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Circles USA salutes Disability Pride Month, a campaign launched to commemorate the original passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act in July 1990. As organizations like AmeriDisability have noted, Disability Pride Month honors “the largest and most diverse minority group within the population, representing all abilities, ages, races, ethnicities, religions and socio-economic backgrounds.” Further, “[b]ecause at least 1-in-4 adults in the United States has some type of disability, it’s no surprise that a movement of ‘disability pride’ is emerging and rapidly expanding.” [ Source ]  Since its inception 25+ years ago, Circles has focused care at the intersection of disability justice and economic justice. CUSA affirms that people everywhere, at every physical and mental capacity, deserve dignity, community, and the chance to move from surviving to thriving. In this two-part series, we’ll highlight important data around workers with disabilities and amplify our disability network’s best resources for building more equitable, accessible job pathways and benefits systems throughout the U.S. Systems, Not People, Are Broken Disability is often viewed as arbitrary, striking “unlucky” people at random; or deserved, impacting people who “invite” misfortune or ill health by making “poor life decisions.” The truth is that mass-disabling social systems impact most people to some extent. More economically vulnerable communities experience greater exposure to these systems and have fewer mitigating factors (e.g., mental and physical healthcare access; fair labor and environmental regulations; safe jobs; avenues to recovery and rehabilitation programs; nutritional information and healthy, unprocessed foods) to offset harm. Thus, certain demographics are disabled at greater rates and experience worse health outcomes than others. Race, for example, “ is linked to poverty and disability in America: African Americans as a group continue to have lower incomes than whites and poorer health status than whites.” [ Source ] Unfortunately, even bipartisan efforts to enact policies which intersectionally address class, race, gender, and ability often compound obstacles. The National Disability Institute writes in Financial Inequality: Disability, Race and Poverty in America that,  …[w]hile disability and poverty have an interactive effect, our social service system treats them separately. For example, disability benefits (including health coverage) are often hinged on proving one is incapable of work, but anti-poverty programs often have a work requirement [emphasis added] . Thus, people with disabilities attempting to avoid poverty often face difficult choices. Is it preferable to leave the labor market and qualify for disability benefits or work at whatever level possible and receive wages and perhaps qualify for food stamps or the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)?” In this way, people who seek relief from disability-related financial crises can trigger income crises similar to those of the Cliff Effect . “Disability adversely affects employment possibilities and earning,” the study’s authors write. “It also can impose additional costs on families, such as medical bills, transportation, modifications to their home and personal assistants.” Poverty, the study further establishes, actually causes disability. Children living in poverty “are more likely to have asthma, chronic illness, environmental trauma such as lead poisoning, learning problems and low birth weight that lead to disabilities.” Moreover, “[p]eople in more physically demanding jobs [e.g., food service and custodial work] are also more likely to suffer workplace illnesses and injuries.” On the topic of Disability & Socioeconomic Status , the American Psychological Association reports that people with disabilities remain widely underemployed:  “Although the Americans with Disabilities Act assures equal opportunities in education and employment for people with disabilities and prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability, people with disabilities remain overrepresented among America’s poor and undereducated [emphasis added]. According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s [2017] Office of Disability Employment Policy, the labor force participation rate for people with disabilities (including physical, intellectual and developmental, sensory, and other disability categories) aged 16 and over is 20.1 percent as compared to 68.6 percent for people without disabilities of the same age. Disabilities among children and adults may affect the socioeconomic standing of entire families. In 2015, roughly 38,601,898 people in the United States had a disability” (U.S. Census Bureau, 2015). By 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports, “employment-population ratio for people with a disability [had] increased by 1.2 percentage points to 22.5 percent. The employment-population ratio for people with a disability in 2023 was the highest recorded ratio since comparable data were first collected in 2008.” [ Source ] *** During Disability Pride Month and every month, Circles USA is committed to our mission of building community to end poverty through intentional friendships, personal transformation, and systemic change led by the people closest to the challenge. If you found this post useful, stay tuned for Pt. 2 later in July. We’ll explore more areas of overlap among disability, poverty, and other social factors; we’ll also provide media and resources to grow Circles chapters’ capacity to collaborate with our local disability communities. 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!

