ABOUT THE CIRCLES DOCUMENTARY FILMS

Our 2022 film series, comprising nine short documentaries produced by Board member Jennifer Pelling with support from the Tsuha Foundation, showcases the stories, journeys, and relationships of Circles USA participants across the nation.

“In every chapter,” Pelling says, “we appreciated how kind and open all the Circle Leaders, Allies, staff, and volunteers were. The filming process can sometimes take awhile, and everyone was SO generous with their time and energy. I hope we were able to relay how much Circles people care about each other and how transformative it can be.”

Special thanks to: Jennifer Pelling and her filmmaking team; Circles Green Bay, WI

Circles Troup County in LaGrange, GA

Circles Davis County in Clearfield, UT and Circles Upstate SC in Greenville, SC

The films you’ll find embedded throughout this Impact Report address topics central to Circles USA’s mission and practice in building community to end poverty: entrepreneurship, financial literacy, shifting narratives around low-income families, and more. Above all, the films illustrate how Circles resources and encourages families to move beyond surviving poverty to thriving with economic and personal stability that is rich with multiple kinds of capital.

Watch our complete 2022 Circles USA documentary series on the Circles USA YouTube Channel.

What is Circles USA?

Circles USA works at national and local levels to reduce poverty by building community. Our model gathers middle-income and upper-income volunteers (called Allies) to come alongside people experiencing poverty (called Circle Leaders) for 18 months of support and friendship. Through online or in-person training and weekly meetings, these relationships help families climb out of poverty and remove the barriers that kept them there.

In this video, Circles USA participants from across the U.S. describe how our network has helped transform their lives and communities.