Cody Martensen has had a saying written on his mirror for the past decade: “Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future.”
The motto fits for a man who overcame 21 years of substance abuse and regained custody of his children by joining Circles, a national poverty reduction program and support group run in Utah and Wasatch counties by Community Action Services and Food Bank.
Martensen is now the director of the program and sole staff member after he was forced to lay off six employees. Community Action Services is significantly scaling back its Circles programs — including by shutting down the Wasatch County program — after losing federal funding.
Community Action Services has run Circles since 2010. It is available to those making less than 200% of the poverty threshold, or about $66,000 annually for a family of four based on federal guidelines.
Participants complete a 12-week program to learn skills to help them toward financial stability. Then they are paired with mentors, or “allies,” who help them achieve their goals.
Those goals are not restricted to financial ones. They could also be related to physical or mental health, substance abuse recovery, professional development or post-secondary education, as a few examples.
“We had a client that wanted to learn how to eat better and be more physically active, so the ally would walk a mile a day with them,” Martensen said. “We had an ally that would watch a girl’s kids so she could go get her CNA and get into the medical field. It’s just those intentional friendships, like, ‘Hey, I believe in you. How can I help you?’”
A participant ultimately completes the program by reaching 200% of the poverty threshold. On average, participants increase their incomes by $14,000, according to Jessica Miller, chief impact officer at Community Action Services.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families grants almost entirely fund the Circles programs in Utah and Wasatch counties. The Utah Department of Workforce Services last funded Circles in July 2023 with a $1 million grant. That funding made it possible to expand to Wasatch County and add youth and Spanish-language classes to the Utah County program.
In anticipation of its three-year grant contract expiring, Community Action Services reapplied for a Temporary Assistance for Needy Families grant, but the Utah Department of Workforce Services declined to fund the program.
Department of Workforce Services spokesman Jared Mendenhall said this year’s grant process was “very competitive” and that the majority of applicants did not receive funding. He did not share how many applicants there were, nor the total amount distributed, because grant contracts are still being finalized.
“We wish that there was no limit to any of our resources and we could fund all the good projects,” he said.
Community Action Services is seeking to fill Circles’ funding gap through local foundations and state and federal funding opportunities, Miller said.
“We remain hopeful that this important community resource will be brought back up to speed quickly so that families can continue their work forward out of poverty,” Miller said.
But for now, the nonprofit has laid off six of its seven Circles employees, closed its Wasatch County program and denied new applicants to the Utah County program, which is now being run entirely by Martensen.
In fiscal year 2026, the programs served 399 individuals in Utah County and 42 in Wasatch County.
Martensen said poverty typically looks different in Wasatch County than in Utah County.
“I have noticed that sometimes people are like, ‘I’m not in poverty.’ The ‘poverty’ word scares them,” he said. “I don’t see the real debt or the real finances until six months down the road. … Usually, the first six months we’re building rapport, and we’re building trust, like, ‘Hey, we’re not here to judge you. We’re just here to learn together.’”
Martensen’s biggest concern about Circles leaving Wasatch County is losing the relationships and trust he and other employees have built locally over the past three years. If the program were re-established in the area, it would be like starting over, he said.
The sight of his coworkers’ empty desks has also upset him.
“My staff were distraught. They loved what they did, and we had spent two years (since I became director) building this team and getting everybody trained,” he said. “The reason I picked these people and fought so hard to keep them was they really did care. They really had their own personal stories of triumph and had been through it and just wanted to help people.”
That’s why Martensen became director of the program. He was originally a participant himself eight years ago. He had struggled with drug addiction since he was 13, lost custody of his children and been in and out of jails and psych wards until his early 30s.
Then, he joined Circles, surrounding himself with peers who would hold him accountable to his goals.
“When you hang out with doctors, chances are, you’re going to be a doctor. You hang out with investors, chances are, you’re going to be a really good investor,” he said. “I think it’s the same thing for Circles. If you’re hanging out with people who are working on their health and working on their finances and working on fixing their credit and working on achieving goals, then chances are, you’re going to do that stuff, too.”
In Circles, Martensen was no longer facing his problems on his own. One time, his car broke down, and within a few days, his peers had found him 10 cheap cars to replace it.
“Surrounding yourself with good people that want nothing but the best for you, it just does something for your mental stability, your emotional stability,” he said.
These days, Martensen can’t believe he’s built the life he has today. He recently welcomed his seventh child into the world.
“I’ll have experiences with my baby, and I’ll call my older kids, and I’m like, ‘Hey, I’m sorry for not being the best dad back then.’ They’re like, ‘I know, Dad. You don’t have to keep calling us and telling us sorry,’” Martensen said.
Though Martensen is sad about Circles losing funding, he’s choosing to approach the situation with optimism, just as the program taught him to do.
“This is nothing compared to what I’ve been through,” he said. “My addiction almost took me out a couple times. So, I’m grateful to be here. (Circles) takes what I’ve been through and gives a purpose. I didn’t go through all that pain and anguish for nothing. I can use what I’ve been through to … instill hope in people, like, ‘Hey, I was there too. I made it out. I live a good life today.’ If that’s all I can do with what I’ve been through, then I’m doing a good job.”
The loss of funding will not affect Community Action Services’ food banks, which will continue to operate in both Utah and Wasatch counties. The nonprofit accepts donations and is seeking committed Circles volunteers in Utah County. Learn more at communityactionprovo.org.