Journey Out of Poverty

by Kerri Sandaine
Tuesday July 28, 2009
Reprinted with permission from the
Lewiston Tribune

With help from Lewis-Clark Valley Circles volunteers, Clarkston family is prepared to thrive

Jeremy and Roxanne Frye are trying to get their lives back on track after being derailed by a series of wrong turns.

The Clarkston couple's journey has taken them from living in a motel room with five kids to having an apartment, a full-time income and a plan to stay out of poverty.

"Poverty to me is a state of mind," said Jeremy Frye, 32. "Now I've got a job, pay my bills and have a place to live, and I get to see my five kids grow up. I'm wealthy as you can get. I can't express how good it is."

The Fryes are among a group of people graduating at 6:30 p.m. today from the "Getting Ahead in a Just Gettin' By World" program sponsored by Lewis-Clark Valley Circles, an organization that helps low-income people work their way out of poverty with the support and friendship of community volunteers. The graduation is at Lewiston First United Methodist Church, 1906 Broadview.

"What makes Circles unique is they have your best interest at heart," Jeremy Frye said. "It's geared to success and it makes you to think about the positive. Another thing I like about Circles, there's no judgment passed at all."

"They become your family," said Roxanne Frye, 25, a Kendrick native. "I learned I have a lot more choices than I thought I did. I have a lot more people who are there for me now."

The 16-week course the Fryes completed leads people through an investigation of the causes of poverty, the outcomes and what it takes to leave that life behind, said Karen Kessler, community engagement coordinator for the Circles group. Participants live in Asotin or Nez Perce counties, have the ability to work and have committed to being involved in Circles activities.

The free program provides families with training, networking and social relationships to successfully transition out of situational or generational poverty, Kessler said. "Our definition of poverty is not having enough resources, relationships and reasons to feel like you have a place in the community," she said.

Food is donated for the Tuesday dinner meetings and free childcare is provided. The evening begins with people talking about what is "new and good" in their lives and ends with an appreciation ritual. The dinners start promptly at 5:30 p.m. at the Lewiston church, followed by a presenter and discussion and ends at 7:30 p.m.

The Fryes found about out Circles after becoming involved with Family Promise. They were stuck in a rut and homeless for more than a year when they wound up at the temporary shelter.

Jeremy Frye, who grew up in Bovill, said Family Promise was instrumental in helping them get an apartment and his job in grounds maintenance. Prior to that, the Community on Call program run by Steve Skaggs of Clarkston helped them kick their drug habits, he said. And Circles is helping them hold it all together by teaching them the "hidden rules of the middle class."

The couple, who have been together for five years, are raising Sagen, 11, Alex, 9, Issac, 8, Hayley, 5, and Meliah, 2. They now live in an apartment through the Asotin County Housing Authority and attend First Christian Church in Clarkston, the first church they stayed in with Family Promise.

"It's nice to have an address that's yours," Roxanne Frye said.

Jeremy Frye said the changes they've made are especially satisfying because he has a "checkered past" that includes a criminal record, time behind bars and probation.

Getting out of poverty begins with becoming aware of spending and debts, said David Bash III, a Circles coach. "Getting a clear picture of where your money is going on a monthly basis and how much you owe is critical," he said.

Little things can take a toll, such as eating out, buying sodas from vending machines or impulse buying, he said. It's important to be aware of how much money is really going out the door.

The second thing is to develop a personal budget with goals, either for paying off debt or starting a savings plan, no matter how small it is, Bash said. "Having that savings habit is one of the things that help people achieve their goals."

Engage a friend or ally in your plan to hold you accountable and to support you when things get tough, Bash said. Seek out some of the help that is available in the region, whether it's consumer credit counseling, college programs or extension offices.

"Make a plan and stick to it," is Roxanne Frye's advice.