ABOUT BUILDING BRIDGES
WHAT IS Building Bridges?
Building Bridges (formerly Circles Joplin) is, at its core, about building relationships. Together, participants from our community figure out how to live better, more prosperous lives. Fellow community members assist Leaders in learning better ways to budget, resolve conflict, and gain successful employment. The best part about Building Bridges is the fact that participants are changing their own lives. No handouts are given. It is simply people supporting one another, through friendship and fellowship, to make life better for our whole community.
Building Bridges is a community program of The Alliance of SWMO.
WHO DOES Building Bridges IMPACT?
The Building Bridges program reduces the number of families and individuals who rely on government programs and charitable aid. More importantly, it helps members of our community break the cycle of poverty. Graduates are armed with the tools to teach their children how to get ahead, not just get by. Successful completion of the program can increase the number of educated workers in the community, reduce unemployment rate and increase the tax base, resulting in a more prosperous and healthy community. Building Bridges has served the greater Joplin area for the past five years, helping people lead more successful, dignified lives.
HOW DOES Building bridges WORK?
At Building Bridges, we believe no one should live in poverty. Families and communities can and should take charge of their own destinies. And if given the right tools and support, economic stability can be achieved. We see it happen in our organization every day. Through our combined approach of individualized support from our dedicated volunteers and the resources of organizations and communities, we create a nurturing environment that educates, empowers and equips our members to pull themselves out of poverty, successfully.
We discovered several years ago that in order to remedy poverty, we need to have a very different approach. The solution doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does have to be personal. We have found that in order to make a real, lasting change, the issue of poverty needs to be addressed using a multi-dimensional methodology. Here’s how it works:
Community leaders and/or local organizations work with Building Bridges to establish a local chapter.
This begins with trainings. We take a collaborative approach during implementation by building on the strengths of existing community-based organizations.
Our model focuses on three stages: Crisis management and stabilization, education and job placement and job retention, advancement and economic stability.
Building Bridges sponsors groups of up to 25 participants who are known as Leaders. They are asked to:
Enroll in the Building Bridges Leadership Training Class to build financial, emotional and social resources as well as an Economic Stability Plan,
Partner with trained middle- to high-income community volunteers, called Allies, who support a Building Bridges Participant’s efforts through networking, listening and guidance,
Attend weekly community meetings with peers, Allies and other interested community members for planning, support, and networking opportunities