The Circles USA model employs community building protocols— the fancy way of saying rituals! We begin our weekly meetings with each person sharing a “New and Good” (an encouraging news item or affirmation) and end our time together with “Appreciations”, or expressions of gratitude. We also use listening pairs during our training for volunteers, staff, and participants.   I’ve led over 25 Circles trainings since I joined the organization in 2018. Over time, it dawned on me why these tools are so powerful.  People who are heard feel seen. This has become our mantra in the national office and across our community of practice. Really sit with the concept for a moment: People who are heard feel seen .  Of course, the opposite is equally true. Think of a time when someone ignored you or dismissed what you said. Perhaps they minimized your emotions with gaslighting, an attempt to dissuade you from believing the evidence of your senses. Maybe they silenced you with an unjust stereotype based on some aspect of your identity, like income level, race, gender, physical ability, or political affiliation. When someone you trusted broke the unspoken contract to see and hear you, did you feel invisible? Like a ghost? Like you weren’t really there? Like you…your perspective, even your very existence…didn’t matter at all?  That experience of enforced invisibility is the reality for millions of people who are experiencing poverty. This is particularly true where poverty intersects with other forms of oppression, like racism and gender-based discrimination. Too often, marginalized peoples are pushed to the margin, “out of earshot” of a comfortable middle and upper class. Out of sight…out of mind. Like a city bypass, folks can zoom right over that area without having to know what—or who—lives there.  Ouch. This is not only painful, it’s insulting!  Especially when the building of the bypass came at the expense of one’s own community.  We don’t bypass people at Circles USA. In cities, villages, and regions where working families are disenfranchised politically, socially, and economically, Circles meetings “center the margins.” Our teams make sure that active listening, empathetic response, and educated non-judgment are built into the fabric of CUSA gatherings, so that every person is seen and heard each time we meet.  Because feeling seen and heard is a new experience for many people, it can take some training and support to build this trust. Chapter staff and members at every level practice holding the space in support of Circle Leaders who are just beginning to find their voice. And we practice listening—in silence if necessary—for those who don’t come by it naturally. An individualistic society, the U.S. majority worships self-expression and devalues careful listening, which perpetuates poverty as well as other forms of injustice. Circles creates a container where people may stumble, choke, stutter, whisper, rage, cry, laugh, face fears, and experience (sometimes for the first time) the freedom of authentic self-expression in a safe circle of empathy and mutual accountability.  Most of all, this process takes time. At Circles, we know that transformation moves at the speed of relationships, the speed of trust. So we make open, receptive spaces for people to focus and grasp a real thought, not just a cliche; to explore what, and how, they really want to communicate. Over time, participants learn to trust in themselves and each other.  When we are built up and actively engaged in building others up, we begin to feel our lives’ value. Being seen and heard over and over again, and seeing and hearing others, is incorporated into our community members’ repertoire of new life skills. It is also internalized as personal inherent worth . “I am seen and heard.” “I exist.” “I do matter and I am a good person.” “I am likable and valuable.” “I have something to offer, and others can see that, too.” Eventually, members begin to believe it and hold that for themselves wherever they go…in and beyond the circle.  Seeing and hearing is the inner, and the outer, work of Circles. As we engage one another in weekly ritual, we are building community to end poverty in all ways: social, emotional, and financial. These rich interactions of sharing our lives through New and Goods, appreciating each other, and listening intently in pairs are foundational to building intentional relationships and social capital …aka, the “secret sauce” of Circles.  Whether you are a Circles member or supporter, transformative community work is free. Just slow down. Truly hear the person in front of you, so that you can see them and share a moment. Notice the impact it makes in demeanor, energy, and well-being—for the other person and for you.  Now visualize the opposite. Recall how feeling unseen and unheard has harmed or undermined you in your life. Notice where that discomfort sits in your body. Can you feel a tightening of the jaw? A spike in adrenaline or rush of anger, tears of frustration or a silent hopelessness? Now consider the impact on entire segments of our population, communities systemically stripped of agency and voice. People whom the middle class majority have too long ignored. Observe what cyclical trends we are seeing globally, on the streets, in our homes, and in our government.  In his speech at Grosse Pointe High School in 1968, the Reverend Dr. King, Jr. said: “[I]t is not enough for me to stand before you tonight and condemn riots. It would be morally irresponsible for me to do that without, at the same time, condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society. These conditions are the things that cause individuals to feel that they have no other alternative than to engage in violent rebellions to get attention. And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard .”  “And what is it,” he asked, “America has failed to hear…?” Dr. King went on to describe the devastating effects on Black Americans of being denied economic stability, livelihoods, safety, and dignity in their own communities. More than half a century later, who can deny the explosive consequences to our nation, economy, and political landscape of millions of Americans feeling unseen and unheard—by our government, yes, but more crucially by each other? What if you ran an experiment for a week and truly saw and heard each person who crossed your path, taking that extra moment to be fully present? This is the gift of self, of recognizing personhood, of honoring another’s humanity that for so many people has been stripped away by the indignity of poverty and modern life.  On behalf of Circles, and from my heart, I challenge us all to do better. I invite us to see and hear each other clearly. Let’s live into this powerful listening practice together. Every human being deserves to be seen and heard.

