Local nonprofit offers way to pay respect to those we’ve lost

By Wesley Gardner
LPR Editor

Local nonprofit Where We Thrive is giving residents an opportunity to honor their lost loved ones with a Nicho Workshop that will be held from 1-3 p.m. Nov. 1 at the Spellerberg Projects Gallery on the square in Lockhart.
Where We Thrive, which aims at developing community resources to help improve the life of Caldwell County residents – particularly at-risk youth and elderly individuals – recently rented space in the Spellerberg Projects Gallery with nonprofit Mano Amiga to set up headquarters for both organizations.
According to Margaret Carter, who runs Where We Thrive with local business owner Cody Kimbell and Martindale City Councilmember Sonja Villalobos, the workshop will help attendees decorate a small cigar box with photos of lost loved ones and other items that serve as reminders of them.
“The cigar boxes will be made for people to honor their ancestors or their pets, or whomever,” said Carter. “Then, we’ll have a butterfly that people can purchase for a $5 donation.
“We made a tree so people can write their loved ones names or anything they want, and then we’re going to hang them on the tree and keep it as a display at Where We Thrive.”
Carter noted that cigar boxes, art supplies and samples for inspiration would be provided to those attending the workshop.
Carter also noted that Where We Thrive will be hosting Black Consciousness Day at 6 p.m. Nov. 6 at the Spellerberg Projects Gallery. The event will also serve as a soft opening for the nonprofit’s new location on the square. $5 donations are encouraged to attend the event.
“The reason we’re doing the Black Consciousness Day is because so many times in the past, people didn’t have the opportunity to be showcased or recognized for their achievements,” said Carter. “Hopefully we all can come together and work together, because I truly believe we work better together.”
Carter said one of the main functions of Where We Thrive is providing mentoring programs and motivational programs for at-risk youth to encourage them to seek out scholarships and grants for higher education.
“I just think that it’s important that we build a safe place and a positive place of learning to work together, to mentor,” she said. “Our focus is on those inner-city kids.
“Most of them come from single-parent homes. Their grandparents are raising them. We want to put mentors in their life. We want to put positive male role models, or whatever it is they’re missing. We want to meet their needs.”