Nikita Goodwin models earrings and firelighters made at Thrive. Photo / Rachel Canning
Nikita Goodwin models earrings and firelighters made at Thrive. Photo / Rachel Canning
Unique adult organisation Thrive has a new home at the Nukuhau Community Hub.
The Equippers Church on Lakewood Drive had an empty space it wanted the community to use and community organisation Thrive now fills the space with busyness and laughter three days a week.
Thrive is an offshoot of ADDI (Advocating for diversity, difference and inclusion) and offers personalised learning for children and young adults.
Founder Gaye Vartiainen says the purpose of Thrive is to support unique adults by creating opportunities for them to contribute and participate in their community.
"Our clients come along because the work they do and the things they learn are meaningful and purposeful and give them a reason to get up in the morning," Gaye says.
She says many people are aware of the Thrive shop and have started to place their winter orders for firelighters, pines cones and kindling.
Clients are also out and about in the community, doing paid and volunteer work such as gardening, lawn mowing, and baking to sell for fundraising.
Nikita Goodwin, 23, is doing work experience at hair and beauty salon Mirror Image in Acacia Bay. She is very happy with her new cut and colour.
"I do the cleaning up. It's a nice place to work, one [of the other staff] is the same age as me," Nikita says.
She also likes making fire starters and sewing baby blankets and aprons.
Thrive supervisor Queenie Withers says clients also learn important life skills, like cooking, looking after their money, supermarket shopping, healthy living, car maintenance, laundry, and looking after a garden.
"Recently three Thrive boys [men aged 22, 30, 56] have moved into a house together. For the first time ever, they are living away from home and are independent.
"They've got a schedule for cooking, and there's a routine for cleaning. They mow their own lawns and have a veggie garden," Queenie says.
Sian Morris runs a vocational programme so clients can compare prices, read and write an email, prepare a curriculum vitae and know what to do at a job interview.
Homemade earrings were a big hit at the recent Taupō Home & Garden Show. Sian says the clients had lessons beforehand on how to greet people.
"The aim of my teaching is so the clients get treated with dignity."
She enjoys her work so much it doesn't feel like work at all.
Haylee volunteers for Thrive and is making a commissioned piece of hanging pumice art. Photo / Rachel Canning
Sian says the clients all have their favourite activities and goals they are working towards.
Cameron likes to take photographs of landscapes and animals, and he also likes walking. Mere likes writing her name, vacuuming, and making candles. James has a favourite horse he likes to ride at Horses R Us and is learning sign language. Donni makes firelighters, and wooden planter boxes and outdoor seats. Luke also likes doing woodwork and reading the Bible.
Gaye started ADDI in 2009 and could see the need for Thrive. One on one tuition can really help someone to make sense of things."
Gaye is immensely proud of her own son Sean Vartiainen, 25, who has dyslexia and was recently selected to do his doctorate in neuropsychology at the University of Auckland. She says Sean's dyslexia was the reason she started ADDI.
"Thousands applied to do their doctorate. Thirty got an interview and Sean was one of 15 selected."
Thrive: The Details
Where:
65 Lakewood Drive, down the driveway on the left hand side of the Equippers Church.
