Meet the 10 Deserving Winners of Our 2024 Share the Health Campaign 

There’s nothing better than a holiday tradition that helps to bring everyone together. At Thrive Market, our favorite holiday tradition is our Share the Health initiative, which enables us to help ease the financial burden of grocery shopping for the members of our community just in time for the holiday season. 

Back in October, we put out a call for our members to nominate the most deserving people in their lives to win $500 to use on healthy groceries from Thrive Market — and they delivered in some very big, heart-opening ways. We heard stories of love, triumph, and dedication even in the face of serious struggles; we saw sisters supporting sisters, friends supporting friends, and families being uplifted by their communities. 

Last year, we awarded three winners. This year, in honor of Thrive Market’s 10th birthday, we decided to Share the Health even more by randomly selecting 10 inspiring, selfless, and caring recipients. 

We’re honored to share their stories with you.

(Nominated by friend Jasmine)

“I’m nominating the Pasos family because Matt and Michelle work really hard on a limited income to provide their 3 kids with nutritious meals. Michelle runs a non-profit called United Collective that is dedicated to providing healing wellness opportunities to those who typically cannot afford them. She also teaches yoga at local junior college, she provides doula services to expecting mothers, and is currently working towards her yoga therapy certification. Matt works full time at Starbucks and is hoping to start an EMT training program in January.”

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(Nominated by cousin Sarah)

“My cousin and her husband both were laid off and are desperately looking for work to support their two young sons. This has been the most challenging time for them and it breaks my heart. Anything helps right now. I would love this for them.”

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(Nominated by friend Kris)

“Sheila is my friend, and she is a spirited survivor and thriver! She has battled breast cancer twice and continues to overcome it. She has cared for her children and grandchildren with a fierce love, supporting the overcoming of addiction and other struggles. She has a “special friend” named Ron who married this lovely lady two years ago after making it through cancer (she finally gave in to his absolute devotion!) They have found a home and she now can finally focus on her health. She works out and tries her best, and Thrive Market would be a perfect fit for this lady on her journey to complete health. I nominate Sheila with love!”

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(Nominated by partner Shih-Wen)

“For over eight years, Faith has been courageously battling a rare and debilitating condition called Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD). This chronic disorder causes her to experience constant feelings of dizziness, unsteadiness, and non-spinning vertigo, significantly impacting her daily life and overall well-being. Recently, Faith made a crucial discovery in managing her condition: certain foods can dramatically exacerbate her dizziness symptoms. This realization has transformed our approach to nutrition, making the quality and source of her food a top priority. However, this necessary shift in our dietary habits has brought with it a considerable increase in our expenses. The financial burden of sourcing appropriate, high-quality foods is particularly challenging for us, as we’ve already incurred substantial medical costs due to Faith’s ongoing treatment and numerous specialist consultations. Despite these obstacles, Faith remains determined to improve her health and quality of life through proper nutrition. Winning this would be a game-changer for Faith.” 

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(Nominated by sister Emma) 

“I’m nominating my sister, Tessa. There is no one more deserving. The past two years have been a nightmare for her, and she walks through it with so much grace, so much patience, and so much compassion. Her five year-old son Milo developed a condition called pediatric autoimmune immune neuropsychiatric disorder which causes his brain to swell. He is in the hospital while they fight for his life and try to raise the thousands and thousands of dollars they need for his treatment. On top of this, in October of last year, Tessa developed a sudden neurological condition that caused her to lose her ability to walk, move and take care of herself. She has spent the last eight months traveling back and forth to Boston for rehab to regain any strength and movement that she can to be able to continue to fight for her children. I have never seen someone love so fiercely and be so selfless, going through a tragedy of her own just to take care of her child. She deserves to have a little stress off her plate so she can focus on what’s really important.”

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(Nominated by friend Tristen)

“Jordan and her 1-year-old son Kyler tragically lost Matthew Lowrie, husband and father, on September 1, 2024, after his fourth open heart surgery. Matt spent the last few years of his life focusing on eating healthy, working out, and teaching his family the same. Matt was born with a heart condition and had to have four open heart surgeries. He fought hard, but his heart wasn’t strong enough to keep him alive. Matt was my best friend and this has been so hard for me, but even harder for Jordan and Kyler. Matt was 25 years old, and he was always full of joy and spread that to everyone he came in contact with. This would tremendously help his family while they learn how to live without him.” 

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(Nominated by friend Kristen) 

“I nominate Caitlin and her 3-year-old twin girls Mia and Fiona. Caitlin has been my best friend since Kindergarten. She is one of the hardest working people I know, and one of the best moms. She went to Rutgers, got her Masters Degree, and then wanted nothing more than to be a mother and start a family. She was blessed with twin girls three years ago — they are her entire world! Sadly, her partner left her and she is a single mom who works for the state of New Jersey with endangered children cases. Caitlin’s mom and dad stepped in to help raise the girls (especially as newborns) in a huge way. Sadly, her father passed away from brain cancer last spring. It was devastating as he was the patriarch of the whole family and the twins main male role model. Caitlin has been having such a hard time balancing twins, being a mom, work, life and grieving the loss of her father. Financially she is struggling, and I would just love to gift her healthy groceries. I just know she would be incredibly grateful and put to great use!” 

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(Nominated by sister Rebekah) 

“I’m nominating my youngest sister, Sarah, and her family. She lives on a farm in south Georgia. She is a wonderful wife and mother to three children and three grandchildren. She works extremely hard to make a loving home for her family and she is a gracious hostess to their many visitors. Their farm recently suffered damage from Hurricane Helene and they lost some of their crops, so their income will be affected. It would be a blessing for her to receive this gift, since they have many repairs to make.”

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(Nominated by sister Shannon) 

“Chelsea is my sister and best friend. I am nominating her because she is a single, working mom who homeschools her kids — in other words, she is a superwoman! Chelsea lives near Western North Carolina and did most of her shopping in a town that was hit very badly by Hurricane Helene. That town is now rubbish. She strives to feed her kids healthy and nutritious food, so Thrive Market is where a lot of their yummy snacks come from.” 

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(Self-nominated)

“Walking Tall is a Native teacher and healer. They provide one-on-one spiritual counseling, Reiki and sound healing, meditation and yoga instruction, and provide community support to the elderly and disabled.”