 people per session. Participants (who role-play family relationships based on real family profiles gifted to COPE organizers) are challenged to negotiate typical scenarios and obstacles related to obtaining benefits, completing a public education, raising children, balancing budgets, and more. This poverty simulation is profound, as participants experience the intensity of living in poverty and feel a deep call to action by the end of the three hours.  Circles Central Florida hosts COPE events in-person and virtually for any organization or community group.  Learn more here . Circles Ashland, VA In October 2023, Circles Ashland partnered with New Hanover Presbyterian Church  to host an interactive, simulated experience of living in poverty to foster empathy and understanding within the community. Participants had a rare opportunity to encounter the challenges faced by people working to overcome resource and time barriers to financial stability. In this simulation, they took on randomly assigned roles of family members or community representatives such as bankers, social service case workers, or police officers. This allowed them to step into others’ shoes and navigate the daily struggles of living on an extremely limited income. An attendee said, “We had a fun, informative, and thought-provoking experience together this past Saturday with Circles of Ashland.” Civic Engagement Circles USA chapters from coast to coast lead a non-partisan push to grow civic engagement by getting people to the polls. The Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) Challenge invites participants to help register friends, educate others about early and mail-in voting options, dedicate weekly virtual meetings to reviewing a sample ballot, and more. The GOTV campaign inspires chapters to get involved in the election to build momentum for systemic change. Circles USA organizes numerous instructional webinars on topics including civic engagement 101, how to host a virtual forum with candidates for public office, how to facilitate voter education about local elections, the importance of the census, and how to promote voter turnout. Circles Orange County, FL The Office of the Orange County Supervisor of Elections offers the opportunity for nonprofit organizations to Adopt-A-Precinct for all elections. Volunteers give their time and the money goes to the nonprofit. Circles West Orange participated for the first time in 2022 in both the primary and general elections. This experience aligns seamlessly with our mission:  participants not only learn about our election system, but also build community relationships in the process. A huge thanks goes out to Sandi Wallace, Poll Clerk and head cheerleader for this event! Read more here. Circles Northwest Arkansas (NWA) Circles NWA held a “Make a Plan to Vote” live-streamed event in February 2024. This engaging evening of non-partisan information, planning, and pizza gathered over 100 people! Together, their chapter and community learned more about elected positions in the upcoming Arkansas primary election; did the research; and made their plans to vote. In addition, they created videos about the roles of Justice of the Peace, County Judge, City Council, and Prosecuting Attorney.  Watch the event recording and informative videos on the chapter’s website. Circles Johnson County, IN Circles Johnson County held a Voter Forum at the Johnson County Museum of History in April 2024. This forum presented an opportunity for chapter and community members to meet the candidates and learn their platforms on mental health, housing, transportation, childcare, and other issues impacting families experiencing poverty. Circle Leader Alex spoke about housing costs in Johnson County; and Ally Bev spoke about childcare accessibility, sharing Circle Leader Ariel’s story on her behalf. Cliff Effect CUSA chapters and Big View Teams across the U.S. are tackling one of the most pressing obstacles for families working to escape poverty: the Cliff Effect. The Cliff Effect phenomenon occurs when a pay raise at work triggers a disproportionate loss of government assistance. Even a small raise can “push people off the cliff” when it comes to benefits. Suddenly ineligible for subsidized food, housing, healthcare, or childcare, the family is worse off than before receiving the raise. Circles Northwest Arkansas In October 2022, Circles NWA hosted an in-person learning event titled “The Cliff Effect: When Earning More Means Having Less.” Panelists at the live-streamed discussion included graduated, first-cohort NWA Circle Leaders with lived experience of the Cliff Effect. Educator, performer, fashion designer, organizer, and entrepreneur Jeremiah Pickett (known professionally as Baang) emceed the event. The City of Fayetteville proclaimed October 18 Cliff Effect Awareness Day. Watch the event recording and learn more here. Circles Salt Lake, UT Circles Salt Lake organized a hybrid panel in October 2022 to discuss the Cliff Effect. The talk was moderated by Salt Lake County Councilwoman Aimee Winder Newton, who also chairs the county’s Poverty Intergenerational Task Force. Participants were mainly single or separated parents who had seen their incomes rise from 0 to 90% or more of federal poverty guidelines in Circles. The group talked about the difficulties of navigating Medicaid’s website to calculate benefits thresholds, the frustration of turning down job promotions to maintain an unstable financial status quo, and how small income gains can result in even bigger losses. Read more about the event here . Sign up to receive our public newsletters Click the Give to Circles button and help us celebrate 25 years of extraordinary volunteers building community to end poverty!

