Justice and Human Rights United States Project #10334

Move 10 Families Out of Poverty in Pitcairn

by Center Avenue United Methodist Circles (TM) Initiative

Project Report | May 6, 2013
Circles Brings Hope - edited

By Cyndi Bloise | Pastor and Executive Director

I must confess, I am writing this the morning I have returned from vacation. I also confess that I could write more frequent reports about progress - I often get caught up in the moment and forget about writing reports.

If I had written more regularly, I would have told you about 21-year-old Maggie who walked three miles for a job at a local grocery store. She was increasingly frustrated about the inconsistency of her scheduled hours, making budgeting exceptionally difficult.

About a month ago, Maggie received a call from a company that takes calls from doctors and insurance companies about coverage. She seized the nearly full-time opportunity, went through their on-site training, and began working. Her hours are more regular, so she can begin to budget better. She also is able to catch a bus instead of walking, approximately a one-hour ride with only one transfer. Due to your contributions, we are able to help her with bus pass funding for her first month to give her the opportunity to work the cost of a pass into her budget.

Before leaving for vacation, Nicole shared that she was ready to take another GED practice test. When she began, she was reading at just a 3rd grade level. She was estimated to be in the 6th or 7th grade range when I left. Social Studies continues to be difficult for her and we are attempting to develop a regular tutoring program for the four individuals who are working toward their GEDs.

If you have not yet decided on a gift for Mother's Day on Sunday, perhaps she would appreciate a gift that keeps on giving. Consider making a gift of a donation which can help to change the life of a person working to get out of poverty. This gift requires no dusting and has a lasting impact.

We are always available to answer any questions you may have or provide greater detail. Also, if you would like someone to come speak for an event about the ways Circles addresses poverty in a material way, please contact us. We often bring one of our participants when we speak.

May all of you be blessed this Mother's Day as you consider the gifts of language and learning that you received from your own mother!

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Feb 4, 2013
Lives are Changing!

By Cyndi Bloise | Pastor and Executive Director

Anyone who has ever tried to change something about their life knows how hard real change can be. All of our low-income participants of Circles have the same challenges with change.

Given the difficulty of change and life transformation, I hope all who read this report can appreciate the effort and the value of these accomplishments.

This is the briefest of summaries, followed by more details for each of their stories: Giles got a job and is providing for his family, Charlene got a job despite her felony history, Will got a job, Maggie got a job, Nicole entered her GED program, and Mary got registered for her GED program.

During the month of December, Giles finally got a job and is now working at Burger King. He is so excited to be providing for his family even though they will still struggle with such a meager income. Fortunately, a special Christmas gift provided a bus pass for the month of January, so Giles didn't have to walk the mile to and from work. I hear that his managers really like him and his pleasant, hard-working personality. Giles comes from a family who spent a great deal of time and money on alchohol. For a long time, he fell into that pattern too, but in the last year he has decided that is not part of who he is. He has become the one in the family who reminds his significant other to stick to their budget.

Charlene is a recovering addict, a participant of Circles since Feb. 1 last year, who was dispairing of ever getting a job due to a previous felony. WIth the natural supports provided by Circles, and the support she receives from those who help her with her sobriety, she has begun to dream of working again. Last week, she called a previous employer who had written on her file, "Would hire again". After finishing a competency test, she was hired and began work the next day. Due to funding from several foundations earmarked for transportation and other barriers to self-sufficiency, we were able to provide Charlene with a bus pass and scrubs so she could get to work and have appropriate clothing to do so. She is so delighted to be working!

Will and Maggie just had their intake interviews with us about two weeks ago. Both have already interviewed and received new jobs. Nicole is excited about her good marks in her GED classes, even though she gets tired of the loads of homework required. Nicole does not know yet what her end goal for education is. Mary is a young mom who comes from a family of addicts. She is the first one in her family to break out of addiction. Despite her busy mommy schedule, she has found time to get registered for her GED classes. Mary has dreams of becoming a nurse.

These are just the major changes happening in people's lives due to your dollars. The more subtle changes, like the rebirth of hope, occur regularly even though they are harder to measure in visible ways.

Thanks for being a part of helping people move from poverty to self-sufficiency! Together we can make a difference!

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Jun 26, 2012
Five NEW "Getting Ahead" Grads

By Cyndi Bloise | Pastor and Executive Director

On Wednesday, June 13, five new participants graduated from their "Getting Ahead" portion of the Circles Initiative. Three of them were not comfortable being videotaped, but I will be posting the videos from the other two when I have them downloaded from the camera.

In her graduation speech, Nicole said, "Circles helped me to realize what I needed to do as far as my goals." Nicole is a joy-filled addict in recovery. She regularly attends N.A. meetings held at the church to keep herself clean and sober. She has to take five buses to get her from Whitaker to Pitcairn, which takes at least 2 hours, but she has not missed one session! Nicole learned to read, as an adult, about 2 years ago and still struggles with some of her words. She has persevered and her primary goal at this moment is to complete her G.E.D. and pursue other education. She has several herniated disks in her back, so she is looking for employment that does not include lifting and carrying, which requires further education. She is hopeful as she begins this next phase of Circles.

In the next phase of Circles, Nicole will work with middle- and upper-income Allies who will encourage her and help her to navigate the unfamiliar complexities of the middle-class system used in education and employment. Her goals will likely take more than a year to complete, but she is committed and has a vision for where she is going. The hope she has in herself and her future will be her intrinsic motivation that helps her keep moving forward in the difficult days when she is struggling. In that journey, her Allies and other members of the Circles Initiative will be her support and cheering section.

Nicole completed her speech by saying, "This church saved my life." With its Circles and N.A. programs together, we have become a place of healing and hope for her life.

I will highlight the stories of our other graduates, Diane, Dawn, Aldo, and Charlene, in my next reports.

Thank you, again, for your support of the Circles Initiative in Pitcairn! With your support and our work on the ground here, we are beginning to change lives! What you do makes a difference!

Blessings!

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