In May, Circles USA announced the launch of a new coalition of Cliff Effect policy specialists and practitioners. Following the cohort’s first, successful online convening last month, the 12-partner cohort will meet at Nashville’s Martha O’Bryan Center in August with an aim to reach consensus around national priorities for a live convening in Washington, D.C., in 2025. Beyond the Cliff Coalition partner organizations include: 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 the Tennessee Department of Human Services Vermont Department for Children and Families Workforce Development Council of Seattle King County In addition, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath) will serve in an advisory capacity. To build momentum and increase visibility on the Cliff Effect issue, The Martha O’Bryan Center partnered with Ascend at the Aspen Institute in June to offer a panel discussion on the Cliff, featuring a national, state, and local champion in the effort to mitigate the cliff.  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. [ Source ] Keith Barnes, Senior Director of the Beyond the Cliff initiative at the Martha O’Bryan Center, led the June conversation showcasing the best practices, strategies, and data of leaders tackling the Cliff Effect in their communities. Representatives from Circles USA, the Colorado Department of Human Services, and Episcopal Community Services of Philadelphia participated in the event. With 102 attendees from across the country, CUSA was honored to share our experience from the past 25 years, our latest suite of Cliff Effect educational resources, and key responses our chapters currently offer to mitigate the Cliff. Since April, the Beyond the Cliff Coalition has met monthly online to share knowledge and resources while building relationships and processes to support this potent collaboration. Circles USA representatives in the coalition include executive director Kamatara Johnson; Michelle Crawford, executive director, Circles Salt Lake; and Lynette Field, executive director of Poverty Solutions Group, parent organization for Circles Central Florida. From Michelle: “Being a part of this coalition has been incredibly rewarding and eye-opening. Working together with such a diverse group of passionate individuals and organizations, all focused on addressing the Benefits Cliff Effect, has provided me with new perspectives and insights. The collaboration and shared commitment to finding solutions has not only strengthened our collective efforts but has also personally inspired me to deepen my understanding and advocacy. “Looking ahead to the in-person convening in August,” she continues, “I am excited about the opportunity to engage in more dynamic and meaningful conversations. I hope to build stronger connections, exchange innovative ideas, and develop actionable strategies that will further our mission. This gathering will be a pivotal moment for us to align our goals, enhance our impact, and continue making a tangible difference in the lives of those affected by the benefits cliff.”  Lynette shares, “It is encouraging and inspiring to collaborate with innovative organizations across the country. There have been several promising pilot programs in different cities and regions over the last few years that provide this Coalition with evidence that it really is possible to eliminate the benefits cliff. I look forward to the in-person gathering as we begin to line out our policy strategy. This will be invaluable to both Circles USA and all our local chapters”. “When it comes to ending the Benefits Cliff,” adds Kamatara, “we have to join our forces and resources to make some serious headway. This partnership not only expands our local chapters’ capacity to impact the Cliff, we also hope to create a movement at the state and federal level to begin the end of the Cliff. This in-person gathering in August will be a major step forward as we prepare for all we can do in 2025 to end the Cliff for good.”

Circles USA salutes Disability Pride Month, a campaign launched to commemorate the original passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act in July 1990. As organizations like AmeriDisability have noted, Disability Pride Month honors “the largest and most diverse minority group within the population, representing all abilities, ages, races, ethnicities, religions and socio-economic backgrounds.” Further, “[b]ecause at least 1-in-4 adults in the United States has some type of disability, it’s no surprise that a movement of ‘disability pride’ is emerging and rapidly expanding.” [ Source ]  Since its inception 25+ years ago, Circles has focused care at the intersection of disability justice and economic justice. CUSA affirms that people everywhere, at every physical and mental capacity, deserve dignity, community, and the chance to move from surviving to thriving. In this second of a two-part series, we’ll explore more areas of overlap among disability, poverty, and other social factors; we’ll also provide media and resources to grow Circles chapters’ capacity to collaborate with our local disability communities. Ableism, Poverty and Big View “Systems Transformation” In their online resource How To Be Anti-Ableist And Promote Disability Inclusion , the Everyday Activism Network (EAN) cites disability activist Leah Smith . Smith defines ableism as: …a set of beliefs or practices that devalue and discriminate against people with physical, intellectual, or psychiatric disabilities and often rests on the assumption that disabled people need to be ‘fixed’ in one form or the other. Ableism is intertwined in our culture, due to many limiting beliefs about what disability does or does not mean, how able-bodied people learn to treat people with disabilities and how we are often not included at the table for key decisions. [ Source ] Circle Leaders seek self-determination in our chapters because people experiencing poverty know how it feels to be denied agency and opportunity in shaping their own lives. Poverty causes disability (and vice versa); so the harm Smith describes, ableism, is often compounded by classism : negative stereotypes of lower-income people as a group who should be denied social and economic access. Like the classist and racist narratives often aimed at support recipients (e.g., “How are ‘they’ spending those benefits?” , pp. 6-7), EAN reminds us, “Ableism is intrusive… [F]or example, believing you have the right to ask how a person became disabled or not believing that a person with an invisible disability is actually disabled. Ableism is condescending; for example, assuming that disabled people are less capable or that their ability to do typical things is inspirational.” Furthermore, the report tells us, ableism is both physical and exclusionary. EAN describes the U.S. as a hostile environment for people with disabilities of every kind, citing high incidences of: buildings without ramps lack of braille on signs absence of sensory-friendly lighting lack of closed captioning, or planning an event at an inaccessible venue Social capital , loosely defined as valuable networks of human connection, is hard to build in environments designed to separate vulnerable people from community care and needed resources. This is why each Circles chapter—in order to advance systemic change at the local, regional, and national levels—has a Resource Team called the Big View Team. It includes community members representing local government, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and businesses and Circle Leaders who bring perspective to the team. The Big View Team tackles issues such as affordable housing, childcare, transportation, healthcare, financial literacy, quality jobs, and the issue of the Cliff Effect — when rising income cuts off benefits before people can afford the services. [ Source ]  Disability justice