To advance systemic change, each Circles chapter has a Resource Team called the “Big View Team.” It includes community members representing local government, schools, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and Circle Leaders, all of whom bring distinct perspectives. The Big View Team tackles issues such as affordable housing, childcare, transportation, healthcare, financial literacy, quality jobs, and the problem of the Cliff Effect — i.e., when rising wages cut off benefits, resulting in a net income loss. This three-part series offers some impressive snapshots of current, past, and future Big View teamwork at the chapter level. Transportation In a 2022 University of Michigan study measuring transportation security , researchers Alix Gould-Werth and Alexandra Murphy write: “Reliable access to transportation is essential to holding a job, grocery shopping, and getting to school, child care, social services, and other activities. Transportation insecurity — the experience of being unable to move from place to place in a safe or timely manner — has important consequences for people’s ability to connect to opportunity and flourish.” The study estimates that one in four American adults experiences transportation insecurity: a figure that helps explain the growing demand for alternate modes of transportation, from ridesharing to bicycling and other forms of active transportation . Circles Upstate South Carolina   In October 2022, Circles USA spoke with Bruce Forbes and Ame Sanders of Circles Upstate South Carolina . These deeply rooted Greenville residents found an innovative solution to their region’s lack of transportation access…a solution they’re betting Circles chapters and Big View teams across the U.S. can use to build transportation pathways in their own communities. Part One of our two-part story described how Bruce and Ame’s early involvement with Circles USA led them to identify their region’s pressing transportation needs as a major Big View opportunity. In Part Two , Bruce and Ame discuss the challenges and successes of their vanpooling program, which has expanded transportation and job pathways in their Upstate SC region. “We didn’t have a lot of funds,” recalls Ame Sanders, who joined the Circles Upstate SC chapter in 2018 and found herself drawn to Big View teamwork. “We didn’t have a lot of fundraising skills, we didn’t have any grant writers on our team, none of that. That’s how we ended up with the idea of the vanpools: they’re treated as transit by the feds, so it’s eligible for federal formula funding once it’s established for two years. You report the miles through your transit organizations the same way that you do bus miles; then they begin to bring in money, which then can fund the vanpool subsidy. So public transit was critical.” Circles of Grant County, IN Executive Director Andrew Sprock shares, “Like all CUSA chapters, our Big View asks the question, ‘What can we do to reduce barriers and increase opportunities so that any family in our community can have an easier pathway from surviving to thriving?’ Transportation came forth as a major challenge. “So, we have been focusing on access to opportunities to bike, recognizing that not only does bicycling provide an alternative means of transportation, but regular biking can impact a number of health and wellness measures. With this in mind, our Big View team turned its attention to attainable ways to impact access to bikes and safe biking opportunities.” In 2020, Circles of Grant County, along with several other community partners, created a coalition to explore how cycling can reduce transportation barriers that perpetuate poverty. Their coalition researched cycling initiatives in other communities and their own area’s existing cycling programs. Their research led them to partner with Outride (a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening communities through cycling) and pursue their Riding for Focus (R4F) program, which is a middle school PE program that promotes cycling as an outlet for students to improve their cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being through access to regular riding. To learn more about Riding For Focus, read the full article or view this press release . Circles Mid-Ohio Valley, WV Circles Mid-Ohio Valley (MOV) launched a community initiative in 2023 to connect job seekers and employees in need with bicycles for their commutes.. Circles participants, says Circles Director Lisa Doyle Parsons, dubbed the program “ Psyched to Bike ”.  Lisa says that, for Circle Leaders, “transportation is often a major barrier in terms of getting to job interviews, getting to jobs, getting access to healthcare, or just getting a better quality of life.” If someone is looking to take the first step towards getting a more stable form of transportation, Lisa adds, a bike is a good starting point. “[M]uch cheaper for someone to utilize bicycling…than to buy a car, have insurance on your vehicle, maintain the vehicle, [and] pay all the taxes and the fees.” The Circles Campaign of the Mid-Ohio Valley plans on expanding the program to serve their broader community. Circles Northwest Arkansas Drivers with missing tags and tail lights face a higher likelihood of a traffic stop—and costly violation tickets. In June 2022, Circles Northwest Arkansas (NWA) partnered with St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Arkansas Justice Reform Coalition, CPR NWA, Genesis Church, and several local car mechanics. Together this local coalition hosted a Car Clinic to teach community members how to “steer clear” of automotive fines and fees that can negatively impact their economic stability.. Workshop participants received free services to address commonly-cited issues, including fluid refills, tire checks, brake pad replacements, and replacement of head/tail and plate lights. Credit and Lending Predatory, high-interest loans run at an average 400% annual interest rate, trapping working families in generational poverty. Circles USA works to break this cycle by connecting participants with financial education, networks of support, and organized community actions to change predatory title loan regulations. Circles Troup County, GA In 2021, Circles Troup County developed a program for Circles participants to pay off predatory loans with unreasonable interest rates. The chapter initiated a partnership with CenterState Bank that enabled Circles participants to borrow up to $750 to pay off their high-interest loans. The loans, negotiated through CenterState, have an interest rate of 4.5% and no “loan origination” fees. The Troup County chapter aims to expand this program to other communities, encouraging local initiatives to address unique financial challenges. “To be able to access a small amount of money in an emergency and not owe your life to somebody is huge. We give them an option,“ says Sherri Brown, executive director of Circles Troup County. Circles Northwest Arkansas (NWA) At Big View meetings, Circles NWA Leaders invite the community to learn from under-heard voices by sharing their lived experiences navigating social systems. In November 2021, Circles NWA focused on the cycle of fines and fees, a barrier that keeps many in our society locked in a debtor’s prison. Visit Circles NWA’s website to hear one of their Circle Leaders, Shaletha Parks, describe her personal experience with the poverty cycle, and to obtain additional community resources. Circles Palm Beach, FL Circles Palm Beach has hosted multiple events this year to boost community savvy in credit and lending. At one event, Aquannette Thomas (Vice President, Business Development Officer of Community Lending with Valley Bank) offered tips on topics including credit, banking products and options, and small business lending. The chapter also hosted Andrey Davis, Branch Manager of AmTrust Bank, who discussed the overall importance of credit health to financial well being. Sign up to receive our public newsletters Click the Give to Circles button and help us celebrate 25 years of extraordinary volunteers building community to end poverty!

