THRIVING Melanin Family Magazine June 2017: A Father's Love | страница 4

THRIVE / Contents THRIVE Crew June Issue 6 1 13 ANTOINE PARIE 14 10 I am Antoine Parie and currently reside in the super hot very windy desert of Lancaster CA. I am the father of three handsome boys Justin, Dash and Sage Parie whom my total world revolves around. In 2010 I graduated with my AA degree in culinary arts and since then I have been cooking in various establishments including The Antelope Valley Hospital where I truly realized my dream. I was working terrible hours that didn’t allow me to be home to cook for my kids help with homework and sometimes not be there to see them off to bed. On top of that there was no room for advancement. So I talked to another co-worker told him I have a dream to be bigger than that place and cook better food and do it the right way, do it my way so with little effort and not much thought I came up with the name Cali Smokehouse Zodiac Grill. Not long after the name was born around a month later in the summer of 2012 my coworker and I went and got our business license and started advertising our catering services. My purpose in life as I see it is to nourish the mind the body and the souls of as many people that I possibly can. I hope to one day become a celebrity chef and have a show that actually makes it on air lol so I can reach far more people than what I currently do. I want to get a distribution deal and place food on shelves of stores. I want to create brands and become a household name. I wish to give everyone one of a kind foodgasms and most importantly I want to leave an empire to my children because most of the hard work and struggles are for them and if all most or some of these things are accomplished that will be Antoine Parie’s legacy. 17 21 18 REGINALD PERRY My name is Reginald Perry. I’m a divorced father of four daughters and one son. Born in Memphis, Tennessee and currently living in Central Texas. I moved to Texas with my mother and two younger brothers when I was eleven years old. I graduated high school in Bangs Texas, a small rural community in West Central Texas. I attended Tarleton State University in Stephenville Texas where I received a bachelor’s degree in social work. I attended graduate school at Tarleton State University - Central Texas in Killeen Texas. Currently, I’m a social worker employed as a behavioral specialist for a medium sized School District in Central Texas. I knew as early as eight years old that I wanted to help people. By the time I was fifteen years old, I knew that I wanted to work in the education/social Arena. I’ve been employed at facilities assisting adults with developmental disabilities, a youth prison, therapeutic group homes for adolescents, Head Start, and the past ten years in the public education system. I’m inquisitive by Nature, and I love to learn new things. I’m an avid reader with particular interest in social-political dynamics. I’ve been a sports official for two decades. In my spare time I enjoy assembling, cleaning, and shooting a variety of modern and military surplus firearms. I like to build and repair anything I can get my hands on. My friends and family call me a “jack of all trades.” In the next 5 years I see myself starting a business and developing programs helping families and schools meet the ever-changing needs of today’s at risk youth in the educational and home setting. I also see myself being married within this time frame. 24 DEPARTMENTS 10 DEDICATIONS 1 FOUNDERS LETTERS 13 BECOMING A SINGLE FATHER by Antoine Parie 3 THRIVE CREW 14 GIVING PROPS TO MY SONS FATHER by Brenda Sissoko 31 BOOK CLUB 32 CLASSIFIEDS 6 CELEBRATING SINGLE & CO-PARENTING FATHERS 17 TURNING WHAT I FELT INTO WHAT THEY NEED 18 BECOMING A SINGLE FATHER . . . by Kevin Baker 21 A CHILDS GLORY IS THEIR FATHER by E. Geno Heffner III 24 STYLIZED THRIVE by J. Nicolle by Reginald Perry On the Cover: AMs. Jennifer Pink and her husband Israel welcome their first child together J’adore Jennifer McGhee which will be the 7th child in their family. THRIVE MAGAZINE KEVIN BAKER Like many in our community, I come from a broken family and we are not very close. As a child and even into my adult life, I’ve always longed to have a large loving family. I had my 1st child (son Tyrell) at 19 and my second (daughter Kyvonne) at 23. I got married and had 2 other children and now I was a part of a REAL FAMILY although somewhat blended it was still MY FAMILY I am the youngest of 4 boys and not knowing who my biological father was always left a void in my development. Many of the mistakes that I made in my life may not have been had I had a father in my life to guide my decisions. I made a promise to God that my children would never grow up wondering who their father is. THRIVE MAGAZINE BRENDA SISSOKO Born in the Midwest, this mother of three is well traveled, having made homes in Georgia, Colorado, and North Carolina. These days she lives and works comfortably in Columbus, Oh. Her children are all adults and she loves spending time with her amazing four grandchildren. Visit www.favoredbyone.com for more information on Coach Brenda. 3