falls squarely within this matrix of issues CUSA Big View Teams address, bringing to bear many tools such as community organizing , civic engagement , and meeting with public officials to advocate for systems-level policy change. And, as we tackle pressing problems that impact people with disabilities on the large scale via the Big View, our chapters practice community care with empathy from day to day, week to week, at meetings, dinners, and public gatherings. The Everyday Activism Network recommends these steps to promote disability inclusion: Identify and eliminate barriers Make it safe to disclose disability Implement inclusive laws, policies, and practices Honor “Nothing about us without us” Make disability inclusion intersectional [Read more practices and strategies in alignment with disability inclusion at Everyday Activism Network .] Connecting the Threads: Disability, Policy Platform Issues & Beyond The National Partnership for Women & Families (NPWF) released a study in 2023 entitled Systems Transformation Guide to Disability Economic Justice: Food Insecurity, Housing and Transportation . Its authors hold that the intersections of disability and gender justice “have long been ignored in framing economic policy.” Ultimately, they find, …ableism, racism, white supremacy, anti-Blackness, sexism, colonialism, imperialism and other forms of eugenic thinking have motivated policies that form the very basis of the United States economy. The nation’s economic system was not designed to allow disabled women, particularly disabled women of color, to survive and secure basic needs, let alone to thrive […] With systemic transformations, it is possible to reimagine food, housing and transit to work toward greater economic equity for disabled women. Removing these existing barriers is just one of many paths toward achieving economic security for disabled women. Circles USA affirms NPWF’s belief that “[e]nsuring that disabled people, particularly disabled women and their families, receive the foods they need to meet their dietary and nutritional needs is critical for the health and safety of every community.” We’ve also witnessed, in chapters across the nation, the truth of their findings on core CUSA issues like housing affordability and transportation access at the intersection of disability, poverty, race, and gender. “Beyond the housing affordability crisis,” NPWF writes, “there is an even greater shortage of affordable housing that is also accessible[…]”: Even when disabled women receive a housing choice voucher, they may face additional barriers. Disability discrimination is the most common form of housing discrimination, making up about 54 percent of complaints processed by state, local and federal government agencies combined in 2021[…] For disabled women, and disabled women of color in particular, the lack of reliable, accessible transportation poses a number of concerns. Accessibility takes into account factors such as user friendliness, cost and physical accessibility, among others. [ Source ] In her March salute to Women’s History Month , Board Member Joan Kuriansky invited us to consider the many backgrounds, identities, and economic realities of extraordinary women in our country. Social attitudes toward mental and physical ability, too, impact the life prospects of women everywhere. CUSA recognizes that—until we are able to build consistent and sustainable job, housing, transportation and other pathways for all people in the disability community—many such extraordinary women may never have the resources to realize their full potential. FOR FURTHER READING: Systems Transformation Guide to Economic Justice for Disabled People: Jobs and Employment – National Partnership for Women & Families Disability Lead : A network of people with disabilities who use their power to create an equitable and inclusive society. Lives Transformed Volume 2: Covid-19 Stories : Circle Leaders share intimate memories of their journeys from surviving to thriving during a mass-disabling pandemic Lives Transformed: Education and Self-Confidence | April’s Story | Circles USA : April, a young mother with a learning disability, discusses how Circles connected her with Allies that helped her access the self-confidence and support she needed to pursue a career as a paraeducator. During Disability Pride Month and every month, Circles USA is committed to our mission of building community to end poverty through intentional friendships, personal transformation, and systemic change led by the people closest to the challenge. If you found this post useful, read Pt. 1 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!

At Circles USA, we believe in the power of civic engagement to drive positive change in our communities. Whether you’re looking to get involved for the first time or deepen your existing commitment to democracy, we’ve gathered a range of non-partisan educational resources and partnered with key orgs to help you take meaningful action as an individual, with your family, or in working groups like Circles chapters. Circles NWA recently presented an energizing webinar, Make A Plan To Vote: Hosting an Empowering Voter Education Event. Now available to view online, the webinar is designed to equip your Circles community with tools and knowledge to host a successful “Make A Plan To Vote” event in advance of November’s general elections. During this webinar, you’ll learn how to organize and execute an engaging evening of nonpartisan info-sharing, logistical planning, and exploring ways to build community involvement. By the end of this video you’ll have a clear roadmap for hosting an event that educates voters and mobilizes them to participate confidently in the upcoming general elections—and in future elections critical to ending poverty in our communities. Read our full event description or watch the webinar now . The Workers Circle , a 100+-year-old Jewish social justice and cultural engagement organization, has created voting tools to make it easy for you to exercise your rights with clarity and purpose. Learn how to: Check your registration See what candidates are running for office and their positions Examine ballot measures Find your polling site Learn about any voter ID or other rules that could impact your ability to cast your ballot Get your personalized voting information from The Workers Circle. Common Sense Media ’s Young Voter’s Guide to Social Media and the News offers “unbiased information about issues and candidates” to equip voters to “cut through the election season hype and get the info you need.” Published amid the widespread disinformation and electoral interference of 2020, this à la carte guide to basic media literacy and critical research is as valuable to voters of all ages today as it was then. Visit CSM’s large media suite on voter readiness here . FactCheck.org is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center that monitors the factual accuracy of statements made by federal candidates and their campaigns. It’s a valuable resource for understanding the truth behind campaign claims. Visit FactCheck.org ProCon.org p resents arguments from multiple sides on various issues, allowing users to see where candidates stand on critical topics. The site is known for its balanced presentation of information. Visit ProCon.org Ballotpedia provides comprehensive information about federal, state, and local elections. It offers detailed profiles of candidates, including their positions on key issues, past political experience, and campaign finance data. Visit BallotPedia.org Created by the League of Women Voters, Vote411 is a one-stop resource for election-related information. You can compare candidates’ positions on various issues, find your polling place, and check voter registration deadlines. Visit Vote411.org 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!

