#284 A Wider Circle

Amy Javaid first encountered A Wider Circle as a chaperone for her daughter’s kindergarten field trip. She was struck by how staff engaged 5 year old kids in talking about neighbors, a less othering term than clients, who lack clothes and a home. They learned that their actions, sorting clothes, helps neighbors, some of whom are also 5 years old. Amy volunteered and held various positions before becoming CEO in 2021. Now she is building community and opportunity in Washington DC’s historically underserved Washington Highlands neighborhood. A Wider Circle’s most celebrated resource is its Essential Support program which brings 20 families a day to a furniture showroom to choose beds, tables, and other goods for homes they have finally secured. As Amy points out, this is the start of their journey out of poverty. Some sign on to a program that builds family supports over time. And all are learning to advocate for their priorities, affordable housing, and a living wage. Just as Amy learned in leading anti-poverty work across the globe, the pathway starts with meeting urgent needs and grows into collective action to upend systems at the root of poverty.