Social isolation can lead to “survival mode”—an exhausting cycle that traps people in poverty. April, a young mother in WI, felt stalled in her life and wanted to build meaningful connections in her community. As a Circle Leader in her Green Bay, WI CUSA chapter, April found Allies that helped her access the self-confidence she needed to prioritize self-care, further her education, and pursue professional credentials. Natalie Martyn, director of photography and editor of Circles USA’s Lives Transformed film series, recalls: “April was part of a group lunch we had in Green Bay. I specifically remember how everyone encouraged April to appreciate herself for the hard work she put into school and for earning high grades. We wish we had been able to include Johnna Beth (Jeff’s wife and April’s second Ally) in the interviews, but unfortunately she was out of town when we were filming.” FOR A DEEPER LOOK: What is Circles? Become an Ally

Budgeting and other financial skills can help families move from surviving to thriving. Here, healthcare worker Ashon describes her first Circles USA meeting as “A breath of fresh air”…one that would connect her with the support network she needed to reach her savings goal and build an emergency fund to sustain her family through unexpected setbacks. Natalie Martyn, director of photography and editor of Circles USA’s Lives Transformed film series, also found a breath of fresh air in her visit with Ashon’s family and chapter. “Ashon and I both eat vegan food,” she remembers, “so we connected about vegan cheese! She convinced me to try Waffle House–which was a lot better than I expected. Her son Ja’Shon was so sweet to film; we captured some lovely family photos of them as well.” FOR A DEEPER LOOK: Social Capital: The Key to Poverty Alleviation

An often-overlooked path out of poverty is entrepreneurship. Pam, the Circle Leader featured in today’s video, is a single mom in Greenville, South Carolina. She had big goals for her family, yet she struggled to meet them with her income from cleaning houses. Her friends at Circles USA helped her turn her expertise into a successful small business. “Pam was the first Circle Leader I met,” recalls Natalie Martyn, director of photography and editor of Circles USA’s Lives Transformed film series. “It was through my time with her that I began to understand just how impressive Circles is on a personal level. Arnold was also the first Ally I met, and it was nice to see him interact with Pam’s kids. And I loved Pam’s dog, Trixie!” FOR A DEEPER LOOK: Reducing Poverty Through Entrepreneurship

What if hard work isn’t enough to break the barriers keeping a person in poverty? In this video you’ll meet Yakilin, a single parent who buried herself in work to cope with loneliness and economic anxiety. When Yakilin stepped out of her comfort zone and joined Circles USA, she built bonds that empowered her to reach out in times of need—giving and receiving support within a caring, non-judgmental community. “Yakilin showed a lot of courage in being willing to share her story with us,” reflects Natalie Martyn, director of photography and editor of Circles USA’s Lives Transformed film series. “I could tell how deeply she’s thought about her journey, and I appreciate the example she sets for her kids and her community.” FOR A DEEPER LOOK: What is Circles? Become an Ally

Predatory, high-interest loans run at an average 400% annual interest rate, trapping working families in cycles of poverty. Watch how one chapter of Circles USA worked to break this cycle by connecting participants with financial education, networks of support, and organized community actions to create a more humane option for people in need. This topic is an urgent one for the CUSA community of practice, says Jennifer Pelling, Board member and producer of our new short documentary film series. “The exorbitant interest charged by many title loan and payday loan companies is absolutely shameful—watch the video and prepare to be shocked,” she says. “Circles of Troup County came together to provide a win-win solution that can be replicated elsewhere! I would love to see Big View teams in other chapters follow their lead!” FOR A DEEPER LOOK: Removing the Barriers that Trap People in Poverty: Part One

At Circles USA , we know that not everyone follows a traditional career path. That’s why we celebrate entrepreneurship as an avenue for talented, passionate people from every walk of life to reduce poverty within their families and communities. Here, Circle Leaders describe how Circles participation equipped them with the entrepreneurial skill sets and networks to launch their own heart-centered businesses. Board member Jennifer Pelling , who produced our new documentary short film series, knows the importance of Circle Leaders seeing small business growth in action. “Circles’ poverty-reduction strategy depends on both community support and individual responsibility,” she says. “Circles Upstate SC demonstrates this beautifully: entrepreneurs work hard to create jobs, and the community comes alongside to guide and support. Pam runs a service company, Carson’s starting a nonprofit, and Amber has a home-based baking business. The chapter includes dedicated volunteers like Beth (with years of Wall Street experience) and partnerships with local nonprofits to provide mentors and advice on everything from creating business plans to finances. So impressive!” FOR A DEEPER LOOK: Linking Poverty Reduction with Economic Development

