A new group aims to reduce poverty in Barton County by turning to the experts — those who live from paycheck to paycheck and crisis to crisis — and empowering them with a circle of allies.Circles of Central Kansas will hold an informational meeting at 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 13, at Great Bend’s First United Methodist Church, 2123 Forest Ave.Members of the steering committee said they hope people in need and people who want to help will attend to learn more about how to get involved.The program is a joint effort between Barton County Academy/ESSDACK, Barton County Health Department, 20th Judicial District Community Corrections and Kansas Kids @ Gear Up.They’d like to find 15-20 people in poverty who are willing to attend training to get their lives in a better position. Those who sign up will complete a 20-week program called “Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin’-By World,” said Rebecca Gillette, site director at Barton County Academy.“They can be making a substantial amount of money,” said Barton County Health Department Director Shelly Schneider. A family of four with an annual income of $49,000 is still below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, a threshold the group hopes people can cross.“From the poverty line we want to bring people to 200 percent, if not 300 percent,” she said.“We can’t give them money — that is not part of the program — but we can give them ideas,” Gillette said.