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No longer spinning their wheels
Richmond nonprofit uses circles to break cycles of poverty
For millions of Americans, living at or near the federal poverty line means barely getting by is a constant struggle. Census Bureau estimates show more than 20 percent of Richmond’s residents are living in poverty — a figure nearly 50 percent higher than the national average. Many of these residents work, and many feel as though they’ll never get ahead. Such was the case for Sherrell Thompson, 43, a resident of Churc Hill and Richmond native. Two years ago, the single mother and grandmother worked as a certified community health Wworker for Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority. Everyday she helped others in her job, but she also knew she needed help herself. “I really felt stuck where I was financially and I just didn’t know what steps to take next,” Ms. Thompson said by phone recently. One day, she took a deeper look at Circles RVA — a lo- cal organization she’d referred clients looking to better their financial circumstances to before. Ms. Thompson decided to put in her own application and was accepted to the program in August 2020. In that same cohort was Barbara Yates, 67, a mother, grand- mother and great-grandmother, who was born in Baltimore but moved to Richmond as a child. Both were drawn by Circles RVA’s vision “that everyone has enough money, meaning and friends to thrive.” In a recent phone interview, Circles RVA co-president Valena Dixon and coach Debbie Williams highlighted how the organiza- tion works alongside program participants — known as leaders — to help them realize that vision of financial stability, purpose and support in their lives. “Allies and volunteers create a circle of support around lead- ers and intentionally create relationships,” Ms. Dixon explained. “These relationships expand their networks and introduce them to resources that can reduce the barriers that hinder their rising out of poverty.” “You’re building communities by building intentional rela- tionships,” Ms. Williams added. “These relationships make all the difference and give leaders the support they need to move from surviving to thriving.” Circles RVA began with volunteers who were looking for ways to address Richmond’s poverty issue at the community level. It became a registered nonprofit in June 2017, modeled after Circles USA which sees circles, or the personal and professional networks each person has, as resources that can be shared. With Circles RVA, leaders undertake a 12-week educational program during which they are matched with allies and work to create SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound) goals for themselves. Over the next 18 months, leaders and allies meet weekly to ensure that leaders continue to progress toward their goals. As Ms. Dixon puts is, “Plan the work, work the plan.” And plans are working. Circles RVA graduated its fourth cohort in June, and its latest newsletter highlights the achievements of its 15 leaders who so far have completed the program. Many show average increases of about $1,200 in monthly income and $2,000 in total assets. Ms. Thompson and Mrs. Yates graduated in the June 2022 cohort and have seen the benefits. With her allies’ help, Miss Thompson revamped her résumé and secured a new, higher paying job with her employer as a resident services coordinator. She has used the extra income to reduce her debt and boost her credit score by more than 100 points. “I never thought I’d be able to do that,” Ms. Thompson said. “Circles RVA helped me so much. I was so happy I just cried through my whole graduation.” Learning to better manage her budget also helped Mrs. Yates. “Before I was an Amazon addict, but not anymore,” Mrs. Yates said, noting that she frequently made purchases from the online retailer. “Writing (down) where all of (my) money was going made it easy to see where you could bring your expenses down.” Mrs. Yates has started saving some of what she used to spend. She has a “rainy day fund” and is continuing to save toward another goal — travel. “I really enjoyed the program. You are constantly learning something every week,” Mrs. Yates said. “My allies were very supportive and encouraging. Whenever I was struggling, they helped me think like that little train, ‘I think I can. I think I can.’” Mrs. Yates and Ms. Thompson plan to stay connected with the friends they made through Circles RVA. Ms. Thompson even wants to apply to rejoin the program — this time as an ally. “I have benefitted so much that I need to pass that on.” To learn more about Circles RVA and its next cohort of lead- ers, visit https://circlesrva.org/
Emmett Till’s house, Black sites to get landmark funds
Emmett Till left his mother’s house on Chicago’s South Side in 1955 to visit relatives in Mississippi, where the Black teenager was abducted and brutally slain for reportedly whistling at a white woman. A cultural preservation organization announced Tuesday that the house will receive a share of $3 million in grants being distributed to 33 sites and organizations nationwide that are important pieces of African-American history.
