Another outstanding Circle Leader is from Circles Troup County, GA: Circle Leader Deb Brown. Deb came to Circles after hearing about it at work as a school bus driver. Here’s part of her story from this last year:
“One of the first things I learned in a Circles class was that I should spend 30% or less of my income on housing. At the time, my rent alone was 50% of my income. I started looking for something I could afford, but everything I found was dirty or not safe.
I knew eventually I wanted to buy a house, so Circles connected me to Brandon Brooks and he helped me figure out how to increase my credit score. I started paying off my credit cards and that was some work. I made a lot of changes like giving up my daily coffee. I get up at 4:30 a.m. for work and I really like my coffee, but I learned to make it at home and save that money.
Then COVID hit. I saved all my extra unemployment money toward the down payment and moving costs. When my lease was up, I stayed with my daughter for a month and saved that month of home bills.
Honestly, I couldn’t have done it without Holly, our Circles coach, saying ‘You can do this! You CAN do this!’
I had other things going on in my life, too. Circles connected me with a therapist who helped me become more mentally healthy so I could focus on what I wanted to do. Without that, I wouldn’t have been able to move on.
This past summer I bought a house! I can afford it on my own salary, but my son is in school for a year and my daughter just moved back to LaGrange and they are both living with me. With them helping out, I’m only spending 16.5% of my income on housing.
Circles has connected me to so many people and so many resources. Sometimes it’s big, sometimes it’s just encouragement – which is really big, too. I don’t have family here and I need support. It comes from Circles and a few close friends. Circles saved my life.”
Congratulations to Circles Troup County, GA and to Deb for her incredible perseverance and accomplishment.