UPPER CUMBERLAND – The Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency and its partners were recently awarded a grant to form Empower Upper Cumberland, a program designed to address poverty, a significant problem throughout the Upper Cumberland. The Empower Upper Cumberland team is now seeking volunteers, mentors and sponsors to help implement this vision.
Empower Upper Cumberland’s goal for the next three years is to assist 800+ plus families across the Upper Cumberland to reduce barriers that keep them “stuck” and dependent upon government assistance by providing evidence-based training, education assistance, work readiness and support by “allies” who will mentor the families over an eighteen-month period or longer, if necessary.
A crucial part of this process is educating participants and guiding them through Circles USA, an evidence-based program proven to advance systematic change so that they can identify barriers, develop healthy strategies to change their circumstances and become employed or sustain better employment long-term.
The Empower Upper Cumberland team facilitates the Circles USA program each Thursday at 6 p.m. Before diving into the curriculum, participants and their children eat dinner as a family group with their mentors, allies and program staff before the group breaks out into the curriculum. Childcare is provided onsite while the parents work on the weekly Circles USA activity. On average, 30-40 parents, children, staff and allies will attend weekly for this “life-line” program / service.
The Empower Upper Cumberland team and Circles USA are committed to building a thriving community of partners to ensure the well-being of our participants and support the life changing efforts in ending poverty for many families across our region.
Volunteers, sponsors and allies are needed to assist these young families as they work through the Circles USA program and to mentor these parents as they make the journey to a better life.
To get involved to empower a family living in poverty, visit: https://empoweruppercumberland.org/join-the-team/volunteer/
It will take the whole village to break the poverty cycle, but it will make such a huge impact on the children living in poverty in the Upper Cumberland.
