Thrive

Thrive is a weekly support circle for people who are in a state of transition from living on the street to permanent housing, or from unemployment/precarious employment to more secure employment. Homelessness and economic exploitation cause trauma that can lead to challenges in gaining a sense of safety, self-love, and belonging through transitions. We recognize that these transitional times are challenging, and that people often lose their housing or their job due to the chronic crises of poverty and trauma–we want to ensure that people keep their housing, keep their jobs, and build capacity toward stability through social connection.

The support circle will run continuously from March 26 - August 13, 2024, with the following weeks off for rest and reflection:

• April 29, 2024 (No gathering)
• July 2, 2024 (No gathering)

Thrive uses a Mutual Aid model, which means we build a shared understanding that the systems we live under, not individual people, are to blame for crisis. Participants drive the direction and content of sessions, provide each other with support, and invite each other into collective action.

Sessions are facilitated by Luna N.H., a clinical social work student, as well as co-facilitation by experienced community members. Sessions focus on activities and collective action related to preventing crisis, trauma, and destructive conflict while building joy, creative problem solving, and self-love. Time is also provided for peer support where participants are encouraged to listen to one another, offer guidance, and help each other strategize through current problems. 

Program Goals: 

• Hold space for grief, pain, suffering, anger, and struggle during times of change
• Participants maintain a job or housing, if that is the participant’s wish
• Address material needs (car problems, transportation issues, childcare issues) and build social connections that can be supportive in crisis, if that is the participant’s wish
• Expand space for belonging, care, joy, hope, and opportunity during times of change
• Connect to social change organizations and movements that provide purpose, healing, and access to justice

Co-facilitators and participants will have the opportunity to be trained in deescalation, upstander intervention, and generative facilitation as needed and desired by Care-Based Safety staff.

Note: While this program is housed within FedUp Ministries, it is not a faith-based program–people of all faiths or no faith are welcome and encouraged, and no faith-based content will be included in the program. Participants are invited and encouraged to bring in their own spirituality and religious or faith-based practice.