Over 30 people attended a meeting at Papa Don’s on Wednesday, for Circles USA–a program that is designed to help people get out of poverty by providing them with social support. The Circles program is being used by more than 75 communities. People join the program as “Circle Leaders” to learn how to better manage their resources to get out of poverty. These Circle Leaders come to weekly classes over an 18 month period where they receive training and a meal. The classes include training in managing personal finances as well as special sessions taught by members of the community. For example, a banker might come in and explain how to go about opening and maintaining a bank account. After the 10th week, Circle Leaders are paired with two Allies to help them. The Allies are there to help provide, support, advice, and accountability that will help the Circle Leader follow their plan for getting out of poverty.
The project plans to post information about the program to their Facebook Page. People looking for more information can contact [email protected]. Below is a video that tells a bit about how the program is helping a single mother in another community.