Where We Thrive spring programs

Where We Thrive

Local nonprofit Where We Thrive (WWT) has a full slate of programs planned for spring, all designed to benefit and empower members of our community.

• First up: Sip & Paint — WWT, with support from the Black Girl Freedom Fund (BGFF), is hosting what is sure to be a delightful evening focused on self-care for women and girls of all ages on Saturday, April 29, from 5-10 p.m. at 3030 SH 80 in Luling. Taking place in Luling at the Fox Trap Bar 2.0 and Grill, the event will provide 8×10 canvases, easels, paint, and brushes for 50 would-be artists to express themselves. Other features include karaoke, games, drinks, food, and fun! Males welcome, too! The first 15 attendees who bring a plus-1 guest will also receive a Luling Watermelon Thump button.

• Black girls essay contest and trip to Washington D.C. — Along with the BGFF, WWT will sponsor two girls to visit the nation’s capital to experience the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture and other inspirational sites that tell the stories of Black women. Black girls in grades 9-12 at Lockhart High School or Pride High School are encouraged to submit a 500- to 700-word essay on what it is like to be a Black female in a classroom, work environment, or social environment; what they have learned through these experiences; and how they will apply those lessons to their life in the future. We also welcome other forms of creative expression such as poetry, painting, spoken word, and video (5-minute limit). A panel of distinguished judges will evaluate the submissions for their ideas and concepts, viewpoint, creativity, and originality. Submit entries by May 15 to wherewethrive19@gmail.com.

• Emergency Essentials Pantry — To assist those experiencing financial hardship, in 2019 we opened an emergency essentials pantry at 103 S. Main St. (Spellerberg Gallery building in Lockhart’s town square). The program scaled back during the pandemic, but thanks to generous funding from the Caldwell County Community Services Foundation, we are restocking. We recently moved from the second floor to the first for easier access to the pantry. Eligible participants may receive items for babies/children and adults, to include personal toiletries, health care items, undergarments, and household supplies. These items are free, but we ask that participants contribute to their community by assisting with WWT programs and operations. The launch date will be announced soon.

• Medical Lending Closets — A new offering, WWT seeks to help those with medical setbacks by providing free use of medical equipment such as walkers, wheelchairs, crutches, shower chairs, and commodes. Eligible recipients are the elderly, disabled people, people experiencing homelessness, and those enduring a hardship. For easier distribution, we are partnering with churches in underserved communities; the churches will store the items and WWT will open the closets to the public two times per week. Again, these items are free, but we asked that they be returned when they are no longer needed. Our first closet will open at the William Taylor United Methodist Church in Luling. We are grateful to Luling City Council member Lee Rust for his fervent support with this and countless other community efforts. We seek volunteers to help operate the medical lending closets.

Earlier this year, WWT and the Dr. Eugene Clark Library hosted a well-attended Black History Month talk by acclaimed Black history author and UT professor Leonard Moore, PhD, preceded by a special treat – a jazz combo performance. We also donated more than 300 books to Ebbon Baptist Church in the rural McNeil community to enable Pastor Sean Rivers to open a library.

Established in 2019, Where We Thrive, Inc., is a Lockhart-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to rebuild, restore, mentor, and develop community resources to improve the lives of our citizens living in poverty, with emphasis on high-potential youth and the elderly. Follow-us on Facebook and Instagram! For more information on any of these programs, please contact us at wherewethrive19@gmail.com.