Circles Grand Rapids of United Methodist Metro Ministry

In the city of Grand Rapids, more than 25 percent of citizens live at or below the federal poverty level, which is $24,250 for a family of four. Today in our community, one in four children is living in poverty.

Circles of Grand Rapids is part of Circles USA, a high-impact strategy that engages the community in owning the solutions to poverty by:

• Empowering people in poverty with skills, knowledge, and support to achieve their goals to become self-sufficient;
• Mobilizing volunteers, community leaders, and organizations;
• Developing leadership;
• Fostering community-level change by raising the community's poverty IQ;
• Addressing systemic barriers faced by families trying to move out of poverty.