Over the past year, CommunityWorks and Good Samaritan, with funding support from the Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area, have been working together to strengthen families and cultivate leaders in the West of Washington neighborhood of Holland, MI by launching a neighborhood-based Circles program.
Circles is a multigenerational program that is designed to build a healthy community with shared goals of supporting people on their path out of poverty. The program is a long term investment into families, meeting weekly for almost two years. Each meeting includes a meal and then separate programming for adults and children.
The Circle Leaders (adult participants in the program) are matched with two Allies who become part of their support network. The Leader develops his or her individual goals, and each family determines their own Family Wellness goals; something they hope to achieve together as a family.
The role of the Ally is to provide ongoing support and encouragement toward these goals. In addition to goal setting, throughout the two years both youth and their parents participate in their own age appropriate curriculum that focuses on financial literacy, communication skills, mindfulness, career goals, and much more.
These circles of support are growing strong families and a stronger neighborhood in southside Holland.
The inaugural West of Washington Circles cohort has launched successfully and is demonstrating strong early momentum. Most notably, all seven Circle Leaders who began the training completed the program, resulting in a 100% graduation rate. According to Circles leadership, this is the first cohort in their experience in which every participant who enrolled completed the training. Here are a few numbers:
- 7 Circle Leader Training graduates
- 12 adults supported
- 14 children impacted
- 12 Allies recruited and trained
- 10 community volunteers assisting with weekly meals & youth programming
- 7 families established education, financial, leadership & family goals
- 4 church/business partners contributed