My Name Is… Kris Alexander, and I'm deeply passionate about our beautiful planet, drawing on my diverse life experiences to support the growth and upliftment of all life. I believe in living authentically, with my top values being equity, justice, beauty, environmental stewardship, and spirituality. These values guide everything I do, both personally and professionally. My Important Life Experiences, Journeys, Challenges And Accomplishments Include… I've been immersed in the nonprofit sector for as long as I can remember, starting as a child volunteering alongside my parents. This early exposure shaped my journey, which has taken me through various roles—teaching, working with autistic and special needs individuals, serving in hospitals, and engaging with churches and spiritual communities. Over the past 15 years, I've developed expertise as a Curriculum Developer, creating, teaching, and implementing educational programs for children, teens, and adults. My passion lies in designing engaging, thought-provoking, and impactful learning experiences that foster individual and communal growth and evolution. In addition to my work with Circles, I'm an ordained minister with Centers for Spiritual Living, where I have the privilege of creating educational resources for an international audience. As a minister, I’m dedicated to building intentional communities where everyone feels they belong and are supported in ways that truly work for them. Pastoral care is close to my heart, especially being with people as they pass away and supporting individuals through the toughest times in their lives. I consider it a profound honor to witness and support others during challenging moments, and I’m always grateful for the opportunity. On a personal note, I identify as neuroqueer, with dual ADHD and CPTSD diagnoses that keep me on my toes. Most days, I’m thankful for my neurospicy brain, which gives me a unique lens to see what could be and how to get there.  I’m also queer and use they/them and she/her pronouns (feel free to use both). I’m married to a wonderful transmasculine nonbinary human who adds so much joy and meaning to my life. We have an adorable dog, B, and a troublemaker of a cat, Charlie. I also have a 17-year-old son starting his senior year of high school this year.  I love all water-related activities, including paddle boarding, kayaking, swimming, tubing, hiking to waterfalls, and going to the ocean. My spouse and I are currently training to backpack in the mountains. Something Special You Should Know About My Region Is… I grew up in and (after moving away and returning several times) now live in the mountains of Western North Carolina. My area is not only beautiful, but incredibly ancient and powerful. The Appalachian mountains are the oldest mountain range in the world, and their “small” stature is due to erosion; they were once much taller than the Himalayas. I also live less than a mile from the French Broad River, the third oldest in the world to only the New River and the Nile. It predates the mountains themselves and, as a result, flows through  them—not down, as most mountain rivers do. Our area is home to some of the most diverse aquatic ecosystems in the world and is the only place where the hellbender, a black salamander that grows up to two feet long, can be found. I love my home! A Major Challenge We Face In Alleviating Poverty In Our Region Is… Living deep in the Appalachian South, we have a lot of extreme generational poverty, especially in the small towns surrounding Asheville (my home city) and in the eight Native tribes that are located here. We have incredible history and culture, with disparate living conditions for a lot of individuals.  We are also a year-round tourist destination, so our city has been bought up by developers to create short term rentals, leaving locals with just a few, massively overpriced housing options.. We also don’t have supportive labor laws, allowing companies to pay well below a living wage and provide very few hours so that they aren’t required to supply benefits. In the past, I have worked up to five part time jobs at a time, with as many as three roommates in my home. This is a typical experience for many people in the area.  Finally, because of our mild winters and Asheville’s notoriety for being a safe haven, we have a large unhoused population that travel to live here where they can be a part of a somewhat more accepting and diverse hippy community. One Thing I Want Potential Circles Participants To Know Is…   You are a brilliant, resourceful, and valuable individual who is truly worthy of having your needs met. Your voice matters, your experiences are important, and you bring a unique perspective that can enrich the lives of others and the world. Circles is a space where your strengths will be recognized, your challenges will be supported, and your growth will be celebrated. In this organization, you are not just a participant—you are a vital leader of our community.

Make A Plan To Vote: Hosting an Empowering Voter Education Event Wednesday, August 28, 12 pm PT/1 pm MT/2 pm CT/3 pm ET Join Circles NWA for an energizing webinar designed to equip your Circles community with the tools and knowledge you’ll need to host a successful “Make A Plan To Vote” event in advance of November’s general elections. During this webinar, you’ll learn how to organize and execute an engaging evening of nonpartisan info sharing, logistical planning, and exploring ways to build community involvement. You’ll take away from this one-time event: How to break down the essentials of voting, including where and how to register and vote; finding your sample ballot; and understanding districts and precincts. Essential handouts, websites, and resources for use at your chapter event. Understanding various government job roles on the ballot (e.g., “What does a County Clerk do?”) and their potential positive impact on the community. The importance of local elections and their impact on everyday life for people experiencing poverty. How to locate “hard to find” public information on ballot issues, candidates, and positions. Strategies to ensure your event focuses on holistic voter education without advocating for specific candidates, political parties, or other legal missteps that may endanger nonprofit status. By the end of this webinar, you’ll have a clear roadmap for hosting an event that educates voters and mobilizes them to participate confidently in the upcoming general elections—and in future elections critical to ending poverty in our communities. About the presenters:  Christina Williams is the Founder and Executive Director of Innovative Poverty Solutions and Circles NWA. Christina came into this work as a listener and a learner, using her background in market research and community-based research to learn from those in our community closest to the problems. She is passionate about building spaces that center under-heard voices, developing leadership from the margins, and tapping into the power of social capital to reduce poverty and build belonging. Christina has a BA in sociology from Furman University and MA in sociology from the University of Arkansas. She grew up in Hong Kong but has now lived in Fayetteville, AR for over twenty years, and resides there with her husband and two children. Ana Hurley is the Big View Director at Circles NWA. With over a decade of experience, she is dedicated to advancing social, environmental, and economic equity through innovation and education. Ana’s passion for creating meaningful change drives her to lead impactful programs and initiatives within her community. Ana holds a BA in Fine Art from The Evergreen State College and an MA in Philosophy from St. John’s College in Santa Fe, NM. In her free time, she enjoys watching stand-up comedy, creating art, and embarking on adventures with her husband and stepsons. 