A look at those in need: Part 2/Allies help people cope with their problems

from The Marshall Democrat News

By Eric Crump

Editor's note: This is the second of three stories about those in need in Saline County.

One of the basic tenets of the circles of support approach to fighting poverty is that lack of money is only part of the problem for those in poverty and having more money is only part of the solution. Social isolation is common to those who struggle to make it financially, according to Saline County Circles officials.

"We want to look at the whole picture," said Bill Nichols, project coordinator, at the first community meeting in July. "The circles approach is that one thing we need is lots of supportive relationships."

That's where allies come in.

Allies are volunteers from the community who have experience and connections they can share with participants who are trying to turn their lives around.

Each participating family ideally has three allies, one to help with economic literacy, one to help with community networking and one to help with education needs and job searches.

But basically allies just provide whatever knowledge and skills they have, serving as mentors in whatever way the families most need, according to Chuck Hird, one of the early volunteers with Saline County Circles.

"We just meet and talk about what their interests are, what their dreams are and how to achieve them," he said.

The family he's working with, Michelle and Shawn Ridge and their children of Marshall, have come a long way in a relatively short time, he said.

The Ridge family and others involved in the program are showing good initiative in joining the project, he said.

"It takes a lot of effort on their part just to be involved," he said. But their efforts are paying off, and the results give them more hope, which may be the biggest blessing the program bestows, according to Hird.

"I think that's the key to the whole thing. It's giving them a new attitude. Maybe their dreams are achievable," he said. "When you have no hope, nothing's going to happen."

The benefits are not a one-way street, either, he said. Allies can learn a great deal from the families they work with, getting a better sense of the challenges many people in the community face that may not be visible otherwise.

And the whole community benefits when more people emerge from poverty, he said.

He still has some concerns about the young program, which was announced in April and by July had begun full operation. But the goals and the approach seem sound, he said, and things are off to a good start.

The program still needs more allies. Anyone who is interested in volunteering can contact Nichols at Missouri Valley Community Action Agency at (660) 886-7476.

Contact Eric Crump at

marshallfaith@socket.net