How can we end poverty in our communities?

What can the average citizen do to end poverty in his or her community?
What can agency and government leaders do to inspire and equip their citizens to help others out of poverty?

Circles™ definition of self-sufficiency.
A household is self sufficient when it can meet its basic household needs on a regular basis without subsidy including cash assistance, food stamps and housing subsidy.

This was agreed to by a national gathering of Circles™ practitioners in April, 2007 after having been under discussion for 11 months with input from the national guiding coalition (including low-income people) as well as early innovators.

What are Circles?

Move the Mountain was initiated by Mid Iowa Community Action, the agency that tested and promoted the self-sufficiency program model, Family Development. Circles^TM is the next evolutionary step, bringing community volunteers (known as Allies) to partner with families who are pursuing economic well-being to end poverty in their communities. Circles^TM wrap volunteer families (allies) around families who are moving out of poverty, and systematically support people to have enough money, meaning and friends.

Circles^TM initiatives have three primary goals:

1. Invite the community to join the human service system in helping people out of poverty.

2. Inspire and equip the community to eradicate poverty.

3. Develop genuine and lasting relationships across socioeconomic class lines with an intention to facilitate low-income people moving permanently out of poverty.

Circles are by definition, unique to each person and to each community sponsor. There are however, key elements that will be required of any organization that sponsors a cohort of Circles^TM. There are three core values that all Circles^TM Initiatives share: 1) Reciprocity—participants are given the opportunity and expectation to give back to the community for the support they are receiving, 2) Each participant works with the Circle to set goals towards self-sufficiency, 3) A holistic approach is taken that focuses on helping participants completely out of poverty and addresses all the barriers inherent in that process. Additionally there are required elements of a Circles^TM Initiative:

1. Circles^TM are not mentoring programs. "Circles^TM" mean having 2 or more (preferably 3) allies per Circle.

2. The "target group" (known as "Circle Leaders") is supported in assuming leadership and decision-making roles.

3. Meetings focused on building community with people across class and cultural lines are held weekly. Free meals and childcare are provided.
An intentional plan to change the community’s mindset is in place. Without this, Circles^TM initiatives become just another low-impact program strategy.

4. Members actively participate in the local Circles^TM learning community. The minimum requirement for active participation is providing bi-annual data to our office so that we can compile reports for all members to use for learning and resource development.

5. Fundamental supports like cars and cash assistance are made available.

6. A case manager is available to the Circle.

The History of Circles^TM and Current Initiatives

Move the Mountain Leadership Center launched an initiative known as Beyond Welfare in 1996 to build relationships across cultural and class lines to reduce poverty. We learned about Circles^TM from the Canadian disability movement that used it to help people stay independent of institutional care. In 1999, we applied the approach to helping families out of poverty. Beyond Welfare incorporated in 2002 and now provides training and technical assistance through its Beyond Welfare Learning Center.

Since 1996, foundations, local, state, and federal government have invested over $5 million in testing the Circles^TM approach. Thirteen Community Action agencies located in Minnesota, Missouri, Arizona, and California have raised over $3.3 million dollars to establish Circle Pilot initiatives. Another $2M has been raised by Move the Mountain and Beyond Welfare to establish Circle initiatives in Iowa.

Why not just let government and private agencies do the job of getting people out of poverty? The poverty rate has not dropped significantly since 1965. Why? Because society has been expecting government and social service agencies to take care of the poor and there is nothing that individuals can, or should do. The truth is, without building relationships across socioeconomic class lines, there will never be enough resources, great ideas, and support to substantially reduce poverty. Our nation can some day end poverty so that every man, woman, and child has enough food, adequate shelter, reliable transportation, medical care, and educational opportunities to live a happy life. This is an invitation to join other community members in bringing the best of what we have to offer with the best in what government and social service agencies can provide.