First United Methodist Church in Wadesboro is working to implement a program called Circles to fight poverty in Anson County.

Rev. Rob Rollins said the church holds a general conference every five years and decided to start five pilot projects using the program. One of those project sites is Anson County.

Circles was created by Move the Mountain Leadership Center, which aspires to form a "critical mass" of leaders focused on ending poverty, according to its Web site.

"The mission of the Circles Campaign is to transform communities by building relationships that inspire and equip people to end poverty," the Web site said.

The program pairs a family that seeks to rise out of poverty with two to four "allies" that work with the family.

"Mainly it's relational," Rollins said. "It builds relationships of mutual respect."

Rollins thinks the relationships are ultimately rewarding for everyone involved.

"It's not about who has money to get something done," Jerie McKie said. She is the associate general secretary of community and institutional ministries for the general board of global ministries.

One example she gave was the lack of transportation, which prevents many in poverty from obtaining employment. One group she knew of set up a car donation program.

Other allies might inspect or fix the vehicles, if there are problems.

The program helps create support networks for individuals and families.

Rollins said the objective wasn't to decide for people what they need, but to ask them and provide assistance.

Rollins and the Web site describes the campaign as something that can also help bridge racial and class divides within a community.

Applicants for the program must meet certain criteria.

"They have to be clean and sober," he said. A selection committee weighs several other factors, including the applicants' desire to better themselves financially.

He admits the process could disqualify some people who truly need assistance.

But McKie is confident of the program's power.

"It is clear to me, it can and does eliminate poverty in a person's life," she said.

Recipients of assistance are not the only ones who must work. Allies receive training and must dedicate themselves for 18 months.

Applications will be solicited later in the summer. In the meantime, a poverty workshop is currently planned for June 6 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Lockhart-Taylor Center.