Circles USA proudly announces the launch of a new wave of our popular, non-partisan Our Votes Count Campaign  for Fall 2024. The campaign’s goal: to educate voters, candidates, and allied organizations about issues facing low-income individuals and families, with an emphasis on mobilizing chapter participation in Get Out The Vote  (GOTV) activities for 2024’s election cycle.  We can and must fully engage in local, state, and federal elections if we are to meet the goals set by Circles families in their personal and Big View  work.  The challenge is great. Since 2020, more than 80 state bills have passed limiting the voting rights of our citizens, a disproportionate number of whom are poor. At the same time, recent census data reflects an extraordinary increase in childhood poverty; steady erosion of  safety net programs  established before and during the first COVID waves; and a totally inadequate country-wide minimum wage.  The list below details a few organizations that are, like Circles, driving voter participation efforts this year. Many of these initiatives are planned in states where our chapters are located, and most are 501(c)(3) orgs with whom chapters can participate consistent with our own nonprofit status. (FYI: An organization’s fiscal status can always be verified on its website; and, of course, we can participate individually in/with any of these groups whether or not they are designated 501(c)(3).) Most importantly,  all  of these organizations share Circles USA’s commitment to ending poverty in our country. In the short term, collaborating with these peer organizations may offer chapters and/or individual members an easy way to: join a voter engagement project; become an advocate when reaching out to candidates; increase the visibility of Circles; and provide both candidates and constituents with relevant information, perspectives, or context on key policy issues we are addressing.   In the long term, coalition-building to drive voter engagement can plant the seeds for future partnerships in tackling Big View policy issues at the local, state, or national levels. Allied Voter Campaigns: A Quick Guide Poor People's Campaign PPC, founded in 1968 by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “to ensure that the voices of the poor and allies of the poor are heard,” is currently enjoying a profound revival led by co-Chairs Reverend William Barber II and Liz Theoharris. The Campaign advocates for policy changes at all levels of government and, more recently, has driven robust GOTV efforts. In addition to reaching out to campaigns in more than 40 targeted states, the Campaign has published state-by state fact sheets  for 48 contiguous U.S. states, plus Alaska and Hawai’i. The Fact Sheets include state-specific poverty data, defining principles, and a Call to Action. The Campaign has also revised its principles and materials to include 14 policy goals , many of which mirror those in Circles’ own policy agenda . In June 2024, the Poor People’s Campaign convened a 3-Day Assembly in Washington, D.C. as part of its National Call for Moral Revival. State and national activities will take place throughout 2023 and 2024. To learn more, visit poorpeoplescampaign.org When We All Vote When We All Vote was launched by Michelle Obama in conjunction with a large, partially celebrity-led Advisory Board. WWAV’s non-partisan mission is “to make sure that every eligible voter is registered and ready to vote throughout the country.” The organization addresses race and age divides among voters, changing the culture around civic engagement. WWAV also provides tools, materials, and trainings to help build corps of “voting squad captains” nationwide. They are currently seeking non-profit and community-based organizations with whom to partner. To learn more, visit whenweallvote.org Community Change Action CCA was founded in 1968 by leaders of the civil rights, labor, and anti-poverty movements. This org works at the grassroots and national levels to equip low-income people (particularly women, immigrants, and people of color) to affect policy change, with an aim to building “a just, equitable, and inclusive economy and democracy where all people and communities thrive.” CCA facilitates collaborations among diverse grassroots orgs and uses innovative community organizing models/principles. Its work includes building an “Electoral Powerhouse” in communities of color across the nation. To learn more, visit  https://communitychangeaction.org Movement Voter Project MVP is a nationwide campaign to engage disenfranchised voters to participate in elections at all levels of government. Its innovative approach is to support local, community-based organizations that work for long-term policy change and in GOTV efforts. This group will support hundreds of local organizations in key 2024 states and districts. MVP’s approach is similar to that of Circles’ Our Votes Count Campaign. We encourage chapter leaders to check out the local and state grassroots organizations MVP supports as potential allies in your current and future projects. To learn more, visit https://movement.vote Bread for the World Circles USA partner Bread for the World is a Christian advocacy organization “urging U.S. decision makers to pursue a world without hunger.” To that end, BftW has developed a policy and action plan to accomplish its goals, which include creating jobs, strengthening safety nets, and advocating for policy engineered to reduce poverty more broadly. Bread for the World offers several resources for election work, including a bipartisan network of individuals, groups, and churches of various denominations. To learn more, visit   https://www.bread.org/vote-to-end-hunger The Workers Circle This year, Circles USA has joined forces  with The Workers Circle, a national, secular Jewish social justice organization. We’ve begun sharing materials, participating in planning calls and more. TWC is committed to building a “truly multi-racial democracy that works for everyone.” Among the activities TWC coordinates are voter engagement initiatives; campaigns challenging voter suppression; and facilitating “Democracy Circles” to bring small groups of people in local communities to participate in GOTV activities (like voter registration and protection work), whether by canvassing, postcard writing or phone banking. The Workers Circle is grounded in Jewish values and invites people of all faiths to participate. To that end, it works collaboratively and closely with the Center for Common Ground. To learn more, visit   www.circle.org Sign up to receive our public newsletters Click the Give to Circles button  and help us celebrate 25+ years of building community to end poverty!