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 Honors International Youth Day With Child Tax Credit Push Circles USA works with families of all shapes and sizes to build people-powered financial education, civic mobilization, and poverty alleviation systems in chapters throughout the U.S. Because we know that building community to end poverty begins with uplifting the people who feel the effects of poverty most keenly, CUSA is proud to honor International Youth Day this Monday, August 12.  In this post, we’ll look at data—both grim and encouraging—on global youth wellbeing in 2024. We’ll also spotlight Circles USA’s “multi-gen” approach to financial education, sharing ways our chapters put young members in the driver’s seat of their civic and economic futures. Growing Youth, Shrinking Safety Nets To say “the youth demographic is booming!” is an understatement. According to the United Nations, “there are 1.2 billion young people aged 15 to 24 years, accounting for 16 percent of the global population. By 2030… the number of youth is projected to have grown by 7 percent, to nearly 1.3 billion.” The U.N. further reports: Half of the people on our planet are 30 or younger, and this is expected to reach 57% by the end of 2030. Survey shows that 67% of people believe in a better future, with 15 to 17 year-olds being the most optimistic about this. The majority of people agree that the age balance in politics is wrong. More than two thirds (69%) of people across all age groups agree that more opportunities for younger people to have a say in policy development/change would make political systems better. [ Source ] By any metric, young people comprise a powerful social bloc—one that is highly aware of the economic obstacles they face; but better-equipped in terms of education, confidence, hope, and technological competency (no coincidence that 2024’s Youth Day theme is “From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development”) than any previous generation to close the wage and service gaps. Still, these gaps are growing along with the youth demographic. A 2023 study published in Columbia University’s Poverty and Social Policy Brief found that “From 2021 to 2022, SPM [Supplemental Poverty Measure] child poverty rates more than doubled from the historic low of 5.2% to 12.4%, resulting in 5.2 million more children living below the poverty line.”  Authors Koutavas, Yera, Collyer, et al connect this rise in child poverty from 2021 to 2022—which they name “the largest year-over-year increase in the child poverty rate on record”—to the rollback of a critical social safety net for youth experiencing poverty:  Had the 2021 expanded-Child Tax Credit still been in effect in 2022, the child poverty rate would have been 8.1%, preserving much of the historic decline in child poverty of 2021… On its own, an expanded Child Tax Credit could have kept over 5 million children from poverty and cut the 2022 SPM child poverty rate by 47%. [ Source ] National Public Radio also reported recently that, prior to 2022, “child poverty hit a historic low of 5.2%. The latest figures put it at 12.4%, the same as the overall poverty rate. The surge happened as record inflation was rising and a lot of pandemic relief was running out, but Census officials and other experts say a key was the child tax credit.” Like the Columbia University researchers, NPR cites the 2021 American Rescue Plan as a lifeline expanding social services “to include millions more low-income families.” Says Sharon Parrott, president of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: “[I]t was a big factor in initially reducing the poverty rate…We sometimes talk about the child tax credit as being an upside down policy. That’s because the children who need it the most get the least, while higher income children get more.” Circles upends this unequal model by first centering, educating, and resourcing young people most in need in our communities. The results are dramatic despite dwindling social safety nets. Circles Washtenaw County youth program lead Kaite Scott describes a chapter “full of committed and engaged youth who show up ready to engage with us… The relationships that our volunteers and teachers build with our children is really special,” Scott says. “Even after being apart physically for months [during the 2020 pandemic], we still have youth and volunteers committed to growing and learning with each other and checking in with one another week after week. Our youth are creative, thoughtful, unique citizens of our community and make our Circles program deeply enriched! I’m grateful to work with them daily and look forward to the many ways in which they continue to bring joy to our world.”  As well as building social capital for youth through in-house programming, Circles expands families’ understanding of how “thoughtful, unique citizens of communities” can impact policy and shape elements of their own environments through civic engagement. Our Big View Policy Platform (authored by board member Joan Kuriansky in 2020) articulates a clear, actionable list of six key obstacles to prosperity facing working families and how CUSA chapter Big View Teams can act to address them. Unsurprisingly, most of these key issues touch, directly or indirectly, on youth and domestic stability. “It makes sense to give Circles children the same opportunities their parents receive through Circles,” says Chief Integrity Officer Yvette Trujillo, “to reflect on their past, find healthy ways to manage their present circumstances, and set goals so they can make positive choices in the future.” Building agency and wellbeing for young members has been a top priority for Circles this past decade. In 2015, CUSA kicked off the Children’s Curriculum Pilot in chapters across the United States and Canada. That pilot included the first three months of a newly developed “multi-gen” Children’s curriculum, which CUSA leadership introduced to the network at our 2015 National Leadership Conference in Kansas City. Circles reported at the time that “children living in low-income home environments have little or no exposure to meaningful learning materials, which translates to an achievement gap between low-income and middle class students at school… The involvement of families in the Circles model creates an ideal opportunity to compensate for these missing educational opportunities.” [ Source ] Children’s educators and administrators, local Circles staff, and our then-Chief Learning Officer designed this curriculum to allow easy adaptability at local chapters and sites.  