A leadership training program with offices in Ames has received a two-year, $360,000 grant from the Department of Health and Human Services to help reach more people with its efforts to quell poverty.

Scott Miller, executive director and co-founder of Move the Mountain Leadership Center, 416 Douglas Ave. #205, said the grant was given to the center to promote leadership development and strategic planning to community action agencies. The grant will be used to implement new programs in New York, Pennsylvania, California, New Mexico, Connecticut, Minnesota and Missouri, he said.

“The purpose of the grant is to develop 200 executives to lead their communities in issues of poverty,” said Gary Stokes, chief executive officer of Move the Mountain.

The grant will be used to share the skills the center provides to a broader geographic area.

“We provide leadership training, strategic planning and executive coaching to leaders throughout the country,” Miller said.

Stokes said he and Miller started the center after working with Mid-Iowa Community Action, based in Marshalltown. He said they separated from Mid-Iowa because their goals were often more national than the local goals of Mid-Iowa.

Miller said Move the Mountain is involved in Iowa because of an anonymous grant.

The center primarily works with superintendents of schools, the governor’s office and community action directors, he said.

“There are many different projects Move the Mountain are involved with to help end poverty in America,” Miller said.

Move the Mountain in Ames also encompasses another project.

Steve Aigner, former president of Beyond Welfare, said Beyond Welfare was originally a project under the offices of Move the Mountain, but it now considers itself a partner with Move the Mountain.

“Beyond Welfare works with people in Story County to reduce poverty both on a long-term and short-term basis,” he said.

Aigner said Move the Mountain originally provided Beyond Welfare an organizational home, helped with grant writing and shared connections Beyond Welfare was lacking.