Circles USA is pleased to announce our participation in the newly formed Beyond the Cliff Coalition . This Coalition is a first-of-its-kind national collaborative of nonprofits, state and local governments, and collaborative stakeholders focused on helping families achieve economic prosperity and specifically eliminating the benefits cliff. The benefits cliff describes the experience that millions of low-income families face when they increase earnings only to face an abrupt loss in public assistance which leaves them worse off financially. For nearly a decade, Circles USA has conducted research and developed tools to better inform families and policy makers about this barrier that keeps people trapped in poverty. Board member Joan Kuriansky produced a Big View Policy Platform that provides local, national, and federal recommendations for mitigating the Cliff Effect. Several states commissioned our researchers to make recommendations: For Michigan, Circles USA produced a field scan of solutions nationwide; our New Mexico report included case studies that point to ways to resolve the Cliff Effect. CUSA has prototyped multiple planning tools to estimate the income levels that prompt the loss of benefits with the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and Leap Fund . Recent blog posts have highlighted the labor and ingenuity of Circles chapters building community awareness around the Cliff Effect, new free resources for Cliff Effect education , and more. Brittany Birken, Community and Economic Development Director and Principal Adviser at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta*, studies the impact of benefit cliffs on individuals and communities and served in an advisory capacity in the formation of this collaborative. She said, “Bringing together these innovative efforts to address the benefits cliff has the potential to identify the solutions needed to increase family economic mobility, meet employers’ talent needs, and ensure that the economy is working for everyone.” Circles Salt Lake and Circles Central Florida, local chapters of Circles USA Colorado Benefits Cliff Collaborative comprised of Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS), CrossPurpose, Innovate+Educate, Spur LLC, and TorchTech Episcopal Community Services of Philadelphia Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont Hennepin County Office of Workforce Development Onondaga County Department of Social Services Springfield WORKS Tennessee Alliance for Economic Mobility, an initiative of Martha O’Bryan Center in partnership with Tennessee Department of Human Services Vermont Department for Children and Families Workforce Development Council of Seattle King County additional partners to be announced at a later date. In addition, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath) will serve in an advisory capacity. * The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta does not provide grants or funding to the general public or to partner organizations. It does not endorse or make any representations as to the suitability of partner organizations or their programs and do not advise on distribution of funds by partners.

“Transformation moves at the speed of relationships, the speed of trust.” Frederic Laloux, Reinventing Organizations After 25 years in the anti-poverty arena, the Circles USA model has shown that relationships over time are the secret sauce of Circles. Trust is our currency. Our experience and our data show that people need community-based relationships to leave poverty behind permanently. This is the difference between being transactional versus transformational. Think about different teachers you had when you were growing up. Some were transactional, getting the job done. They took attendance, knew your name, taught the subject, graded the papers, and let the system do the heavy lifting. You may have learned quite a bit from them or you may have not, but they checked all the boxes and cranked through the student rosters they were assigned each year. In return, you checked your boxes: from homework on due dates to required attendance, you understood the bare minimum performance required to pass their class and graduate. Now consider that other teacher…you know. THE ONE. Yes, that teacher who really saw and heard you as an individual, who touched a wounded place in your heart and brought it back to life, who got you to believe in yourself when you didn’t even know who you were. That teacher probably did everything the transactional teacher did, then stopped you for a moment in the doorway before entering the classroom. They looked into your eyes and asked how your baby sister was doing…or how your basketball game was…or if you’d had breakfast yet. This transformational person had an individualized perception of you, took the time to get to know you, see you, hear you, and invest in you at this crucial moment in your life. And somehow, you had the sense that your response mattered: If you hadn’t eaten that day, the teacher would slip you a breakfast burrito and not mind you eating it in class. A relationship that might have been rote became alive and dynamic, based on active listening, responsiveness, and mutual trust. Suddenly, succeeding in that teacher’s course took on a new importance—for the teacher and for you. You truly cared for each other. You were each transformed by your relationships with each other. Circles holds the safe space for this same experience. With training and practice, everyone in a Circles chapter, from staff to volunteers to participants, come to listen intently, connect deeply, and build healthy relationships. In this space of mutuality, we redistribute the power dynamic to be equal partners on the journey regardless of race, class, religion, ability, or gender (just to name a few aspects that impact power in our society). We hold the space for EVERYONE involved in Circles to learn and grow at their own pace, to make their own goals that are right for them, and to release false and limiting beliefs that have held them back in the past. And, we work together to create a new system in which everyone can thrive, not just an exclusive few. Circles is transformational in ways other agencies or organizations are not. Because we make direct and personal space for relationship building over time, participants at every level experience more than checking a box or hitting a quota for sheer volume of people served. The CUSA model centers quality and depth of connection so that any progress made is permanent—not just a flash in the pan. People need time and support to learn new behaviors, think new thoughts, and head in new directions. We know that long-term, high-impact change requires not only a shift in behavior but also a shift in narrative. Circles fosters the deepened understanding to create this shift and offers a space to practice. We get to make mistakes and then try again, to practice showing up for each other week in, week out, and to support each other in all our messy goodness. The transformative power of Circles  happens when we keep it real, keep it humble, and keep it together. Community matters when it comes to ending poverty. Each person has something to give and something to learn, something to heal and something to offer up that is uniquely that person’s gift to the world. Transformation is collaborative. So, what might you do today to shift from being transactional to transformational? All it takes is one moment of intentionality—a breath, a pause, a kindness—to really see and hear someone. Go beyond checking the boxes. You are a potential catalyst for transformation every day. And this is how we transform communities, moment by moment, person by person, until we have grown into a new expression of community where everyone thrives, has a deep sense of meaning and belonging, and no one experiences poverty ever again. It is possible, and it starts with you. Thank you for practicing the art of transformation today.

