Since 1998, Circles USA has been building community to end poverty through intentional friendships, personal transformation, and systemic change—all led by the people closest to the challenge. Our vision for the future is that all individuals live in equitable and thriving communities where poverty no longer exists.
Circles USA’s Yvette Trujillo (Chief Integrity Officer) , and Kamatara Johnson (Executive Director) take a 10,000-foot view of poverty and break it down into bite-sized chunks, helping you gain a deeper understanding of the experience of poverty…and learn how to make a real difference in your community.
Episode 1: In our TBV season premiere, Kamatara and Yvette give you a sneak peek at Season 1 highlights. They also outline the Five Stages to Prosperity: Crisis Intervention, Stabilization, Readiness, Placement, and Advancement.
Episode 2: Kamatara and Yvette illustrate the first stage to prosperity, Crisis Intervention, emphasizing the importance of addressing immediate crises with the necessary interventions, support, and resources to help individuals move into stability. They also touch on the stigma that individuals often battle in this phase—and the valuable role that community can play in combating internalized shame about poverty.
Episode 3: Kamatara and Yvette delve into the second stage to prosperity, Stabilization. With imminent threats mitigated, people in Stabilization can focus on building strong foundations for their lives. As they gather support systems and access essential services, they transition into increased self-sufficiency in all arenas, preventing a return to crisis.
Episode 4: Kamatara and Yvette explore the third stage to prosperity, Readiness: the stage when people have the breathing space to make conscious choices about their futures. During this promising phase, they can start visualizing or reconnecting with their dreams and tap into support networks to find new opportunities for personal and career growth.
Episode 5: Kamatara and Yvette dig into the fourth stage to prosperity, Placement. People who achieve Placement bring their newly gained skills and confidence into a workplace and community where they can make an impact—experiencing rich reciprocity and a deep sense of belonging.
Episode 6: In the final episode of Season 1, Kamatara and Yvette wrap up their journey through the five stages to prosperity with the last stage, Advancement. At this stage, people have moved out of survival mode, built a foundation to withstand future crises, found purpose and belonging, and reached a point of satisfaction and self-actualization. Kamatara and Yvette close the season with thoughts on how we can co-create equitable, thriving communities where poverty no longer exists—our vision at Circles USA.
Catch up on the The Big View podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The video version is available to watch exclusively on our Youtube channel.