On May 24th, Circles Cohort 5 held their graduation to mark the end of fourteen weeks of Leader training. At the ceremony, the cohort’s ten Leaders were invited to share remarks on their journeys and discuss their SMART goals, which are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. After weeks of planning personal budgets, creating vision boards, and learning about social capital, these individuals will now embark on the next chapter of their Leader journey.
Circle Leader training was led by Circles Coach Carla Wilson, Circles Director Tracey Hoesch, and Circles Facilitator Kia Smith. Throughout their training, Leaders met with the Jobs and Education Team, or JET, to identify their goals in education, career training, business, and financial planning. Circles’ Big View team also met with Leaders to discuss systemic barriers that prevent people from moving out of poverty.
Cohort 5 has just wrapped up a month of mixers where Leaders and Allies mingle and get to know one another. Each Leader is now being matched with two Allies with whom they will spend the next 18 months building support networks and working towards their goals.
With the help of your donations, Circles can continue to assist Leaders as they lift themselves and their families out of poverty. Thank you for all your support, and congratulations to Cohort 5!
There are a lot of ways you can get involved. In addition to becoming an Ally, you can volunteer to help out at one of the program’s Tuesday-night meetings by providing a meal, becoming a greeter, donating much-needed supplies, offering your expertise, or simply giving someone a ride.
Email circles@friendsindeedmi.org to become a Circles volunteer!
To learn more about the staff that keep this program going, check us out here.