About the Process!
The Crisis:
46 million Americans currently live in poverty.
It’s a problem that’s not only measured by the intangible,
personal stories of family hardship and heartache, but also
by a real cost burden to society of $500 billion per year
(Center for American Progress).
It’s a grim picture, but one that is slowly changing through
innovations like Circles®, a high-impact strategy
to end poverty in our nation one community at a time.
The Solution: Bridges to Circles Franklin
The Bridges to Circles Campaign is a transformational approach that
partners volunteers and community leaders like you with
families in need. With your help, we can:
To uplift thousands of families as they move
themselves permanently out of poverty.
Empower people from every economic class to
solve poverty in their communities.
Provide families with the training, networking,
and social capital essential to get out of poverty.
Change the systemic barriers and policies that
lock people into poverty.
Early results demonstrate that for every $1 spent on
the program, $2 in welfare and food stamp subsidies was
returned to the state, and $4 to the community as new
earned income.
“My Circle gave me a sense of family
that I needed. They were reliable and
held me accountable to my dreams.”
— Circles Leader
An Innovative Model to End Poverty
Circles® is an innovative model based on a body of research
suggesting that in order for families with low income to improve
their situation, they must have
bonding social capital within the community,
bridging social capital to access the
resources contained by higher income networks, and
linking social capital that connects the
first two with public institutions.
Operating in communities around the country, each Circle®
initiative consists of a family working to get out of
poverty and several middle and upper income
Allies who befriend them and lend support.
The family is the Circle Leader,
setting direction for activities.
With the help and friendship of their allies, each family sets and
achieves goals unique to their own needs. Circle Leader Training
is a comprehensive curriculum in which Circle Leaders learn new
tools to build up financial, emotional and social resources.
Leaders also research the causes of poverty in their community.
Ally Training provides
Allies with the community tools to address poverty and
teaches hidden rules of class.
Weekly Community Meetings gather
Circle Leaders, Circle Allies, and other interested community
Members to provide support and networking opportunities. At
Big View Meetings,
held once per month, all the causes of poverty in the community
are addressed over time, including community and system
barriers. Each Circles® initiative is developed and designed
by a Guiding Coalition,
composed of community leaders, families with low income,
elected and appointed officials, and volunteers. The coalition
works to change the mind set and policies of their community
with respect to poverty. A
Lead Organization
is responsible for staffing, operational oversight, and for
contributing resources to each Circles® initiative. With the
help of passionate and dedicated people like you, Circles®
has increased the emotional and financial stability of participating
families and reduced their use of welfare benefits. Most importantly,
Circles® has brought the experience of poverty into the minds
and hearts of new Allies and community leaders, taking us one
step closer to the national commitment to end poverty!
AN INNOVATIVE MODEL TO END POVERTY
The United States is the richest country in the world. Yet
with 15.1% of the U.S. population and 23.1% of Franklin
County’s population living in poverty, our nation is suffering
through an enormous societal crisis.
In Franklin County, one out of every three
children live in poverty.