STEPMC

History

Steps to End Poverty in McPherson County was founded in 2010 by a group of passionate leaders in the city of McPherson who were dedicated to fighting poverty and inspired by the power that relationships had in that fight. For the majority of our history, STEPMC was connected with the Circles USA movement. Over the past decade we have worked tirelessly to build relationships and walk alongside people as they overcome poverty.

Vision

A community of hope, abundance, and connection.

Mission

To build relationships that transform lives and move our community beyond poverty.

Our Core Values

• We value relationships: People are at the center of our work, and we believe in the power of community and that healthy relationships heal people.
• We value the dignity and worth of all people: We believe that everyone deserves compassion, that everyone can teach us something (for example, people in poverty are the experts on poverty), and that we should work with people, instead of doing things to or for them.
• We value safety and consistency: We believe people need safe spaces to learn, heal, and grow, and that healthy boundaries, good communication, and non-judgment are keys to creating these spaces.
• We value hope: We chose to believe that the future is bright, that everyone is doing the best they can, and that there is an abundance or resources in our community.
• We value competence: We believe our programs are most successful when we are knowledgeable about trauma, resilience, and what poverty actually looks like in our community.

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