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  • About
    • Circles is Unique
    • Overview
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    • Learn
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  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
    • Become a Circle Leader
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An All-Community Effort to Resolve Poverty
  • Home
  • About
    • Circles is Unique
    • Overview
    • Circles GR Newsletter
    • Learn
    • Testimonials
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
    • Become a Circle Leader
  • Partners
  • Contact
  • Donate Now

THE WAY TO END POVERTY IS TO BUILD COMMUNITY.​​​​


Circles GR is now a program of Streams of Hope.
Click here to find out about the many ways Streams of Hope helps the economically disadvantaged.

During the covid-19 stay-at-home order...

Circles GR staff continue to meet virtually with Circle Leaders
and eagerly await the opportunity to gather in person.

Weekly Meetings were traditionally ​Mondays 5:30pm - 8:00pm
at Neland Avenue Church  ~  940 Neland Ave. SE, Grand Rapids
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THE CIRCLES APPROACH
Circles is a long-term approach to end poverty permanently in our community.  Each week, local families working to overcome poverty (Circle Leaders) meet with community volunteers (Allies) over dinner.  Following the meal, Circle Leaders work with their Allies to achieve specific personal goals toward self-reliance.  Over time, incomes and savings improve, debt and public assistance decrease, and supportive social networks are built.
TWO GENERATIONS BENEFIT
While parents receive tools to help manage money and time, improve career skills, and progress toward goals, Circles children and youth are building their own community of support.  Children's programming includes interactive, age-appropriate sessions on financial literacy, emotional health, mindfulness, service and volunteerism, compassion, and much, much more.

TRANSFORMATION FOR EVERYONE ​​
Circles is an intentional community built on the understanding that everyone has something to teach and everyone has something to learn.   We build relationships across the socioeconomic divide to support families as they lift themselves out of poverty.   Ending poverty - not just managing it - requires ongoing training, support, accountability, and the secret sauce so often missing:  time.  Circles succeeds by taking the time necessary – 18 months of weekly meetings – to transform and empower people from every economic class to eliminate poverty.  

​​​join the circles movement:  VOLUNTEER


  • For more information regarding volunteering, click  Volunteer or contact Andréa at 616-309-7517 or andrea@streamsofhope.org
  • Become a Circle Ally, befriending and walking beside a Circle Leader working to achieve self-defined stability goals
  • Provide meals (free at every weekly meeting) and warm hospitality
  • Provide quality child care and programming (free at every meeting)​
  • Home
  • About
    • Circles is Unique
    • Overview
    • Circles GR Newsletter
    • Learn
    • Testimonials
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
    • Become a Circle Leader
  • Partners
  • Contact
  • Donate Now