Richmond Police officer charged in April 7 traffic deaths of 2 teens
A Richmond Police officer, who ran a red light in South Side while racing to respond to a burglary-in-progress call, is now facing the prospect of prison time for killing two teens when he collided with their car.
‘Being underestimated ... that’s my superpower’
Democratic House Minority Leader Don Scott Jr. ready to energize base
These days Delegate Don L. Scott Jr. doesn’t spend as much time in the courtroom as he used to.
1955 warrant in Emmett Till case found, family seeks arrest
A team searching a Mississippi courthouse basement for evidence about the lynching of Emmett Till has found the unserved warrant charging a white woman in his 1955 kidnapping, and relatives of the victim want authorities to finally arrest her nearly 70 years later.
Personality: Joanna Heiskill
Spotlight on co-founder of Justice and Change for Victims of Nursing Facilities
When Joanna Heiskill’s mother died in August 2019, she was determined to find the cause of her death.
Daily dangers, including physical assaults on deputies, allegedly occur at city jail
Seven months after Richmond Sheriff Antionette V. Irving was sworn into her second four-year term, concern is mounting over her control of the still short-staffed Richmond City Justice Center, as the jail located in Shockoe Valley is called.
VUU announces new appointments
Virginia Union University has appointed four new vice presidents at the 1500 N. Lombardy St. campus.
RRHA moving downtown by the end of 2022
The city’s housing authority is making plans to shift its headquarters from Gilpin Court to Downtown, the Free Press has been told.
Still standing:
The battle over who gets A.P. Hill statue remains undecided
A legal fight is slowing City Hall’s efforts to remove the last remaining statue of a slavery-defending Confederate military leader.
U.S. labor shortage provides opportunity for ex-prisoners
When Antonio McGowan left the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman after serving 17 years, he was free for the first time since he was 15. But as an adult finally out from behind bars, he immediately found himself confined to menial labor.
Evolution: Black and Brown players and the MLB All-Star Games
The first official Major League Baseball All-Star Game was in 1933. But for many Black Americans, 1949 may perhaps be a year they consider more important.
Squirrels’ Kyle Harrison competes in upcoming All-Star games
The Richmond Flying Squirrels have one of the nation’s most promising prospects and his skills will be on full display this weekend in Los Angeles.
Nation loses unsung civil rights hero, by Marc H. Morial
The name Clifford Alexander Jr., who died recently at age 88, is not as well-known today as some of his contemporaries in the Civil Rights Movement. Perhaps no American, however, has done more to combat segregation and discrimination in private employment and the military or leaves as great a legacy.
Use economic tools to stop gun violence, by Julianne Malveaux
There have been at least 214 mass shootings in the United States so far this year, the most recent being the killings during a July 4 gathering in Highland Park, Ill. This year, we have also been both riveted and horrified by the massacre of 21 people, 19 of them children, in Uvalde, Texas. A crazed racist killed 10 Black people and wounded at least three others when he shot up a Tops grocery store in Buffalo, N.Y. In 2022, there have been more shootings than days; the shootings have become commonplace.
Fire destroys RPS property twice in less than 6 months
Fox Elementary fire cause is ‘undetermined’
Nearly five months after a fire ripped through and destroyed William Fox Elementary School, a report released by the Richmond Fire Department on July 1 offers little insight as to its cause.
Personality: Dr. Hollee Freeman
Spotlight on co-founder and co-curator of City Bees RVA
Dr. Hollee Freeman is helping to keep a vital community of workers buzzing — all 90,000 of them.
Virginia-born Jimmy Walker named to college hall of fame
Native Virginian Jimmy Walker is among those selected for the College Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022. Formal induction ceremonies will be Nov. 21-22 in Kansas City, Mo.
