Five County group pitches Circles poverty-reduction program to Iron County leaders

Representatives from Five County Association of Governments and the Community Action Partnership presented Circles, a national poverty-reduction model, to the Iron County Commission on Sept. 20 and said they are planning to open a local cohort in Cedar City in early 2026.

Catherine Moster, who leads Circles for Five County's Community Action Partnership, told commissioners the program pairs people experiencing poverty (called "circle leaders") with community volunteers ("allies") and provides training, weekly meetings and child programming over an 18-month cohort. The stated objective is to help participants move toward 200% of the federal poverty guideline through steady income increases, credentialing and improved access to services.

Moster said local data show roughly 38.6% of Iron County residents fall below 200% of the federal poverty guideline and noted childcare and housing costs are significant barriers. The planned cohort will begin with three months of training followed by weekly dinners and meetings; the organizers are seeking volunteer allies, community teams to run childrens programming and a meeting location (the county senior center was suggested during the meeting). Organizers said the model is data-driven and collects six-month outcome measures.

Darren Bushman, the new executive director at Five County, and Roger Carter (Five County) asked the commission for support in recruiting volunteers and community partners; they said the program is volunteer-intensive and that local institutions can donate meals and space. Several commissioners expressed support and offered to help connect the program with local leaders.