By Rachael Buck, Director of Advocacy

As we enter spring, we are celebrating what is new and blossoming here at A Wider Circle. Our Advocacy program has continued to grow in meaningful ways over the past three years, rooted in the voices, experiences, and leadership of the neighbors we serve.

Each day, neighbors come to our center to receive furnishings that transform empty spaces into homes, job coaching that supports pathways to sustainable careers, and other resources through our various programs. Increasingly, many of these same individuals are stepping forward as leaders in our advocacy work – helping to address the root causes of poverty.

A powerful example of this is our Social Justice Committee, which brings together individuals with lived experience and allies to strategize, take action, and build collective power. Committee members meet directly with elected officials, offer testimony, and speak to the real-life impact of policies related to poverty, affordable housing, healthcare, childcare, and living wages — ensuring that decisions are informed by those most affected.

Students from Howard University participate in discussion on pathways to long-term social change while visiting A Wider Circle for a volunteer day.

We are also investing in the next generation of changemakers. Through youth civic engagement trainings, which blend hands-on service with learning how to drive systemic change through public policy and community organizing, we are equipping young people to lead in their communities. Last month, we were honored to host students from Howard University, who split their time volunteering at A Wider Circle and engaging in discussion about the many pathways to creating long-term, structural change.

As our Advocacy Department continues to bloom, we remain guided by a simple belief: lasting change requires both meeting immediate needs and transforming the systems behind them. By uplifting community voices and building pathways to leadership, we are working toward a future free from poverty.