Jennifer Pelling, Circles USA Board Member and Director of the San Diego-based Tsuha Foundation, recently took on another role with CUSA: producer of our new 9-part documentary film series. As part of September’s nationwide premiere celebration, Jennifer shared some favorite memories of her experience as a filmmaker on this ambitious project. Jennifer, how long did it take to capture enough footage for 9 short films? We spent 4-6 hours with each person, doing interviews with them—plus their Ally—and shooting b-roll. Tell us about visiting Circles Upstate SC in Greenville County, South Carolina. We did more interviews with this chapter than any of the others, and our schedule was packed. But somehow we also had a ton of laughs with Bruce and Diandra. It was Valentine’s Day when we visited, and we definitely felt lots of love within this community. If anyone is ever visiting, I would definitely suggest getting some of Amber’s cupcakes. They are AMAZING. How was your time with Circles of Troup County, GA? Even though we got in late, Sherri [Brown, executive director] had us stop by her home so she could give us bags of local goodies. During the weekly meeting, we didn’t get a chance to eat dinner so they packed up homemade meals for us to take home…including a vegan plate for Natalie. Shout-out to Rebekah, a film student who volunteers in the chapter—she was a fantastic assistant for our team while we were there! Let’s move North. What are some of your favorite memories of Circles of Green Bay, WI? We had a great time taking Candy’s tour of Lambeau Field. Candy is a former Circles trainer who now leads tours of the legendary stadium. And we still talk about how much fun we had hanging out with Amber and her amazing daughter Ryott. A funny memory is that when we interviewed Tricia and Jen, they had to sit on an upside-down highchair since we couldn’t find a stool. Next up, please tell us all about Circles Davis County, UT.  The positive energy of everyone in this chapter was off the charts! When we were walking around town with Lamont to shoot b-roll, it seemed like he knew every person we walked by. And it was impressive to see so many local leaders and elected officials engaging with the chapter in the weekly meeting. Wow, you saw so much of the country through your team’s lens. What is your goal as a filmmaker when working with Circle Leaders and volunteers? In every chapter, we appreciated how kind and open all the Circle Leaders, Allies, staff, and volunteers were. The filming process can sometimes take awhile, and everyone was SO generous with their time and energy. I hope we were able to relay how much Circles people care about each other and how transformative it can be. We would love Circles to spread to more people and communities! Watch the complete 2022 CUSA documentary series on the Circles USA YouTube Channel . Special thanks to: Jennifer Pelling and her filmmaking team; Circles Green Bay, WI; Circles Troup County in LaGrange, GA; Circes Davis County in Clearfield, UT; and Circles Upstate SC in Greenville, SC.

CUSA chapters and Big View teams across the US 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. In 2020, Circles USA Board Chair Joan Kuriansky authored a Policy Platform identifying the Cliff Effect as one of six key issues affecting people and communities experiencing poverty.  In this blog series, we aim to: Introduce chapters and Big View teams taking bold, innovative actions to alleviate the Cliff Effect in their communities; and Resource readers by sharing Big View media to help educate and mobilize your own communities. This October, Circles NWA (Fayetteville, AR) hosted an in-person learning event titled “The Cliff Effect: When Earning More Means Having Less.” Panelists at the live streamed discussion included Circle Leaders who were part of the first cohort of the Circles NWA program and have personally experienced 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.” The event organizers noted that “the Cliff Effect is one of the biggest yet hidden barriers keeping people stuck in poverty. While a pay raise or new job should be cause for celebration, too often for low-income households, earning more is a risky move that can result in having less. The Cliff Effect disincentivizes economic growth, a strong workforce, and job retention.” “No one in Fayetteville should become poorer due to working harder,” City Council member D’Andre Jones, Ward 1, told the crowd. “This is not conducive to the values of a fair, just and equitable community. I will continue to advocate for economic parity and support the work of Circles NWA and our community’s most marginalized.” Recalling the participants’ complex discussion of the Cliff Effect and “benefits vs bootstraps” solutions, Christina Williams (Founder and Executive Director of Circles NWA) said that the team had “underestimated how emotional this topic would be…This work is hard.”  But in the end, Williams says, “The experience of the event impacted the Circle Leaders greatly. Pastors, nonprofits, community members…all in the room! We had many people reach out afterwards. Several business people wanted to see the data, curious and moved by the event. Now,” she says, Circles NWA is “working on how to get equipped for the next steps of the work like advocacy, community dialogues, and connecting with policy makers. Cliff Effect brings all the people together.” Additional resources: Live stream event video for Circles NWA Cliff Effect Event Website with Cliff Effect Resources with Circles NWA  Cliff Effect Handout from Circles NWA Circles NWA Voter Education Page Circles NWA on Instagram

