What is Circles?
Circles® in Columbus is designed to educate and empower people to become self-sufficient and lift themselves out of poverty with the support of our community. Circles® in Columbus is our community’s involvement in a proven national movement with the objective of eradicating poverty in America. Circles USA® initiative is a high-impact community strategy to end poverty one family at a time through education and building intentional personal relationships across economic classes and races.
Circles® in Columbus is a true community-wide initiative that invites direct involvement from the business, faith, social services, healthcare, and education communities, as well as, local government.
To learn more about the National Circles® movement check out: http://www.circlesusa.org/
Listen to the videos of Khyle & Phyllis, both graduates of Circles of Columbus…
How Does Circles Work?
Circles® provides a comprehensive program for people who are willing and ready to move out of poverty. In the initial 18-week Circle Leader Training Class, participants establish Goals and Future Plans and learn new tools to secure and sustain better jobs.
Once participants graduate from Circle Leader Training, they are known as Circle Leaders and are then matched with 2-3 community volunteers known as Allies. Allies offer Circle Leaders advocacy and support as they work toward their goal of economic self-sufficiency.
Listen to Suzanne & Jane, both Circle Allies…
Circle Leaders and Allies gather at Weekly Community Meetings to provide support and network with one another. Meetings include a community meal, childcare, and programming for youth development, community building, and leadership development opportunities, with activities to support the efforts of Circle Leaders moving out of poverty. At Big View Meetings, held once a month, causes of poverty, including systemic barriers, are identified and addressed. Join the Big View Team.
Resource teams, like Big View, are groups of community volunteers who serve to support and lead the direction of Circles® in Columbus. One of these opportunities is to provide and/or assist with serving a meal once a month. If this sounds appealing to you, please email Circles@odch.org.
A Circle Leader is an individual or family of low income who is interested in becoming economically self-sufficient. You will be given new tools and education to empower you along this journey. You are the Leader of your new Circle as this is your journey. The Circle Leader works with Allies to build his or her plan discussed in Circle Leader training, which is required of each Circle Leader before being placed in a Circle. Interested in learning more? Let us know on the form below or email circles@odch.org.
Allies are volunteers who engage in an intentional, befriending relationship with an individual or family working to become economically self-sufficient. Allies work with their Circle Leader to figure out how to accomplish his or her plan for self-sufficiency. Allies receive a three-part training to equip them in supporting Circle Leaders in their path out of poverty. Allies meet and communicate with their Circle Leader during the month at Circles meetings, maybe at a coffee shop or over lunch, even via text messages and phone calls. This evolves as the relationship evolves. We have had lifelong friendships develop from these pairings. See the videos of Suzanne and Jane above.
Interested in learning more? Let us know on the form below or email circles@odch.org.
Your tax deductible gift of any size is very important to us:
- $150 will provide 37 meals for one meeting (the group size during Covid precautions).
- $225 will provide a complete set of training materials for 5 Circle Leader Trainees.
- $500 will provide a complete set of training materials for 11 Circle Leader Trainees.
- $1,000 will cover all costs for one family to complete Circle Leader Training (materials, youth development, meals, programming, stipends, incentives, and transportation).
- $2,000 will provide 500 meals over the course of a year.
Interested in learning more? Let us know on the form below or email circles@odch.org.
Volunteers are needed to sponsor and/or serve meals at our Weekly Circles Community Meetings. You do not have to be a member of a Resource Team to help. You or a group such as a family, a group of co-workers, or a church group can provide frozen casseroles for our volunteers to heat up, or you may join us and serve them yourself. Meetings are held on Tuesday nights for about 60 people, 37 during Covid precautions.
Meetings are from 6:00 to 8:00 pm; however, meal providers are able to set up at a time that is convenient for them. There are varieties of ways you can help with food from preparing and serving the meal to financially sponsoring a meal to be catered from a local restaurant.
Individuals or small groups may volunteer to help the kitchen team Tuesday evenings as they prepare and serve meals not sponsored.
Interested in learning more? Let us know on the form below or email circles@odch.org.
An essential part of the Circles in Columbus Weekly Meetings is providing two-generation education and high-quality childcare for infants through teens. Volunteers are welcomed to join our Youth Development staff and help with our childcare and youth development programming. Background checks and Safe Sanctuaries training is required for volunteers.
Interested in learning more? Let us know on the form below or email circles@odch.org.
As a community volunteer, you offer your unique talents and passions to serve in a variety of ways such as being a special guest speaker or a member of one of our Resource Teams. Resource Teams help keep the program running and some even work to fight the system barriers of poverty. These teams are a great opportunity to support this program and make a real difference.
The Resource Teams include:
Recruitment – to recruit participants and volunteers.
Community – this is the largest committee whose members organize and manage the meeting space, secure donated meals, assist in serving meals and occasionally assist the Circles staff in facilitating the meetings.
Jobs & Education – to help Circles with contacts for educational programs and finding better jobs.
Big View – to look at ways the group can influence policies and circumstances which contribute to the blockades that prevent people from getting out of poverty.
Interested in learning more? Let us know on the form below or email circles@odch.org.
Contact us and we will speak to your group about Circles® in Columbus or consider hosting a Poverty Simulation which we will facilitate!
Are you looking for an exciting event to help your community, church, agency/business, or school understand the Cost of Poverty in your community?
The Cost of Poverty Experience is a powerful hands-on event that offers participants a glimpse into the lives of low-income individuals and families living in our community. It is a glimpse into the obstacles that are faced, the decisions that are made, and the consequences that impact these families every day. C.O.P.E. has been used to help many organizations and communities across the nation work more effectively with low-income families to understand and address the issues of poverty more comprehensively.
Circles® in Columbus through Open Door Community House is offering this unique experience to universities, schools, churches, businesses, and civis groups. For more information please contact Octavia Downing, C.O.P.E Facilitator, at 706.323.5518 or octavia@odch.org.
Circles® in Columbus Staff
Barbara Moushon
Circles® in Columbus Director and Site Coordinator
Barbara@odch.org | 706-323-5518
Octavia Downing
Circles SMART Coach, FANN Coordinator, and COPE Facilitator
octavia@odch.org |706-323-5518
Circles® in Columbus Program Developer
@odch.org | 706-323-5518
Circles Youth Development Director
Circleskids@odch.org |706-323-5518
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CirclesInColumbus/
