Capital City CIRCLES Initiative of Carson City gains new coach

A program whose mission is to help Carson City families living in poverty find a path to self-sufficiency has gained a new coach.

Brenda Silis, program manager at the Capital City CIRCLES Initiative, welcomed Wirt Twitchell as a coach.

Twitchell, who holds an Ed. D in Counseling and Educational Psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno, has a background in job and career coaching, inter-cultural communication and dispute resolution.

Most recently he served as the career development manager for the Native TANF Program (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) based in Gardnerville.

He also taught at Western Nevada College and was the director of advising and academic services at Southern Oregon University and director of academic advising and career services at Truckee Meadows College.

“We’re delighted to have Wirt as part of our team as we continue to help working families help themselves,” said Shelly Aldean, chair of the CCCI Board of Directors. “His background and enthusiasm for helping others are an ideal complement to the CIRCLES organization.”

Coaches are responsible for supporting participants, volunteers, and the program manager. They also conduct outreach to the community and support the program’s efforts by organizing, recruiting, training and assisting Community Allies and program participants who, upon graduation, become “Champions for Change.”

The nonprofit is dedicated to elevating families out of poverty through cooperative community efforts.

It supports its mission by creating relationships across class lines and empowering people in poverty to chart their own courses toward self-sufficiency.

Rather than just dealing with the immediate needs of its clients, the program provides resources over the long term to assist them in learning the skills needed to become financially independent.

Through mentoring, classroom instruction, assistance in completing applications for higher education and other supportive services, the program seeks to address the root causes of poverty, rather than just treating its symptoms.