Job Title: Regional Coach Location: Regional Coach (must be within the Central United States region of Circles USA: Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, or Texas) About Circles USA: Circles USA is a national non-profit organization dedicated to ending poverty and supporting communities through sustainable solutions and inclusive practices. Our mission is to build community to end poverty through intentional friendships, personal transformation, and systemic change led by those closest to the challenge. Position Overview: Circles USA is seeking a passionate and dedicated individual to serve as a regional ambassador, focusing on community engagement in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Texas. As a Regional Coach, you will play a pivotal role in fostering relationships, facilitating collaboration, and supporting the growth and sustainability of Circles chapters within the designated region. This is a part-time contract position, requiring approximately 3-5 hours per month. Responsibilities: Regional Community of Practice Calls: – Host monthly Regional Community of Practice calls to facilitate collaboration, knowledge sharing, and relationship-building among Circles chapters in the region. Wellness Calls: – Facilitate annual Wellness calls with chapters in the region, ensuring the well-being and support of community members and volunteers. Planning Calls for New Chapters: – Facilitate planning calls for newly signed chapters in the region during the second half of their startup phase, providing guidance, support, and resources to ensure a successful launch. Coaching Calls: – Provide coaching support to regional chapters throughout the year, addressing specific needs and challenges as requested by the chapters. Communication and Documentation: – Regularly communicate with regional chapters to foster connections and encourage participation in community events and opportunities. – Maintain detailed records of monthly regional meetings and individual chapter interactions. – Utilize the Circles USA database to record information for individual chapter calls, ensuring accurate documentation and information sharing. Financial Reporting: – Submit monthly invoices to Circles USA for services rendered, including dates, hours, and detailed tasks completed. Qualifications: Must be currently residing in one of the following states: Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, or Texas. Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) principles and practices. A firm understanding of the Circles model and demonstrated experience in its implementation and support of a Circles chapter. Skilled in virtual communication tools for effective remote collaboration. Strong virtual interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships and foster collaboration among diverse stakeholders. Excellent virtual communication skills, both verbal and written, with attention to detail and accuracy. Experience in virtual community engagement, facilitation, or program coordination preferred, with openness to further development in virtual capacities. Ability to work independently and remotely, with a proactive and self-motivated approach to tasks and responsibilities. Able to manage own schedule and prioritize tasks efficiently while working remotely. Familiarity with database management is a plus Application Process: To apply, please submit a resume and cover letter outlining your qualifications and interest in the position. In your cover letter, please include examples of your experience working with diverse communities and promoting inclusion. Additionally, we encourage you to provide specific details about your previous work with Circles USA, highlighting any relevant achievements or contributions to the organization’s mission and goals. Circles USA is an equal opportunity employer and encourages individuals from all backgrounds to apply. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive work environment where all employees feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute to our mission. Application Deadline: June 14, 2024 Contact Information: For inquiries or to submit your application, please contact Gena Atcher (gena@circlesusa.org). Join us in working towards our shared vision where all individuals live in equitable, thriving communities where poverty no longer exists.

To advance systemic change, each Circles chapter has a Resource Team called the “Big View Team.” It includes community members representing local government, schools, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and Circle Leaders, all of whom bring distinct perspectives. The Big View Team tackles issues such as affordable housing, childcare, transportation, healthcare, financial literacy, quality jobs, and the problem of the Cliff Effect — i.e., when rising wages cut off benefits, resulting in a net income loss. This three-part series offers some impressive snapshots of current, past, and future Big View teamwork at the chapter level. Health Poverty remains a major factor in bad public health outcomes and a barrier to healthcare of every kind, from routine family wellness to emergency medical treatment. This relationship is financial: the poor often cannot afford the food, shelter, and treatments necessary to maintain baseline health. This is especially true in a society that makes junk food and “easy” chemical fixes universally available, yet fails to educate the broader public on healthful practices. This system routinely denies domestic caregivers—predominantly women— the agency and information we need to make social services work for us. For instance, many low-income elderly people with and without insurance must choose between buying the medicine or the food they need. Regardless of age, rural and inner-city residents may not have ready access to health or other resources because of service gaps and corporate-engineered “deserts.” Circles Mid-Ohio Valley, WV Circles Mid-Ohio Valley (MOV) recently partnered with Westbrook Health Services to offer a free, two-week March Mental Health Wellness series. This training is designed to  equip recovery and mental health agency staff and family members with tools to