Back in 2024, the first Circles of the Coastal Bend chapter was established in Corpus Christi. The new Gregory location now becomes the second chapter in Texas.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A program aimed at helping families break the cycle of poverty is expanding into Gregory.

Circles of the Coastal Bend is launching a new chapter in the city, bringing mentorship, resources and long-term support to residents in need.

Back in 2024, the first Circles of the Coastal Bend chapter was established in Corpus Christi. The new Gregory location now becomes the second chapter in Texas.

The organization’s 18-month program pairs participants with mentors and connects them with tools focused on financial stability, professional development and personal growth.

For Patricia Vera, a single mother participating in the Corpus Christi chapter, the program has already made a difference.

“You’re gonna be a better person once you take care of yourself,” Vera said.

Vera said the program helped her set and accomplish personal goals.

“We learned how to make priority goals, too, and in those goals I actually accomplished two out of the three,” she said. “I started losing weight, joining a gym, got off medicine — as long as I can keep it off.”

Now, the program is expanding to Gregory.

Program Director Isabella Jones said the initiative goes beyond financial education by helping participants address a variety of challenges they may face.

“It is for 18 months, and we teach them financial education, job readiness, soft skills, hard skills, and we also help with other things,” Jones said. “A person experiencing poverty may need help with mental health or may just need encouragement. The thing about our program is that we’re building a community to end this. It’s bringing all the resources together that makes the program a success.”

Gregory Mayor Estella Boyes, who grew up in the community, said the program is a good fit for the city’s needs.

“It fits the demographics of our city so well,” Boyes said. “We have about a 39% poverty rate within our city, and the median age is around the upper 30s, so this program is targeted perfectly to help our citizens here in the community.”

Boyes said many families in Gregory struggle to meet basic needs.

“There’s a lot of people that have difficulty meeting the challenge of being able to feed their kids, pay their rent, pay their bills, put gas in the car,” she said. “These are all fundamental things we need in order to thrive. Having Circles come in and help people navigate these challenges is going to be huge for our citizens.”

Gregory City Administrator Blyth Swartsfager said city leaders have been looking for ways to provide more support services to residents and believe the partnership can make a lasting impact.

Jones said the goal is not just short-term assistance, but long-term change.

“We’re hoping to have 15 families,” Jones said. “We call them leaders, our participants, and it doesn’t have to be families. It could be an individual experiencing poverty who wants to move out of that situation.”

The new Gregory chapter is expected to begin serving families later this month.