Circles Ashland seeks to eliminate poverty at individual and systemic levels by nurturing intentional friendships, providing educational opportunities, and advocating for change.
What is Circles Ashland?
Circles Ashland began serving the greater Hanover County region in 2016, and since then, the organization has graduated five cohorts and is preparing for its sixth. The hard-working team is made up of dedicated staff and board members, and the group will soon be adding engaged volunteers. Susan Richards, Chair of the Board and Circles Ashland graduate of the cohort class of 2020, recently described the Circles Ashland program as, “…forging intentional relationships, offering educational opportunities, and advocating for systemic change. We’re not just alleviating poverty; we’re building a stronger, more connected community for everyone.”
Now, what does this look like practically? The core of the organization’s programming is the Matched Circle, an 18-month-long cohort of intentional friendships between Circle Leaders (motivated individuals experiencing poverty) and Allies (financially stable persons leveraging their social capital to support the goals of their Circle Leaders). From this Circle, and because of weekly dinners throughout the cohort, other relationships ripple among Leaders, Allies, volunteers, and their children, and also between Matched Circles, organizational partnerships, and throughout the community.
Now, if you’re thinking, “‘Friendships’, ‘relationships,’ ‘community’—that’s a lot of people words,” you’d be right! This program flourishes when individuals from different paths embark on a journey together. That’s where you come in. If you’re looking for a way to make a difference this year, consider volunteering with Circles Ashland.
How You Can Help Circles Ashland
There are currently three overarching volunteer opportunities:
1) Assistance with cohort dinners meal prep, set-up and breakdown, or leading in children’s programming
2) Behind the scenes support including fundraising, transportation coordination, and recruitment;
3) Serving as an Ally to partner with a Circle Leader over the course of the program in a friend-mentor capacity.
While the ability to commit to a regular schedule (monthly, bi-weekly, or weekly) is preferred, Circles Ashland is open to ad hoc volunteering as well – whatever your talents, expertise, or availability, the team at Circles would love to hear from you and discover together how you might serve the Ashland community.
The Path to Financial Stability
On the other hand, if your goal for the new year is to become more financially stable, you may be a candidate for becoming a Circle Leader. Leaders attend weekly gatherings (with dinner and childcare provided), meet regularly with their Allies, learn budgeting basics, and much more. Visit their website to learn more and to begin the application process.
This year, Circles Ashland invites you to partner with them – as a volunteer, an Ally, a financial supporter, or a Circle Leader – as the organization invests in the flourishing of our community. If you know someone who may be interested in becoming a Circle Leader, please share this article with them. You can learn more about our program and volunteer opportunities here.
