Life & Community | Thrive Detroit

30Dec 2019 by sajjiah

The Monthly JOW: Thoughts Are Things and Words Are Spells

By Sajjiah Parker Thoughts Are Things and Words Are Spells Yes, thoughts are things and words are spells, and both our thoughts and our words have creative power--the power to create a vivid, colorful masterpiece of our dreams, visions, and goals, as well as the power to cause mass destruction to our hopes and dreams. Now, also consider the fact that we are thinking beings, thinking incessantly, all day, every day. In fact, most of the research I have explored on the subject suggests that the average person has 12,000 to 50,000 thoughts a day! Think about that--possibly as many as 50,000 thoughts a day! With so many thoughts, ask yourself: what are the true contents of your thoughts, and the words you are speaking to yourself? What predominates your…

30Dec 2019 by Ina Fernandez

It’s Never Too Early to Save for Retirement… Truly!

Finance, Lifestyle

Writer, Ina Fernandez, CPA A 2018 report by the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies* made me sit up and take notice. It found that the median savings for people in their sixties, including equity in their homes, was $172,000. That seems like a lot of money until you divide it by the 20 years that most are likely to live beyond retirement. That calculates to $8600 per year, hardly enough to supplement the $17,000 per year from social security that the average retiree is likely to get, and way, way below what most will need to cover expenses in their retirement. So, with pensions now as rare as landlines, we need to start saving for retirement early, as soon as our first job. If we put away small sums that…

22Dec 2019 by Tash Moore

Next Time, Let’s Get Lunch on Me

Business, Enterprise, Homelessness, Poverty, Stories

Writer, Tash Moore Westlake is a long way from Oak Park, Michigan. It's a neighborhood that skirts downtown Los Angeles and has become home to La Bodega. The concept is the brick-and-mortar home base of LaRayia Gaston's vegan cafe and shop, as well as Lunch on Me. Gaston, originally from New York, founded Lunch on Me, a pop-up that serves the homeless throughout Skid Row, Watts, Venice, Compton, and lately MacArthur Park. Through partnerships and sponsorships with big names like Whole Foods and BuzzFeed, LaRayia--alongside President, Venus--has been able to provide healthy, affordable meals to locals of all stripes. I was introduced to Lunch on Me through a pop-up in Detroit last winter, right before the polar vortex froze SE Michigan to a virtual standstill. I met Venus, ever enthusiastic,…

22Dec 2019 by Thrive

I, Thou, and Homelessness

Editorials, Homelessness, Inequity, Poverty

Delphia Simmons, Editor This Summer I was invited to give a Fall lecture about homelessness. I would be lecturing a group of about 30 active retirees somewhere in Oakland County. I sat with the invitation while gazing out the window from behind my desk with pen in hand. Requests such as these come from a desire for people to know more and to do more. I’ve come to know that even compassionate, well-intentioned people need, and sometimes want, to challenge what they think they know about people who are living without shelter or housing. The words “homeless and homelessness” evoke images, snapshots that prompt thoughts and confirm held beliefs. Although we all want to help, I can never take for granted that we are on the page or that our words have the same meaning.…

23Apr 2019 by jourdan

Summer Fun 2019

Events, Life & Community

By Jourdan Taylor Senior High Student, Writer, Artist, Activist Summer is almost here, and that means fun awaits! No one wants to be stuck in the house with no plans. So, I thought, why not give a list of places you can visit to make the most of warm weather and longer days? This list is made up of activities around metro Detroit and won’t disappoint. There’s so much to do, you won’t have time to think about being bored for the rest of the summer! So let’s dive in. Ford fireworks: This always happens near the end of June and is a super-fun, family-friendly event! There are several food trucks and restaurants nearby and plenty of things to do while waiting for the fireworks to begin. It’s usually an…

23Apr 2019 by delphia

The Misnomer of Affordable Housing in Detroit

Editorials, Homelessness, Opinion

By Delphia Simmons, Editor I cringe when I read or hear the “A-word” uttered in Detroit these days, especially in relationship to housing. As a city, I think we’ve almost forgotten that affordable housing for all is as important to the life of a truly thriving city as shiny new restaurants and shops, perhaps even more so. I wish I could say I believe that Detroit understands this fact. But much of what I hear is easy lip service and background noise. The reality is clearer each day: We are losing housing that is affordable for most residents of Detroit at a pace that is not keeping up with replacement or even the proclamations of new developments with 20% “affordable” units. Adding to the problem is the fact that units…