Next Steps For Youth Advocates International Youth Day encourages parents, caregivers, and all community members to examine the long-term costs of youth poverty. In a 2023 study titled “ The Enduring Effects of Childhood Poverty ” published by the Center for Law and Social Policy, author Indivar Dutta-Gupta writes: Children experience poverty through hardships like hunger and inadequate nutrition , insufficient access to health care , unstable housing and homelessness , and the toxic stress experienced by their parents , whose struggle to survive without adequate supports hampers their ability to consistently care for and nurture their children. The impacts of childhood poverty are immediate and dire: impaired cognitive and emotional development , behavioral challenges, and a lack of school readiness . “The longer children live in poverty,” Dutta-Gupta adds, “the more likely they will experience poverty as adults.” Dutta-Gupta also reports that “[c]hildhood poverty is associated with reduced educational attainment and economic prospects,” and that it “leads to worse mental and physical health in adulthood.” In order to prevent these dangerous outcomes for children, families, and whole communities, Circles partner Bread for the World recently launched a campaign to urge “the House of Representatives’ passage of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) expansion included in the bipartisan, bicameral Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act.” [ Source ] In a bold statement published earlier this year, Bread implores the Senate to quickly pass the legislation. The organization reports that “[a]pproximately 16 million children will benefit from the CTC expansion, including nearly 3 million children under age 3. Once the CTC expansion is in full effect, 500,000 children will be lifted out of poverty.” To learn more, including how you can support Bread for the World in this action, visit their contact portal: Urge Your Senators to Vote Yes on Child Tax Credit Expansion . Whether through education, advocacy, or political engagement, “[t]he mission of Circles is to partner with families to end poverty in their lives and empower them to make positive changes to end poverty in their communities,” affirms executive director Kamatara Johnson. “Research shows that investing in an impoverished child’s future is an effective strategy to break the unrelenting cycle of generational poverty. Providing specific, strategic teaching to the children at Circles not only fights poverty at a personal level, but also prevents it at a community level.” Read more about Circles USA’s youth advocacy and programming on our blog: Florida Chapters Travel To State Capitol for Children’s Week   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!

At Circles USA, we believe that people experiencing poverty are the most qualified to advocate for themselves—to describe their unique dreams, worries, and goals. And we know that, while children and young people are often centered in U.S. policy debates or political squabbles, they are rarely asked by grownups to share their own perspectives on the issues that touch their families profoundly.   That’s why, to further celebrate August’s International Youth Day , Circles members from Circles Sauk Prairie , Circles of Grant County , and Circles Ypsilanti spoke with children in their chapters to ask a few important questions, like: What makes you happy? What is Circles like for kids? And What does money mean to you? Please enjoy, and join us in applauding our brave and thoughtful interviewees Zoralin, Tate, Serenity, Parcel, Neriah, Makhaira, Loveah, Ellie, Corissa, Charisma, Braxon, and Aniyah! Read CUSA’s full salute to International Youth Day 2024 here . Read more about Circles USA’s youth advocacy and programming on our blog: Florida Chapters Travel To State Capitol for Children’s Week 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!

Dear Circles USA Community, With mixed feelings of gratitude and a bit of sadness, I’m announcing that my position as Chief Integrity Officer at Circles USA will sunset on August 31 to make way for our newly restructured national office. Please know that Circles USA’s commitment to integrity and the work we’ve accomplished together remains steadfast. Behind the scenes, Circles USA has begun actively engaging with consultants to learn more about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and how this applies to our work specifically. Guiding this DEI initiative has been an honor. We’ve laid the groundwork for a more inclusive and equitable institution, and I’m confident this will remain a core part of Circles USA’s mission. Another highlight of my time here has been supporting the growth of new chapters. I’m happy to share that Addie Hartnett, our National Coach with over 10 years of boots-on-the-ground experience, has taken on these responsibilities beautifully. This ensures that the momentum we’ve built will continue to grow. In the past 2 years, I’ve had the pleasure of working with our Regional Coach team, youth program staff, volunteers, chapter coaches, and coordinators. We integrated staff professional development into our support calls, which has been crucial in providing deeper support to our chapters. This approach has helped identify areas for extra support, now reflected in our ongoing curriculum update and future webinars. We’ve also been working closely with experts to develop new marketing strategies. You’ve already experienced some of these improvements on our social media platforms, courtesy of our new communications team. By fall 2024, we hope to launch our new website positioning Circles USA for future growth and impact. I’ve been continually inspired by the commitment and resilience of our communities across the country. Your dedication to building community to end poverty has been a daily source of motivation and humility for me. Holding space for your voices, ensuring your needs were heard and addressed, has been a deeply personal and important part of my job. It’s through your efforts that we move closer to our vision where all individuals live in equitable, thriving communities free of poverty. I step away from this role with a heart full of appreciation for the incredible work we’ve accomplished together. I know that Circles USA is in capable hands and will continue to thrive, making a meaningful impact in communities nationwide. I’m grateful for everything I’ve learned about poverty, as well as for the amazing people working tirelessly to create real change. Thank you for the opportunity to serve alongside you. I look forward to seeing Circles USA’s continued success. With warm regards and blessings, Yvette Trujillo         Read our Executive Director’s Appreciations for Yvette here .

