Circles Grand Rapids

Launched in 2016, Circles GR is a chapter of Circles USA.

Circles engages the entire community to own the solution to poverty by (1) empowering low-income participants to permanently move out of poverty and (2) increasing the poverty IQ of our community. (Poverty IQ is the level of factual knowledge of the complexity of poverty.)

Motivated low-income participants attend 12 weeks of Circles Leadership Training to begin building financial, emotional, and social resources, and to create an Economic Stability Plan that sets goals unique to their personal needs and dreams. Graduates are called Circle Leaders - persons who proactively lead their own lives out of poverty.

Circle Leaders are then matched with two Empowerment Allies, community volunteers typically from middle class. Allies are trained and supported by Circles to provide long-term support twice a month for 18 months as the Circle Leader works to achieve stability goals.

The Circles initiative flourishes via weekly meetings - including a free meal and free child care for Allies and Leaders - to build community, provide peer support and accountability, discuss strategies for attaining self-sufficiency, and deepen healthy relationships.

Specific community leaders and decision makers are invited to occasional Big View meetings to collaborate in developing strategies together to relieve and remove specific systemic barriers so that both families and community thrive.