Circles USA

Season Two of our podcast, The Big View: Ending Poverty in Your Community, is here! ????? This season, join Circles USA’s Chief Learning Officer Rev. Kris Alexander, Executive Director Kamatara Johnson, and a cohort of poverty alleviation guest experts as they dive into the transformative mindset and culture that drive Circles’ Big View approach. Together, our team explores how intentional mindsets and values can inspire lasting systemic change and fuel our movement to eradicate poverty. At Circles, we believe that everyone can make a meaningful impact—and everyone has a role to play in the journey to reduce poverty. → Listen to Episode 1 now on your favorite podcast platform or at circlesusa.org/podcast

In the latest installment of The Learning Curve Chronicles with CLO Rev. Kris Alexander, explore the power of both/and thinking—how a paradox mindset allows individuals and organizations to navigate complex and dynamic environments more effectively. Read now: https://lnkd.in/e2xQJZBJ

Circles USA is proud to announce our emerging partnership with The Prosperity Agenda, a nonprofit dedicated to equipping human services agencies with participant-centered practices. The agency’s new Family-Centered Prosperity Project (aka The Prosperity Project) promises to advance families through innovative prosperity coaching and peer support models. CUSA will serve as the subject matter expert in developing the initiative’s Prosperity Networks: peer support groups where families can share experiences, gain insights, and build financial resilience. Read more about this partnership on our blog: https://lnkd.in/e3naMCKN

“Our local chapters turn into lifeboats in times of local and national crisis. Circles is the safe place for people to come together, to stay connected even across profound difference, and to have the hard conversations that move us forward together.” Continue reading: https://lnkd.in/eYAmCbW2

This series started out as a straightforward reference guide of the kind we always publish when the U.S. presidential administration changes. We seek to understand who is now in office, what they are promoting, and how we might come to find common ground together. Part 2, however, needs to go a bit deeper than our usual “hold our elected officials accountable to their economic promises to voters.” Read Beyond The Election, Pt. 2: Staying Calm, Connected, and Caring ?? https://lnkd.in/eYAmCbW2

Our 2024 Impact Report, Moving Beyond, is here! ? This year’s report—the culmination of months of in-depth research, interviews, data analysis and creative collaboration with partners nationwide—recounts a pivotal year in Circles USA’s history. View it now: https://lnkd.in/gqDT8kk9

"Poverty has long been a collecting place for those who have been hurt by systemic inequities, reinforcing patterns of exclusion and hardship. To create a better reality for all, we must dismantle these barriers, ensuring that economic struggle is no longer a place where our most vulnerable are forced to gather. Racial equity is not just a goal—it is a necessity for a just and prosperous society." — Kris Alexander, Chief Learning Officer Read CUSA's salute to #BlackHistoryMonth: https://lnkd.in/eTC-g83M

A new episode of The Big View is here! ??? In this special episode, join Chief Learning Officer Rev. Kris Alexander and Executive Director Kamatara Johnson, along with special guest Michelle Crawford of Circles Salt Lake, as they dive into the essentials of systems change. We’ll explore the meanings and nuances of systems change; discuss strategies for bringing it to life in our communities; and share insights on how to create it in ways that are transformative, long-lasting, and impactful at every level of society. Tune in to discover practical steps to help reshape the systems that impact us all! Listen or watch now: https://lnkd.in/eg6ut9zZ

Circles USA is proud to mark our nation’s 49th annual #BlackHistoryMonth, a holiday whitehouse.gov?proclaims “an occasion to celebrate the contributions of so many black American patriots who have indelibly shaped our Nation’s history.” As public opinion on critical race theory, intersectionality, and “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” (DEI) programs becomes increasingly polarized, Circles USA reaffirms our commitment to racial equity as an essential component of the American Dream. We recognize that efforts to undermine these frameworks can contribute to the division of working-class communities, and we remain dedicated to fostering unity and economic opportunity for everyone. To this end, we welcome community-centered dialogues on race as a positive tool for bridging difference and building shared prosperity. Read CUSA’s salute to Black history and labor on our blog: https://lnkd.in/eTC-g83M

Meet 2024 Lives Transformed Awardee, Carla Alvarado of Circles Hilton Head Island! Carla is one of this year’s five Lives Transformed?awardees who were nominated from among thousands of exceptional Circle Leaders nationwide. She says, “My Circles chapter and Allies don’t know this, but they changed my life. They gave me hope and a chance to be someone great. They gave my mom the win she needed to feel like everything she’s done has been worth it for me and my siblings. It opened a door for my little brother: now he knows he can do whatever makes him happy, as long as he works hard. I wish I could repay Circles for everything they did, and continue doing, for me and my family. They are truly a blessing.?“ Read Carla’s story now: https://lnkd.in/ede7sTaS