Full Circle THRIVE Award: Thomas

Growing up in Carrie Steele-Pitts homes, the oldest Black orphanage in the United States, Thomas learned the importance of a thriving community.

“[This was a] pivotal in my life to understand giving when someone is in need, how to create a safe place,” Thomas explained. “Being there as a child, then coming back and working as an adult was pivotal in understanding what goes behind a home and making sure children and family get what they need.”  

From a young age, Thomas knew that the first step to psychologist Abraham Maslow’s path of self-fulfillment was shelter. He believed, without a home, you have no support.  

Unfortunately, after a family member got sick, Thomas, his wife and four children lost their home. While living in an intact shelter program ran by United Methodist, Thomas slowed down and analyzed his situation before looking for the best path forward.  

This was from something else he picked up at Carrie-Steele Pitts Homes, chess.  

As a kid, Thomas was not interested in running around with the other children. He could more likely be found off to the side, teaching one of his peers how to play chess so that he would have someone to play with.

“I think that chess teaches you to slow down, to focus,” Thomas stated. “It helps develop that muscle for long thinking. I think the biggest problem we have as humans, especially with our children, is we do not train them to focus for a long period of time.”

Thomas discovered Atlanta Habitat when he slowed down. Once Thomas had his home, he was once again on his journey to self-fulfillment.  

After his build, he continued to volunteer by teaching chess to children in the Atlanta Habitat community, something he was already doing with children who passed through Carrie Steele.  

In 2017, his chess club caught the eye of an anonymous donor who gifted the project with seed money to create a chess-based nonprofit, Metro Atlanta Chess Partners, benefiting Atlanta Habitat families.  

“My whole idea was to build a platform in my community where we don’t have to look when it comes to finding someone to play,” Thomas said. “We know there’s a community of chess players who enjoy the game.”

At the THRIVE Awards, Thomas was awarded the Full Circle Award for donating his time and talents back to Atlanta Habitat to benefit other Atlanta Habitat families.