What We Do
Our Mission
Circles of Jackson gathers people motivated to move out of poverty and matches them with volunteers who will support them on their journey towards self-sufficiency. These middle-and-high-income volunteers serve as Allies to our participants, helping them lead themselves out of poverty - that is why these participants are called Circles Leaders.
Friendships blossom between Circles Leaders and Allies as they go through training and weekly meetings together. The support from these relationships has proven to help families climb out of poverty and eventually support themselves. As Circles Leaders and their families succeed and find new opportunities, these achievements are celebrated by the larger Circles community. Obstacles these families face are taken on and overcome with both the support of their Allies and the larger Circles community.
One of the largest obstacles in overcoming poverty is the Cliff Effect. The Cliff Effect happens when an individual receives a wage increase, triggering the loss of benefits of a higher value. This unfortunate occurrence discourages advancements in income, keeping individuals in a perpetual state of poverty.
Through our research, we estimate the income levels that prompt the loss of benefits like Medicaid, child care, SNAP (food stamps), and housing assistance. Circles then helps members plan accordingly to manage the losses of these benefits.
Circles offers a helping hand to people who are determined to be self-sufficient, providing the necessary connections and knowledge to make it out of poverty.
“The Circles model is so attractive to me because it doesn’t just hand things to you, or bore you to death with facts. It combines a little bit of education, a little bit of help, and a whole lot of social support.”
— Dawn Neatherly (Executive Director of Circles of Jackson County)
What Is Social Capital?
At Circles, we know relationships are the cornerstone of any effective poverty alleviation system.
To foster intentional relationships, our model provides three kinds of social capital (or valuable networks of human connection):
Bonding, in which social capital develops as participants pursue their pathways with peers.
Bridging, in which social capital expands each participant’s connections to opportunities and a broader community through volunteers.
Linking, in which social capital emerges through community organizing that pursues systemic change—like creating job pathways and educational opportunities that benefit whole communities.
Bonding, bridging, and linking social capital are lifelong assets that equip stakeholders to thrive.
What We’ve Achieved
Finalist for the 2021 NAACP Humanitarian Organization of the year.
Awarded 2019 NAACP Humanitarian Organization of the Year