Bridges and Circles
Bridges and Circles is a new community initiative for northern Nevada. Bridges and Circles will match people living in poverty who have a strong desire to improve their lives with Allies who provide emotional support and assist with complex issues. Bridges and Circles is a safe, structured way for people to build intentional friendships across class and race lines towards self-sufficiency.
Bridges and Circles including The Poverty Solutions Team:
• Engages the community in solving poverty
• Develops leadership within the community to address poverty issues
• Increases the capacity of service organizations working with those in poverty
• Addresses systems’ barriers that people experience while in poverty and transitioning towards sustainability
WHAT IS A CIRCLE?
A Circle is an individual or family working to get out of poverty and the two to four Allies who support the Circle Leader in their ongoing efforts to develop the emotional, intellectual, financial, and spiritual resources necessary for self-sufficiency and stability.
WHAT IS A CIRCLE LEADER?
The Circle Leader is the individual or family living in poverty who is interested in becoming self-sufficient. The Circle Leader is responsible for leading the circle as well as receiving and giving support within the circle. The Circle Leader works with the Allies to build his or her life plan while using their knowledge and skills as problem-solvers and poverty experts to work on the poverty issues in their community. Before being matched with allies, a Circle Leader must complete the fifteen week Getting Ahead in a Just-Getting’-By World.
WHAT IS AN ALLY?
An Ally is a volunteer engaged in an intentional, befriending relationship with an individual or family working on his or her plan to becoming self-sufficient. Within the guidelines set by Bridges and Circles, Allies do what makes sense and what brings joy to the relationship. Before being matched with a Circle Leader, an Ally attends a training session: including a Circles overview, a Bridges Out Of Poverty seminar, and an Ally training.
WHEN DO THE CIRCLES MEET?
Bridges and Circles will meet weekly for dinner and then a focused event. Activities for children and youth are provided after dinner. The first week of the month involves the Circle Leader meeting with their Allies. The second week brings in a speaker to focus on a topic related to self-sufficiency. The third week has the Circle Leaders meeting together and the Allies meeting together for support and training. The fourth week looks at the Big View. Big View meetings examine the barriers that hold people in poverty and advocate for systematic change in the community.
WHO LEADS THE CIRCLES INITIATIVE?
• The Bridges and Circles coach supports the Circle Leader in fine-tuning his or her plan towards a sustainable life.
• The Bridges and Circles coordinator engages the community in developing solutions to the systematic barriers that perpetuate poverty and serves as the liaison for Bridges and Circles to the community.
• The Food Bank of Northern Nevada is the lead agency involved in implementing Bridges and Circles in northern Nevada.
• The Bridges and Circles Poverty Solutions Team includes people from all social economic classes, representation from varied sectors and existing community coalition members who are committed and empowered to address the causes of and alleviate poverty. .
HOW DO I BECOME INVOLVED?
For more information on becoming a Circle Leader, an Ally, or a member of the Poverty Solutions Team, contact Angela Dazey at adazey@fbnn.org, (775) 331-3663 x112, or The Food Bank of Northern Nevada, 550 Italy Drive, McCarran, Nevada, 89434.
Here are a couple of links to learn more about this innovative program: Aha Process and Move the Mountain.