identify warning signs of mental health issues, know how to help, and grow their mental health self-awareness. Skill trainings included:  How to spot symptoms of mental health or substance use crisis, and how to use the ALGEE action plan through Mental Health First Aid Training. How to prepare for any escalated situation with the Right Response Workshop Training. SafeTALK training on how to spot someone having thoughts of suicide and connect them to professional help. Circles Johnson County, IN Food insecurity is more than lacking access to healthy ingredients; it also thrives in communities that have historically been denied public education in basic cooking and nutrition. A Circles Johnson County representative said, “Our Circles Leaders have shared that they would like more info on healthy, cost-effective meals, which is exactly what Cooking Matters (a program of the Indy Hunger Network) covers. They recently paid a second visit to Circles Johnson County to make black bean and veggie tortillas! They also send Leaders home with groceries to make the dish at home.” Such a fun, healthy, and delicious night! Wilkes Circles of Care, NC Wilkes Circles of Care Culinary Connections has been meeting with Circles youth for four years. During their time in the Circles of Care program, young people learn cooking skills, healthy whole-food choices, meal planning, and kitchen safety. Each culinary class is accompanied by a social, emotional, and life skill lesson. In March 2024, their Circles youth (led by Chef Audra) prepared a 5-course meal for the entire Wilkes Circles weekly meeting with over 55 people in attendance. We are proud to support the Wilkes Circles’ multi-generational approach, which values youth, their skills, their food security, and their well-being as essential to ending the cycle of poverty for good. Housing A troubling 2024 report finds that the lowest-income renters in the U.S. face a shortage of 7.3 million affordable, available rental homes. As a result, nearly three-quarters of renters grappling with poverty face additional drains, spending more than half their income on rent and accounting for nearly 70% of all severely cost-burdened renters in the U.S. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition , only 36 affordable and available rental units exist for every 100 extremely low-income renter households. Additionally, affordable housing stock has declined by 60%. 42% of unhoused people have jobs but can’t afford shelter. Between 2.5-3.5 million people are currently unhoused in the U.S. Circles Northwest Arkansas Circles NWA hosted an event called “Home Is Where the Hardship Is” to spotlight real experiences of people and families struggling to secure stable housing in Arkansas. Panelists included Circle Leaders Berenice Melchor, Christina Mansfield, James Jones, Jessica Olivera, and Thelishia Conley. During the event, organizers called for their community to commit to the change needed to pursue both affordable housing and increased protection for renters. Watch the live event recording and download an e-copy of Circles NWA’s booklet . Circles Johnson County, IN Circles Johnson County (with Bridges Alliance ) is partnering with the county’s chamber, Aspire Economic Development, to build solutions that address residents’ need for more affordable housing options. The organization hopes to further conversations in Johnson County about poverty and housing via social media posts and informative multimedia content. “You’ll see employers saying on Facebook, ‘Well, we’re closed because we don’t have anybody to finish this shift,’ or ‘Dollar General had to close because they don’t have any employees,’” Circles Johnson County volunteer Amanda Ott said. “The reality is that those people can’t afford to live in Franklin, so why are they going to drive 30 minutes to work in those places?” Circles Johnson County aims to spark a conversation for change and get the county’s stakeholders (e.g., government officials and local developers) on board. Their goal is to create a housing coalition made up of community leaders, nonprofits, and volunteers. The group would work to create programs eligible for funding by Federal Community Development Block Grants in order to address affordable housing gaps in the county. Read more in the Johnson County Daily Journal. Circles Salt Lake, UT Circles Laurel Highlands Region, PA Circles Salt Lake drove the creation and passing of the “Truth In Renting Bill,” which protects renters from being ambushed by hidden fees that weren’t disclosed at the time they signed a lease. The bill also requires landlords to disclose up front any restrictions against renting to people with criminal records or poor credit histories before pocketing the application fees. Circles Laurel Highlands Region discovered that banks won’t issue loans to potential builders because of the limited infrastructure (water, sewage, etc.) in their rural area. Circles participants are testifying to policy makers and community leaders to communicate their urgent need for affordable housing. Some Circles chapters have also connected participants to COVID-related government funds for eviction protection. Circles Palm Beach County, FL This year, Petty Capital Realty has partnered with Circles Palm Beach County to host multiple events designed to teach aspiring homeowners the steps to purchasing a home for the first time. Circles Central Florida In April 2024, Circles Central Florida joined other nonprofits and community leaders to speak out about the rights of the homeless, as the Supreme Court began its hearing on the case of Johnson vs. Grant Pass.  This landmark case will decide whether cities may legally  punish people for sleeping outside—even if there are no safe shelter options.  Martha Are, CEO of Homeless Services Network, stated: “Half of people [staying at shelters] are employed, but don’t make enough to afford housing. We believe that no one should be punished [for] where they sleep when they have no other choice.” Read more at the Orlando Sentinel. Sign up to receive our public newsletters Click the Give to Circles button and help us celebrate 25 years of extraordinary volunteers building community to end poverty!