After two years of heartfelt service to Circles USA, Chief Integrity Officer Yvette Trujillo will step down to pursue her next great adventure. Yvette’s position will sunset on August 31st; and, in honor of this bittersweet moment, I invite you to reflect with us on Yvette’s time at Circles, her accomplishments, and the many gifts she’s shared with our community of practice.  Reflections Yvette came aboard as our Chief Learning Officer when I shifted from that role into the Executive Director position in 2022. The CLO “hat” was a messy conglomeration of roles and responsibilities that Yvette helped us to clarify, sharpen, and deploy for maximum impact. In 2023, we launched the National Coach and Curriculum Development Specialist roles, streamlining CUSA’s national support team of contractors to form a new communications team under the leadership of Information Systems and Design Manager Courtney Cowan. With Yvette’s and Courtney’s management, our national office dramatically expanded its capacity and quality.  This pivot led to Yvette’s new title: Chief Integrity Officer. As a “systems thinker,” Yvette’s particular strength has been to assess what elements of our workflow and programming are in integrity with our mission and vision , while recalibrating parts that miss the mark (or are missing altogether). She created the infrastructure to clarify and resource CUSA’s new Regional Coaches —another contribution that has greatly deepened our national capacity to support local chapters. Yvette helped to improve CUSA’s processes for assessing new prospects, onboarding new chapters, coaching chapters, offering support calls by role, and even hiring/onboarding in the national office. She was instrumental to our new marketing plan. This push has delivered our exciting new Big View podcast and will premiere a new, revamped Circles USA website this fall.  Perhaps most crucially, Yvette launched our formal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiative alongside our board members and national staff. Circles USA is committed to full inclusivity; we also know that we have our own obstruction points and knowledge gaps. The board and staff began a focused journey of DEI learning with consultants in Albuquerque who walked alongside us for 6 months of online modules, discussions, and even an in-person retreat. All of this was to explore How do we apply an equity lens to our work here at Circles? and How might we become more accessible and inclusive of diverse peoples living at the intersections of poverty and identity-based oppression? Yvette’s leadership and courage in holding us broadly accountable to those questions has grown our capacity to uphold CUSA’s vision: that all individuals should live in equitable, thriving communities where poverty no longer exists. Yvette’s legacy has been profound, and we will benefit from her presence: not just throughout her transition in 2024, but for the rest of our organizational history. Because she was our colleague, Circles USA has grown into a more mature nonprofit living more fully into our mission of building community to end poverty.  Yvette, your skills, perspectives, and gifts will be greatly missed but never forgotten. Here are some heartfelt appreciations for what you’ve meant to our community at Circles USA. Appreciations “Not only has Yvette created clear, needed and lasting updates to the structure of support that Circles USA offers to our national network; she has also demonstrated a powerful perseverance through adversity that has helped to shift our conversation around Diversity Equity and Inclusion at the national level. Yvette is a force for good in the world and a warm embrace for those who need it. I’m full of gratitude for her leadership and guidance in my own personal and professional life and will dearly miss her presence in my work with Circles USA.” —Addie Hartnett,  National Coach (Orlando, FL) “From the first time I met Yvette, it was clear how deeply she cares about others and how passionately she thinks about social change. I am particularly grateful for her leadership in our DEI initiative, which helped our board and national staff develop a more meaningful commitment to our mission. Thank you, Yvette, for pouring your heart and soul into Circles USA!” —Jennifer Pelling, CUSA Board Member (San Diego, CA)

Since 1998, Circles USA has been building community to end poverty through intentional friendships, personal transformation, and systemic change—all led by the people closest to the challenge. Our vision for the future is that all individuals live in equitable and thriving communities where poverty no longer exists. Circles USA’s Yvette Trujillo (Chief Integrity Officer) , and Kamatara Johnson (Executive Director)  take a 10,000-foot view of poverty and break it down into bite-sized chunks, helping you gain a deeper understanding of the experience of poverty…and learn how to make a real difference in your community. Episode 1 : In our TBV season premiere, Kamatara and Yvette give you a sneak peek at Season 1 highlights. They also outline the Five Stages to Prosperity: Crisis Intervention, Stabilization, Readiness, Placement, and Advancement. Episode 2 : Kamatara and Yvette illustrate the first stage to prosperity, Crisis Intervention , emphasizing the importance of addressing immediate crises with the necessary interventions, support, and resources to help individuals move into stability. They also touch on the stigma that individuals often battle in this phase—and the valuable role that community can play in combating internalized shame about poverty. Episode 3 : Kamatara and Yvette delve into the second stage to prosperity, Stabilization . With imminent threats mitigated, people in Stabilization can focus on building strong foundations for their lives. As they gather support systems and access essential services, they transition into increased self-sufficiency in all arenas, preventing a return to crisis. Episode 4 : Kamatara and Yvette explore the third stage to prosperity, Readiness : the stage when people have the breathing space to make conscious choices about their futures. During this promising phase, they can start visualizing or reconnecting with their dreams and tap into support networks to find new opportunities for personal and career growth. Episode 5 : Kamatara and Yvette dig into the fourth stage to prosperity, Placement . People who achieve Placement bring their newly gained skills and confidence into a workplace and community where they can make an impact—experiencing rich reciprocity and a deep sense of belonging. Episode 6 : In the final episode of Season 1, Kamatara and Yvette wrap up their journey through the five stages to prosperity with the last stage, Advancement . At this stage, people have moved out of survival mode, built a foundation to withstand future crises, found purpose and belonging, and reached a point of satisfaction and self-actualization. Kamatara and Yvette close the season with thoughts on how we can co-create equitable, thriving communities where poverty no longer exists—our vision at Circles USA. Catch up on the The Big View podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify . The video version is available to watch exclusively on our Youtube channel.