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Circles Campaign draws CBS crew to Springfield

‘A day in the life’ shows two families bridging a gap to fight poverty.

$Robert Roth, 5, and sister Veronica Roth, 3, watches footage of their family being replayed in the camera of CBS Evening News videographer Jake Barlow during a film session Thursday at the Roth residence. \uFEFFSTAFF PHOTO BY BARBARA J. PERENIC$

Barbara J. Perenic Robert Roth, 5, and sister Veronica Roth, 3, watches footage of their family being replayed in the camera of CBS Evening News videographer Jake Barlow during a film session Thursday at the Roth residence. \uFEFFSTAFF PHOTO BY BARBARA J. PERENIC

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Robert Roth, 5, watches footage of his family being replayed in the camera of CBS Evening News videographer Jake Barlow during a film session Thursday at the Roth residence. The footage will contribute to an Aug. 31 special on the Roths – a middle income family – assisting the low income Springfield family of Stacy Carroll to help them out of poverty. STAFF PHOTO BY BARBARA J. PERENIC

Barbara J. Perenic Robert Roth, 5, watches footage of his family being replayed in the camera of CBS Evening News videographer Jake Barlow during a film session Thursday at the Roth residence. The footage will contribute to an Aug. 31 special on the Roths – a middle income family – assisting the low income Springfield family of Stacy Carroll to help them out of poverty. STAFF PHOTO BY BARBARA J. PERENIC

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By Mark McGregor, Staff Writer 10:42 PM Thursday, August 25, 2011

SPRINGFIELD — A CBS Evening News video crew was in Springfield Thursday following two local women for a segment on how building relationships across class and cultural lines can improve impoverished families.

The segment will compare the similarities of Stacy Carroll, a low-income mother of five, and Marcia Roth, a middle-income mother of five, while contrasting their economic situations they shared during a more than yearlong partnership to guide Carroll out of poverty as part of the Clark County Circles Campaign.

The local campaign, which began in 2007, is one of 60 in 26 states in the National Circles Campaign and offers a different approach to social advancement of low-income families — contrasting approaches that target only a surface need of housing or food.

Campaigns link low-income families like the Carrolls — called “Circle Leaders” — with two or three middle-income families such as the Roths — called “Allies” — who offer the Circle Leaders advice and guidance and form the “Circle” for an 18-month journey, said Karin VanZant, CEO of the National Circles Campaign. Based upon their success, Circle Leaders could become Allies themselves, she said.

“CBS contacted National Circle Campaign about doing ‘a day in the life’ segment about a circle,” Van Zant said of the filming. “Stacy and Marcia were willing (to be filmed) and they did so well (in the program), we thought they would make a great story.”

Since Carroll’s journey began, she has made strides toward her stated goals of stabilizing her life through steady work at a local Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles office and moving into her own home.

“It’s amazing what people can do and how quickly it can happen given the right support and environment,” VanZant said.

There are currently 22 Circles in the local campaign, some of whom have become homeowners, and about 1,000 nationally, according to VanZant. The national office was relocated to Springfield Aug. 1.

The segment is slated to air during the CBS Evening News program at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday on WHIO-TV (Channel 7).

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