June is LGBTQIA+ Pride Month, one of the world’s most celebrated identity-based awareness campaigns. This month, billions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, genderqueer/non-binary, intersex, asexual/aromantic, and ​other queer and allied people globally salute the resilience of individuals and families who face some of the highest hurdles in escaping poverty.  For 25 years, Circles USA has built community to end poverty by connecting with the people most in need, meeting them where they live, and trusting them to make the best decisions for themselves and their families. As CUSA celebrates Pride 2024, we also bring awareness to the pressing fact that—particularly where queer identity intersects with other factors in economic oppression, like race, gender, generational family poverty, or geographic location—LGBTQIA+ people in the U.S. and Canada face the same socioeconomic challenges that straight residents face, with more obstacles to boot. Unraveling the Myth of Gay Affluence According to a 2021 University of Wisconsin–Madison Institute for Research on Poverty study, people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or trans “have higher rates of poverty compared to cis [from cisgender , meaning “identifying with the gender assigned to one at birth”] heterosexual people, about 22% to 16% respectively.” Further, the study found that “[r]ates of poverty for LGBT people of color are close to, or higher than, those for cis straight people of their own racial or ethnic group, and are notably higher than for White people, whether straight or LGBT.” Despite this outlook, the myth of “gay affluence” persists. The stereotype that gay Americans dominate a higher tax bracket remains a barrier to real prosperity for many. Yet age, which many associate with increased earning power and career advancement, is one more factor that may negatively impact queer families’ economic growth. A 2020 study that compared LGBTQIA+ Baby Boomers to their Millennial counterparts (who came of age post-1980s AIDS epidemic) found that the experiences of BIPOC [Black, Indigenous, and people of color] and/or low income [people] “complicates the ‘it gets better’ narrative of LGBTQ life in the United States. For low-income LGBTQ people,” the study continued, “coming out is associated with more stress and health problems compared to LGBTQ people with higher incomes ( McGarrity & Huebner, 2013 ).” Nor are LGBTQIA+ youth safe from these stressors. The UCLA School of Law Williams Institute published a report connecting childhood poverty to increased risk of low income struggles for adults. “Childhood poverty,” the researchers found, “is a key pathway into adult poverty among LGBTQ people… For those who did not report experiencing childhood poverty, other starting points of adult economic insecurity were as follows: Anti-LGBT bias within families and employment settings; Becoming a parent young without partner, familial and/or community support; Mental health issues; and Substance use issues.” Eventually, it concluded, “all participants’ pathways converge into a constellation of interlocking factors and indicators of economic insecurity—lower educational attainment, low wage jobs, psychological stress, parenting challenges, multiple forms of structural and interpersonal oppression (anti-LGBT bias, racism, xenophobia, sexism), and/or barriers to adequate services.” Recent research into the frequencies and patterns of adverse childhood events in LGBTQ+ youth have found, among other worrying outcomes: LGBTQ + youth report strikingly high rates of adverse childhood events (ACEs); Family dysfunction and emotional abuse are prevalent in the lives of LGBTQ + youth; Trauma exposure for LGBTQ + youth includes ACEs and identity-based minority stress; and  LGBTQ + youth experience levels of childhood adversity that disrupts wellbeing.” Many of these factors will sound familiar to people who have taken Poverty Solutions Group ’s Cost of Poverty Experience (COPE) Simulation , an immersive simulation that reveals the hourly challenges of navigating family and work life while in poverty. Attendees of the weekly chapter meeting at last year’s National Leadership Conference also had the opportunity to review their ACE (Adverse Childhood Experience) index, a measure of the harms “which occur when a child experiences a traumatic event or environmental factors that threaten their sense of safety, stability, and bonding.” [Source] Relational Poverty and Big View Change One 2021 study published by the National Library of Medicine stressed the importance of understanding something called relational poverty . Relational poverty describes “the social, economic, and political relationships between those in poverty and those in relative positions of power and influence [emphasis added].” That is, it examines gaps and opportunities in building social capital among people of different social and economic classes, asking: How do the choices of the wealthy affect the well-being of those in poverty?  “Instead of focusing on the material conditions of impoverished groups exclusively,” researchers explained, relational poverty analysis focuses on “actors involved in creating and maintaining material disparities, including middle class professionals, policy makers, and the wealthy entrepreneurial elite, as potential targets of intervention ( Piven, 2006 ).” In Circles USA’s methodology, such interventions often take the form of intentional friendships across race, economic class, gender and sexuality; Big View Team work and policy platform that get at root causes of socioeconomic disparities; advocating and campaigning for nonpartisan political solutions to problems which impact whole communities , starting with the closest to the challenge; and community-based collaborations with employers to support low-income workers through the ups and downs of stabilization, readiness, and advancement—including LGBTQIA+ individuals who face greater rates of identity-based discrimination in the workplace and outside of it. “Circles USA is committed to creating communities where all people can thrive,” says executive director Kamatara Johnson. “All means all. And we know that LGBTQIA+ folx are some of the most impacted community members we serve. We look forward to the day where this struggle no longer exists!” Additional Resources PFLAG’s Resources For LGBTQIA2S+ Christians and Allies The Indian Health Service Two-Spirit Info Page Out & Equal Pride Guide 3 Things Employers Should Know and Do to Improve the Financial Well-Being of Their Company and LGBTQ+ Employees Institute For Research on Poverty’s The Complexity Of LGBT Poverty In The United States

