A Wider Circle, a national leader in the movement to end poverty in the United States, announced the appointment of three new vice presidents. Shalini Benson, Shannon Hawkins, and Amy Javaid join Founder and President Mark Bergel to lead the organization's response to the ever-increasing urgent need for services and support for those living in poverty and will play a pivotal role in helping families achieve sustained financial self-sufficiency.

"From our origin as an educational organization and a provider of essential support for individuals and families in poverty, the work of A Wider Circle has grown significantly and now focuses on the delivery of comprehensive, long-term programs that can affect individual and community level change. These three strong and accomplished professionals bring a wealth of expertise to our work and significantly raise the bar for our organization," said Mark Bergel. "Despite the fact that the U.S. spends more than $1 trillion dollars annually on programs for those in poverty, more than 45 million Americans still endure the inhumanity of living in deep poverty every day. And nearly 100 million live in need of assistance with essential support. Everyone deserves the opportunity to rise out of poverty, and I know that with their leadership and the contributions of our entire team and army of volunteers and supporters, we will make a significant and lasting difference."

Shalini Madan Benson, a former assistant administrator for fund management at FEMA, has been appointed Vice President for Headquarters and Operations. She will oversee several efforts including the Professional Development Center, Essential Support, and Headquarters Operations. Her prior experience in mission support at several federal agencies has provided Ms. Benson with the opportunity to hone her skills in budgeting, leading diverse teams, collaboration, policy analysis, communications, recruiting, and development talent.

Shannon Hawkins, who previously served as A Wider Circle Board member, has been named Vice President for Outreach and Development. In this capacity she will direct the communications, fundraising, and advocacy efforts for the organization. An experienced marketing executive, Ms. Hawkins most recently served as senior vice president for corporate communications and community relations at FBR, a publicly traded national investment bank. She also held senior positions at the Greater Washington Board of Trade, Iconixx, and real estate firm Akridge.

Amy Javaid has expanded her prior role and has been promoted to Vice President of Programs. In this role, Ms. Javaid will lead the Neighborhood Partnerships programs in deeply impoverished communities and launch a new flagship initiative, Partnership to Independence, a comprehensive five-year wraparound program to empower families on the path to sustained financial self-sufficiency. Through nearly 20 years of work with nonprofits in the U.S. and around the world, Ms. Javaid brings expertise in project design, implementation, management, and monitoring. She has worked with myriad populations in need and will bring together a wide array of partners in the movement for greater equity and opportunity for all.

Since 2001, A Wider Circle has expanded from educational programming and free furniture and home goods, to now include a comprehensive, long-term, evidence-based platform empowering individuals and families to lift themselves out of the cycle of poverty and enjoy the freedom of sustained financial self sufficiency in healthy safe communities. Each year, with the help of more than 30,000 volunteers, A Wider Circle provides 16,000 individuals with the tools essential for dignified living in stable homes and 2,500 individuals with the skills and resources they need to be in the workforce, while serving an additional 7,500 children and adults through its special programs and services.