CUSA chapters and Big View teams across the US 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. In 2020, Circles USA Board Chair Joan Kuriansky authored a Policy Platform identifying the Cliff Effect as one of six key issues affecting people and communities experiencing poverty.  In this blog series, we aim to: Introduce chapters and Big View teams taking bold, innovative actions to alleviate the Cliff Effect in their communities; and Resource readers by sharing Big View media to help educate and mobilize your own communities. Circles Salt Lake , led by Executive Director Michelle Crawford, organized a hybrid panel discussion in early October to address 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—mainly single or separated parents who had seen their incomes rise from 0 to 90% or more of federal poverty guidelines in Circles—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. Kristie, a panelist and veteran Circle Leader, described how a minor pay raise triggered a catastrophic loss of benefits for her family. “I was making $9 an hour. Then I got a different job,” she recalled. “It only paid $2 more. And it made me lose everything . I made $320 more [per month], and I lost all of that help. There was no warning. There was no ‘okay, you’ve got one more month’. It was instant. The support Chris’s family lost included food stamps, medical supplements, and day care for her children. Eventually, she said, extra expenses incurred by the cliff effect cost her her home and job.  Chris’s story underscores how small pay raises, which may seem like “drops in the bucket,” often render low-income workers ineligible for a host of services crucial to staying housed and employed. Circles Salt Lake panelists described their strategies to offset or avoid cliff effect impacts, such as enrolling their kids in financial literacy programs. Circles Salt Lake ED Michelle Crawford, meanwhile, traveled to Washington, DC for a legislative conference with the chapter’s local chamber of commerce to address the cliff effect with policymakers. “I am leading myself in one way,” said Kristie, “by encouraging others that are downtrodden to know that they can get out of the depths of the vicious cycle of the cliff effect, and teach them to share their stories. We need to know the complete truth of all these things.” Winder Newton commented, “It’s awesome that these women are willing to talk to us today and share their personal stories. We hope we can share this panel with policymakers who can make a difference.” Additional resources: Read Chapters Tackle the Cliff Effect, Pt. One: Circles Northwest Arkansas Learn more about Circles Salt Lake Circles Salt Lake on Facebook

On January 5th, 2023, Circles USA will participate in the National Day of Dialogue (NDOD), an annual event for individuals, bridge-building leaders, and peacemaking organizations seeking to heal a divided world through the power of dialogue. It is an opportunity to connect, share, and be inspired by a community opening the door to a more empathic future.  NDOD 2023 is hosted by Ideos Institute and a coalition of partner organizations. This powerful event features keynote presentations from expert practitioners, engaging panel conversations, and breakout sessions to engage diverse perspectives, learn respite care, and provide community-building opportunities. PROGRAMMING The 2023 National Day of Dialogue frames the day’s programming with inspiring stories from experts navigating four highly polarizing issues. Following this, NDOD offers a number of panels and workshops to engage the audience around transformative bridge-building and dialogue practices that lead to lasting and sustainable change. Programming will include four TED-style talks from expert practitioners on the front lines of bridge-building work; panels of experts sharing ideas around best practices and the future of bridge-building work; practical workshops to engage in constructive dialogue and other critical skills; and resources for practitioners to receive respite care and build support networks. Circles USA executive director Kamatara Johnson will be facilitating a workshop sharing how relationships are the key to accomplishing our missions. CUSA & IDEOS: BUILDING EMPATHY TO FIGHT POVERTY Ideos Institute, a global leader in Empathic Intelligence, offers leadership development training to help individuals, organizations, and communities navigate complex issues and conflict through the power of empathy. Much like CUSA’s, their model works at the intersection of faith, dialogue, and civic engagement so that the dignity, experiences, and perspectives of all people are included in efforts to solve our greatest challenges. Ideos Institute founder Christy Vines, a member of the Circles USA Board since October 2020, is an empathy expert, thought leader, and social commentator. She founded Ideos to focus on the advancement of empathy and the equipping of trusted leaders to engage empathically in the big questions of our time. After leaving a professional career in national security and global conflict, she leads Ideos Institute’s research in the field of Empathic Intelligence and its application to conflict transformation, social capital, communal resiliency, and servant leadership. “The Circles model, and the leadership that supports it, inspire me every day to keep engaging in the difficult work of social transformation,” says Vines, “and I’m both proud and humbled to be a part of the CUSA mission of building community to end poverty. “ JOIN THE MOVEMENT The National Day of Dialogue is an invitation to anyone looking to engage further with the work of bridge-building and dialogue. CUSA, Ideos, and partners need you now, more than ever, to join the movement to stand up to polarization with the healing power of dialogue.  Here’s how: 1. Sign up . Go to www.nationaldayofdialogue.com to learn more about NDOD, see the event calendar and register to attend. 2. Spread the word . Invite your friends, family, and connections to join this important conversation. NDOD is your opportunity to learn critical skills and connect with professionals on the front line of bridge-building efforts.

