News

Circles program guides lower-income families to financial independence

Lin Johnson

By Lightning Reports, Published: May 31, 2026

Circles Henderson County is launching a poverty-reduction initiative called Circles USA that is based on building intentional friendships across income lines.

For over 26 years, in dozens of communities across the country, Circles programs have matched low-income families with middle- and upper-income volunteers and fostered relationships that have helped those in poverty achieve financial independence.

 “Poverty has many faces,” says Lin Johnson, executive director of Henderson County’s Circles Chapter. “Some are generational and some are situational. In the Circles program, participants — called Leaders because they are taking leadership of their lives — receive training on financial literacy, goal setting, skills development, connection to community resources, education and job skills. But what sets this program apart from other poverty-reduction programs is its focus on building social capital.”

“In addition to these supportive relationships, Circles also leverages the resources in a given community to help move a family out of poverty and off public assistance,” Johnson says.

Volunteer Resource Teams link participants to existing community services, jobs and educational programs. Circles also schedules meetings with community leaders to draw attention to social service gaps or obstacles in the system that are inadvertently keeping people in poverty.

Graduation from the Circles program occurs when a family’s income reaches 200 percent of the federal poverty level. In Henderson County, that comes to $66,000 for a family of four. (Average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Henderson County is currently $1,512.)

A national nonprofit based in Albuquerque, N.M., Circles formed 26 years ago and officially launched the Circles USA name in 2008. Since then, Circles has helped thousands of families in dozens of states. The Circles USA model is currently being used in more than 70 locations across the U.S. and Canada.

Circles Henderson County is currently gathering volunteers and referrals for program participants. Although the initial class has started, it is not too late to become a Leader or an Ally. Meetings are held at Trinity Presbyterian Church, with dinner and childcare provided at no cost to participants. Meetings run from 5:30 to 7 p.m. For more information, visit CirclesHendersonCounty.org or contact Johnson at Lin@CirclesHendersonCounty.org.