Circles USA

Looking forward to Economic Mobility Pathways - EMPath's 2026 Disrupting Poverty conference next month! CUSA Executive Director Kamatara Filipiak will be presenting on what we've seen over the last 25+ years of anti-poverty work: social capital is the key to economic mobility. Check out all the amazing speakers and opportunities offered this year! #RiseTogether https://lnkd.in/eFxPFJuY

We’re wrapping up our Black History Month blog series with a poetic reflection from CUSA Board Member, Peyton McCoy! “Individually and collectively, people have perpetually found it necessary to reimagine, reinvent, reposition, reframe, reconsider, and revamp in order to thrive and survive. Hence, we wear a collective necklace of interwoven experiences, adorned with unexpected joy and perfected by unfathomable pain, while on an incredible journey.” Read the full piece here: https://lnkd.in/dd_57d8R

Circles Core Value #2: Transformation Transformation is the movement of healing and evolving together. It is both deeply personal and profoundly communal, inviting us to unlearn what has harmed us so we can unlock what is possible. Transformation asks us to expand our beliefs about who we are and what we deserve, to embrace new perspectives, and to imagine different ways of being in the world. Through education, connection, and steady support, individuals and communities gain tools, claim their inherent power, and co-create new paths. As each person grows, the whole community grows with them, breaking old cycles and opening space for purpose, stability, and possibility. Transformation is empowerment in motion. It reflects the deep shifts that occur when people experience safety, dignity, and agency, and when communities alongside one another toward healing and freedom. It honors the relational nature of change, recognizing that we rise through shared effort, shared learning, and shared courage. Transformation moves us toward wholeness—strengthening the collective, widening opportunity, and shaping a future where every person has the chance to flourish. Explore all 5 of Circles USA's core values at https://lnkd.in/ddK_rZDB

“I am moving beyond barriers towards growth. With Circles, I feel that I've overcome barriers and I'm steady growing. And now, since I'm in a leadership position, I can help other people grow as well.” We asked attendees at #CUSACONF25 how they are Moving Beyond with Circles and here’s what Cheyenne from Circles Indianapolis shared. 💙 Share your #MovingBeyond story with us in the comments!

Up now on our blog, CUSA Board Member Van Green shares a moving tribute to an unsung hero in Black history: his mother (pictured). “The older I get, the more I realize this: Black history isn’t only made by the famous. It is also made by so many others who may never get the recognition. By people whose names will never be printed in books. By the women who pack lunches, pray over their children, work double shifts, and still find the energy to encourage someone they just met at a nail salon. (Yes, that’s really her. She’ll turn a quick run to the store into a meaningful encounter with a stranger.) She is constantly teaching. Constantly loving. Constantly pouring into people. Not because anyone is watching. But because that’s simply who she is.” Read the full piece here: https://lnkd.in/eXWWuyYm #BlackHistoryMonth #CirclesUSA #EverydayHeroes

"In 2026, I accept that America is a Continuous Improvement Project. We will always have to fight for justice, but our fight is not in vain. I believe that our youth are looking at us and seeing us not let all our progress go away. This will encourage more youth to see adults who look like them achieving the American Dream and to truly believe that they, too, can make a difference in their community and achieve their great dream." Read Board Member Jennifer Brown's reflections on Black History Month: https://lnkd.in/ePmg5WBi

In celebration of #BlackHistoryMonth this February, several members of Circles USA leadership are sharing their perspectives on Black economic advancement, the “American Dream,” and what Black history can teach us about building community to end poverty. This week, CUSA Board Member Jennifer Brown shares her reflections on the legacy of Harvey B. Gantt, the first African-American student at Clemson University and Mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/ePmg5WBi

We progress when we come together with intention, mutual care, and a shared commitment to one another’s well-being. In moments of hardship and seasons of growth, we are stronger, more resilient, and more powerful together. The meaningful connections formed in community build trust, strengthen social capital, and bridge differences. Community offers space to collaborate, communicate, and co-create, recognizing that each person is irreplaceable, each perspective adds value, and each contribution expands our collective capacity. Together, we cultivate belonging—a place to rest, play, work, imagine, and grow. Community is both the container and the action. It reflects our interdependence, our responsibility to one another, and our desire to create spaces where everyone can thrive. Explore more on all 5 of Circles USA's core values: https://lnkd.in/ddK_rZDB

“I am moving beyond isolation to connectedness. It is really important to do that because so many people who have experienced poverty, including myself, we just feel so isolated and alone and not part of the process, not part of the community, not part of the solution. But by being more connected, we able to not only improve our own lives, but help improve and contribute to that community building.” We asked attendees at #CUSACONF25 how they are Moving Beyond with Circles and here’s what Lisa from CIRCLES CAMPAIGN OF THE MID-OHIO VALLEY INC shared. 💙 Share your #MovingBeyond story with us in the comments!

When she walked into a Circles meeting in 2023, Patty had just lost her ninth job in five years and was reeling from family abuse, infidelity, and loss. “I hadn’t been able to dream in years,” she told us. In her keynote speech, recorded live at #CUSACONF25, Patty shares how Circles helped her recover the hope and support she needed to pull herself out of poverty and into financial, social, and emotional wellbeing. Today, Patty is the Big View Chair at Circles Davis County, where she supports Circle Leaders to tell their stories and influence systems change at the local level and beyond! Watch Patty's keynote speech here: https://lnkd.in/eZ_6q3MZ #CUSACONF25 #livestransformed #bigview #systemschange #transformation #advocacy #civicengagement