In the preface to their new study measuring transportation security , University of Michigan 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 .  This month, CUSA 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 blog series describes 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.   +++ Bruce Forbes, who works at Greenville’s SHARE (Sunbelt Human Advancement Resources, Inc.) nonprofit community action agency, connected SHARE with Circles USA after hearing testimonials from his local Methodist church in 2014. Within a year, he says, “we had our very first Circles site and Circles group. And right now we’re in the middle of our fourth group.” He describes CUSA and SHARE as natural partners for community change: “[SHARE’s] mission is to help end poverty and help those in poverty escape poverty, so it made for a really good match. We loved the idea of having volunteers being a part of the solution, and helping folks increase their social capital.” In 2018, Ame Sanders joined the Greenville chapter as an Ally. That relationship, Ame says, laid the foundation for important work to come. “I’m still an Ally—still actively involved in the life of the [Circle] Leader I was working with in 2018. As a matter of fact, I had her over for dinner last night! We still meet regularly and I still help her with her goals.  “Along the way,” she continues, “Bruce had an employee who persuaded me to sign on to help with the Big View work. That is very interesting and appealing to me. The topic we wanted to look at is transportation. I happen to come from a manufacturing and automotive background, so I had a little bit of experience. So I have now focused my time with Circles on the Big View.” Bruce describes the transportation situation in South Carolina’s upstate region—”10 or 13 counties, depending on what metric you want to use”—as unevenly distributed to the needs of a growing industrial commuter workforce. “There are probably a million folks in the surrounding environments. There’s a lot of rural areas. And then you’ve got Greenville, Spartanburg, and Anderson—the three larger cities in the area. There’s a lot of manufacturing in the upstate: BMW, Michelin, and many others landed here over 20 years ago. And many other smaller companies which provide products for those larger companies have all grown up around here, too. So, you really need a car in order to get around. There is minimal public transportation in most of these communities.” The chapters’ overarching goal became finding a way to get underserved rural and urban residents to work. “A good-paying job is one of the best ways to exit poverty,” Bruce says. “And we first wanted to make sure that our Circles group supported the existing bus system here in Greenville. It doesn’t get to all the places where the jobs are, and it doesn’t run all the times that it needs to run. Still, we wanted to support efforts in the community to increase the funding.” He describes an Ally-led letter writing campaign to Greenville city and county council members in support of the city’s Greenlink bus system as a turning point for the Upstate SC chapter. “We all participated. And we had a good kind of taste in our mouth that, yeah, the funding went through! It wasn’t just because of our efforts…but we were part of that, and it felt good.” Galvanized by this success, Bruce and Ame’s early hope soon bloomed into determination. Together they began to brainstorm larger-scale solutions to the region’s pressing transportation needs.  “Oh my gosh, we had some long days,” Ame remembers, “and we talked about all kinds of solutions. But we needed something that was sustainable—something that it was reasonable for our little team to take on.”  Bruce and Ame wondered: If the Greenlink bus system wouldn’t sufficiently expand, and if individual carpooling wasn’t enough to address transportation deficits, where was an option that was both scalable and affordable? “We started researching other ways that people actually got to work,” says Bruce. “And Ame, being the awesome person she is, came across vanpools.” +++ In Part Two of our series, Bruce and Ame discuss the challenges and successes of their vanpooling program, which has expanded transportation and job pathways in their Upstate SC region.