Advancing Policy and Systems Change on the Benefits Cliff Monday, June 17th, 3:00 – 4:00 pm ET (12:00 – 1:00 pm PT) Please join this upcoming exciting panel conversation that will focus on the benefits cliff organized by Ascend at the Aspen Institute. The panel will focus on national policy and systems change efforts around the benefits cliff and include opportunities for attendees to ask questions and identify opportunities to innovate around these cliffs in their own communities. Keith Barnes, Senior Director of the Beyond the Cliff initiative at the Martha O’Bryan Center, will lead a conversation with experts from across the country to showcase the different ways leaders are tackling this issue. He will be joined by representatives from: Circles USA Colorado Department of Human Services Episcopal Community Services of Philadelphia Ascend at the Aspen Institute  is a catalyst and convener for diverse leaders working across systems and sectors to build intergenerational family prosperity and well-being by intentionally focusing on children and the adults in their lives together. Ascend hosts monthly Action + Impact sessions that highlight new ideas and efforts to collectively advance two-generation (2Gen) approaches and systems change locally and nationally. Read more about the newly formed Beyond the Cliff Coalition

Recently, I had some time to catch up on my long-overdue reading list, and one article in particular really caught my attention from the Atlantic , “The Misunderstood Reason Millions of Americans Stopped Going to Church” by Jake Meador from July 29, 2023. Based on much research, Meador attempts to explain the 40 million Americans who have stopped attending church in the past 25 years. He moves beyond the usual moral corruption and abuse scandals and cites the book The Great Dechurching by Davis and Graham, that it’s “just how American life works in the 21st century. Contemporary America simply isn’t set up to promote mutuality, care, or common life. Rather, it is designed to maximize individual accomplishment as defined by professional and financial success. Such a system leaves precious little time or energy for forms of community that don’t contribute to one’s own professional life.”  So here’s the push and pull of Circles in a community. Circles “builds community to end poverty” by bringing together people who want to work to leave poverty behind permanently and community members who want to share the journey with intentional friendship and mutual support. Circles is a volunteer-centric model that banks on “mutuality, care, and common life” and requires “time and energy” that may or may not contribute to one’s professional life. So not only is the underlying ethos of our model suffering from fewer and fewer people in a position and heart-space to volunteer, the very source from which the majority of volunteers come…aka churches…may be a well that’s drying up. The Two Sides of Volunteerism with Circles Nationally, our chapters are generally reporting a struggle with recruiting volunteers to sustain their anti-poverty efforts with the Circles model. However, we also have chapters reporting that the volunteers they do have appreciate Circles SO much precisely because they feel isolated and adrift right now in their local area, lacking a deep sense of meaning and belonging, desiring a driving purpose that brings a variety of people together to work on something powerful. We also know that the majority of our Circles volunteers are committed for the long term. While there’s never an “all-eternity” ask like we might experience when volunteering at a church, Circles volunteers typically start with a task and a weekly meeting commitment, and then more often than not, they stay on from one volunteer role to another because Circles has become a family and a major part of their lives. For many, the Circles community meets the inner and outer needs of those who are no longer “church-ing.”  And for those Circles chapters who are sponsored by a church (18% of our chapters), many lead organizations find an inadvertent growth in their membership rosters. While this is NOT the goal of Circles ever and we must remain focused on our priority of walking alongside those who want to leave poverty behind, it doesn’t change the fact that churches may engage more members with a dynamic social justice ministry that puts their faith into action. If Davis and Graham’s assessment of modern American life is accurate, then engaging with a compelling activity in a community setting makes it double-worth the time and energy that folks are loath to spare.   For those who may be disconnected from their church community, whether on purpose or by sheer drift, Circles is a safe and non-religious place for people to engage with their community. As such, it can serve as a potential bridge for folks to re-engage with churches and spiritual communities that are offering a compelling community activity and living their message.  The struggle of churches for membership is relative to Circles’ struggle with recruiting volunteers, and yet we may be mutually symbiotic at, what I hope is, a turning point in American culture as more and more folks are shifting from me to we . From Me to We My deepest hope is that all people feel a deep sense of meaning and belonging, as some define the Beloved Community, a concept made famous by Martin Luther King, jr. And perhaps, Circles could be the beginning of the end for this age of hyper-individualism and maximizing individual accomplishment.  Perhaps Circles might give churches a boost as well, supporting folks who are stepping out of the relentless rat race yearning for connection and meaning, broadening their relationships with others. Oftentimes people show up at the local Circles weekly meeting to bring a casserole, engage with the youth program, or share an expertise, a simple offering from the heart, because everyone has something to give and everyone has something to learn. And little by little, over time, trust is built, relationships are formed, myths and stereotypes are debunked, and communities are built from within. This secret sauce of Circles can only be made together over time, but once this is experienced, there is no going back to isolation and old ways of measuring success. Circles volunteers are for the long haul and for the betterment of the community.   So our Circles chapters are intertwined with a community’s religious institutions, the primary source of volunteers for so many, and yet maybe Circles is the pre-church arena that reminds people how wonderful it is to be in community together and prepares the soil for more generosity, more mutuality, more care for common life.  In a country that seems to be falling apart, this is the hope that Circles cultivates week after week in communities just like yours.  As the saying goes, when things seem like they’re falling apart, they may really be falling together.

