Working to end poverty

I belong to a movement (they don't like to call it an organization) called Circles of Hope. It's part of a national movement called the Circles Initiative. Its goal is to end poverty one family at a time. Here's a description from the peaceconnections.org website: Circles of Hope is part of a national campaign. The Circles® Campaign is a transformational approach that partners volunteers and community leaders with families wanting to make the journey out of poverty. Operating in communities around the country, each Circles® initiative consists of families working to get out of poverty and several middle and upper income Allies who befriend them and lend support. The family is the Circle Leader, setting direction for activities. With the help and friendship of their allies, each family sets and achieves goals unique to their own needs.

I got involved about two years ago. After my job was cut to half-time, I sensed God calling me to do some kind of volunteer work. Jeanne, my wife, had told me about something called Bridges Out of Poverty, which is a book that looks at poverty culture. Peace Connections, a local organization that sponsors Circles of Hope, was offering training for allies (see definition above). I did the training and eventually became an ally and was assigned to a circle leader. That was about 18 months ago, which is the commitment an ally makes to remain with a circle leader. It's been such a good experience that I hate to see it end. Likely I'll remain an ally and join a new circle leader.
Last evening (Feb. 21), at a weekly meeting of Circles (circle leaders and allies meet once a month), two of the national leaders of the Circles Initiative addressed our group and responded to questions. I jotted down some notes I found interesting.
Karin VanZant, CEO of Think Tank and the National Circles Campaign, responded to questions from the group (about 70 people were there). Among her responses she mentioned that in Ohio, where she lives, there are 88,000 unfilled jobs. Colleges are not designed to meet the training needs for those jobs in a very efficient way. Circles, of course, is interested in helping people get training and find jobs that pay a livable wage. Here is an opportunity.
She and John White, National Circles Campaign director, who was with her, travel around the country to various Circles groups. Karin noted that a group in California has several Spanish-speaking groups. A big problem is that there are many undocumented adults with documented children.
She pointed out the importance of working with businesses and showing them that helping people get out of poverty is good for business. She offered several examples. In her community, they did research and found that there were more payday loans than banks. They also learned that in one year the payday loans made $3 million. The banks realized that here was money they were missing out on. She also said there something called the Community Investment Act, which says that banks are to invest in their local communities. Here was a chance for a win-win. The banks needed customers and to invest in the community; circle leaders (people in poverty) needed checking accounts and loans that were not at such an ungodly (and I mean that word) rate. Circle leaders told some bank managers that they'd tried to open checking accounts but were denied. And the payday loans were located in their neighborhoods. Two of the banks stopped running credit checks on circle leaders and got more customers--ones with a community behind them.
Checking accounts are crucial, Karin said, because some employers pay by direct deposit and won't hire people who don't have a checking account.
Karin said that studies show that by looking at third grade reading scores you can figure how many kids will drop out of high school before they graduate, and many of these will end up in prison. So in Ohio, they are building prison cells based on third grade reading scores. But she argued that this is shortsighted. Instead of investing $7,000 per year to raise reading scores, they are spending $37,000 per year for a prisoner. It's in the best interests of society to invest in education.
She also noted that turnover (when employees leave after only a few months) costs employers a lot of money. But with what circle leaders learn and with the support of their circle community, they will stay longer on a job when they are hired. She shows employers how this saves them money. Then she says they should allow the employee to move into a better-paying position once they've been there six months or so. Both groups win.
Karin mentioned four goals for circle leaders: get a job, get a better job, get an education, strengthen their family. Doing this helps people get out of poverty and helps make a better society for all of us. 
Circles of Hope is not a religious organization, but many who are involved in our group are Christian. It should be obvious that working to end poverty and build community are spiritual values we all should support.