Why Circles of Support?

Social isolation and the lack of social support is a barrier to getting out of poverty. People get stuck in poverty partly because it creates what Paulo Freire calls “the tyranny of the moment.” When an individual is focused on simply surviving and the pressing needs of the day require immediate responses, they are forced into the tyranny of the moment. Poverty becomes self perpetuating, in part, because people cannot get out of crisis mode enough to plan for the future.

Shari, a single mother living in Duluth and a current Participant with Circles of Support, is s trapped in this struggle. Shari began working at McDonald's 15 months ago.  She is eligible for a raise, yet she refuses to ask for one or accept any promotions that McDonald's may offer. If Shari got even a 75-cents-per-hour raise, it would trigger a slash in food stamps, childcare assistance, and medical assistance. She cannot afford to earn a little more. In order to escape poverty, Shari must earn considerably more. Like others in poverty, Shari is often stuck in survival mode, unable to imagine a better future and trapped without the support systems that families who are middle or upper class take for granted. It feels impossible for Shari to plan for the future or make long-term decisions because she is dealing with today’s crises. 

Circles of Support helps people living in poverty slow life down by providing social support from caring volunteers who want to see these families succeed. The Matched Circles program provides non-traditional volunteer support to Participants who are either enrolled in school, underemployed, or both, as they transition off public assistance toward self-sufficiency. This program brings people on higher incomes into the lives of families with low income who are struggling to break social isolation. It provides support to strengthen and enhance soft skills, while giving volunteers a balanced, hands-on understanding of poverty.  

The Tyranny of the Moment

Circles of Support is a high impact strategy, designed to help Participants identify the difference between personal and systemic barriers. The program works with families who are either moving from welfare to work or families spiraling into the welfare system. Primarily, these families live at or below 200% of the federal poverty guideline and are considered working poor. 

Circles of Support - Matched Circles program provides workers with low wages the opportunity to break the pattern of social isolation. It gives them a panoramic view of their condition and helps them differentiate between the impacts of personal and systemic barriers.

Linda, a Participant in Getting Ahead, explained the tyranny of the moment in this way: “After becoming involved in Circles of Support, I learned that isolation is a big piece of my life. It is a huge barrier for me. I didn’t realize how low my motivation was until we did the resources chart. I’ve learned not to accept the situations and to slow down the cycle that I live in. Knowing this has helped me start two support groups - the walking group and the 'clutter buddies' group - to help me out of isolation and to get rid of the clutter in my life.”

Circles of Support - Community Engagement combines a process called Getting Ahead - Duluth with a monthly series of community meetings designed to bring people together across race and class lines. Getting Ahead - Duluth offers an intensive eight-week course that works to empower Participants and Allies to understand issues of poverty and work together to overcome social and systemic barriers. The Community Leadership Team meeting is held monthly. These meetings provide a safe space to talk about race, class, economic oppression, and socioeconomic barriers that many people living in poverty face. We use communication techniques, experiences, and personal stories to challenge our personal biases about people and poverty. The Big View meeting is a place where systemic change occurs. We provide a safe forum for people to mobilize and address systemic issues faced by people with low incomes. This forum brings together people in poverty and people who are not, to find solutions to end poverty in our community. (Big View meeting Information)