As Circles USA continues to expand, the national office is grateful to add more infrastructure and reach to our system of chapter support. To that end, regional coaches now support the West, the Midwest, the South, and the Mid-Atlantic Regions. Working across geographic, economic, and political boundaries, each regional coach hosts monthly regional community of practice calls for mutual support and collaboration, coaches their regional chapters on a regular basis, and advises new chapters in their early design phase before launch. They also support regional collaborations to expand local Big View efforts so as to have a greater impact on systemic change and inform the national office of regional trends and needs. This blog series introduces you to Circles USA’s Regional Coaches: who they are; where they come from; and how their leadership helps realize CUSA’s vision, in which all individuals live in equitable, thriving communities where poverty no longer exists. Introducing: Cheryl Williams and Shavonne Vasquez, who will co-facilitate Circles USA’s Southeast Region, including chapters in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. The Southeast is CUSA’s largest membership region, with more chapters serving communities than in any other area of the country. Cheryl: I identify as a community educator and use my training to connect with people on a deep and personal level. I’ve worked at the Atlanta Mission as a Family Advocate, helping women and children develop personal goals and assisting many adults with GED preparation and job readiness. I developed my own curriculum, “Parenting through Stress,” for the mothers at the shelter. In addition to working with Open Door Community House and the Circles program, I lead After Church Connections. My own experiences of facing disparities after leaving a church service gave her a real understanding that people need help outside the church walls. Joining the Circles team has been incredibly exciting, and I have thoroughly fallen in love with the systems and programs it offers to people experiencing poverty! Shavonne: In 2022, I took a leap of faith and relocated from New York to South Carolina to join the Deep Well Project in launching Circles Hilton Head Island. Today I continue my work in the Lowcountry while also serving as a coach for the Southeast region of Circles USA.  What I appreciate the most about my Circles experience is the community I’ve gained. I’ve had the opportunity to connect with changemakers across the network. There’s nothing more encouraging than knowing there are so many others out there committed to this initiative, zealous about the eradication of poverty, and devoted to the communities in which we each serve. Circles has provided an opportunity to deepen my purpose as a social worker and therefore I am grateful.  Important life experiences, journeys, challenges and accomplishments include…Cheryl: My most significant life experiences revolve around being a mother to two amazing children: my daughter Brilliant and my son Promise. I married the same man twice, totaling 27 years of marriage. I am the author of four published books, one of which I completed during my dark time of homelessness. I owned and operated a commercial daycare for 10 years. I have faced divorce, homelessness, and loneliness. While I have always been dedicated to serving others, these challenges opened my eyes and pushed me to achieve incredible accomplishments. I completed my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, and my experiences fueled my passion to pursue, advocate, and help individuals push past poverty. Shavonne: I was born in Brooklyn, New York to a family plagued by generations of poverty. I know what it’s like to go without the basics. As I reflect on my childhood, I can recall the trials of a family who relied heavily on government programs and social services. I remember navigating high crime neighborhoods and frequent challenges in our education system. Our family lacked opportunities and experienced barriers they just didn’t understand how to overcome. One could argue they didn’t know any other way.  Fast forward to my adult life, when I had the opportunity to meet positive influences who inspired me to seek higher education as an option. I earned my first degree in business administration and took a job at a local school for children with disabilities. It was there that I first felt the fulfillment of helping others. Working closely with educators and clinicians, I developed a passion for social work. So I decided to return to school to earn a degree in social work. I’ve been working to help underprivileged populations ever since.  During my career, I played a key role in the startup of an innovative program designed for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Like Circles, primary objectives included strengthening life skills, vocational skills, self-sufficiency, and independence. Experiential learning and increased social capital are also key components in both initiatives.  Over the years, I’ve gained insight and understanding of how adverse experiences affect the development of children and families. With an understanding of how vital external influences are in breaking a cycle of poverty, I hope to serve as a catalyst for change for future generations. Through my work within the Circles initiative, I hope to help move families out of cyclical poverty while increasing their ability to thrive. Something special you should know about our region is… Cheryl: There is a great number of resilient people who reside in this region. In spite of the rising numbers in low wealth communities, people still have a fight and a want to do better in their spirit. Shavonne: Our region is rich in wisdom, skills, and talent. Each community in the Southeast has its own share of advantages and we’re all working to unlock that potential for good. With every person I meet, I consider how we can expand our chapter to collaborate with [them]. We’re always considering ways we can expand our Circles to include each other. Together we can strategically align our efforts and broaden our impact. A major challenge we face in alleviating poverty in our region is… Cheryl: In 2023, 276 people were experiencing homelessness in Columbus, up from 243 in 2022 and 239 in 2021. There are limited resources available to impact the communities in need. The funds are allocated to people and places who are not dealing with the problem, only [managing] the symptoms of poverty , so we will constantly see a rise in poverty. Shavonne: While the beauty of the South continues to attract retirees and investors, the cost of living soars. I recently stumbled upon a random post on social media that read “it isn’t paradise if locals can’t afford to live there,” and that resonated with me. The families engaged in our local Circles chapters represent a large demographic of hard-working people who make up the labor force. These are the folks who are tirelessly serving our community. They’re always seeking better opportunities and making sacrifices to enrich their lives.  There often seems to be stark contrast between the haves and the have-nots here. And while it may be one person’s dream to retire and move South, it serves as another person’s opportunity. What we hope to do is minimize the collateral damage of these adjustments. Our communities are shapeshifting with every new development and Circles is here to support the families trying to navigate it all.  Recently, our region has accomplished… Cheryl: Recent economic development successes have Columbus poised to outperform the state and the nation in 2024. Shavonne: Our former regional coach was recently promoted to coach nationally. Addie Hartnett has served the Southeast region and gained a plethora of knowledge through this community of practice. They will now take the wisdom they’ve gained locally and apply it across the entire Circles USA network . We’re proud to see one of our very own achieve this promotion and look forward to witnessing their success. It’s like watching someone from our team make it to the big leagues. Go Addie! One thing we want potential Circles participants to know is… Cheryl: That we are creating a space to help you navigate poverty with real tools and intentional friendships. This is not just a job! Circle[s] of Columbus has been established for real people offering real solutions. We want to create a Circle you can really use and count on. Shavonne: You can! Simple as that. You possess more strength and power than you can ever imagine. Apply yourself, never give up, and you will be great. I tell [Circle] Leaders in my chapter all the time: “If I can do it, you can do it.” And we’re rooting for you. The journey might be long, and it will certainly be challenging, but with each step you will grow exponentially greater. So, embrace the difficulty and remind yourself every day that you are capable of more than you know.