Andre takes the field at Clare Housing's annual Adaptive Kickball game.
If you get the chance to meet Andre at one of the many groups he’s involved in, you might not realize right away that you’ve come across a community powerhouse. As a person who was once very shy and withdrawn, he now uses his gentle and quiet demeanor to create welcoming spaces for his community. From raising his voice as a member of the Clare Housing Resident Advisory Council to performing in the Ball scene across the country, Andre is always finding ways to build connections.
Raised in Gary, Indiana, Andre moved to New York City in 2014 to live with a boyfriend he’d met online through his involvement with the Ballroom scene, an LGBTQ drag subculture focused on creating affirming spaces for Black and Latino performers. The relationship didn’t work out, and without local connections Andre found himself homeless in the midst of winter. A friend helped him get a ticket back to Gary, but even in a more familiar location he continued to struggle with housing instability and homelessness. Another friend helped him come north to Minnesota in 2016 and he crashed with friends until he got the opportunity to move into the then brand-new Marshall Flats building Clare Housing opened in 2017.
The stability Andre gained through living at Marshall Flats has allowed him to get involved with a wide variety of groups at both Clare Housing and in the greater community. “If someone who knew me ten years ago saw me now, they would be so surprised. I used to be a shy, standoffish person,” he says “but I’ve opened up a lot.”
“I’m always a good listener,” Andre continues. He describes that as he has grown and matured, he realized his gift for listening helps him create connections and meet new people. It’s no surprise that his ability to be attentive and make space for others has made him a great asset to the many communities he participates in.
Despite the rough start with his ex in New York, Andre continues to be active in the Ball culture scene and travels to attend Balls in other cities, since the scene in Minneapolis is pretty small. Participants in Ball culture organize themselves into houses, and Andre is a a member of the House of Mizrahi and cofounder of a kiki house, meaning a house that’s more youth oriented and open to experimentation, called the House of Notorious. He has recently started doing drag as his alter ego Maverick Adonis Richards and has been dipping his toes into the water of performing locally at venues like the Saloon and Lush.
Closer to home, Andre has been a longtime participant in Clare Housing’s Resident Advisory Council (RAC). He marvels at how much time has passed when he realizes he’s been a member for four years. Meeting once a month, RAC make recommendations to Clare Housing staff on how to improve life at Clare while creating opportunities for residents to connect. Andre has participated in RAC activities like the annual Adaptive Kickball game, where he helped lead his team to victory, and a Snack and Paint party where residents and staff created unique interpretations of a guided painting project.
When he’s not busy with all this activity, Andre spends his free time at home reading, watching tv, listening to music, and working on his creative writing. He shares that he loves reading the page-turning mystery novels of James Patterson and he’s currently working on writing a memoir, a project he started during a series of writing workshops for residents at Marshall Flats.
When asked how he contributes to the community, staff have nothing but positive things to say about Andre. “Not only does Andre bring his smile,” says Operations Coordinator Jon Heilig, who supports RAC “but he brings a variety of other gifts to the Council including his calm demeanor, his kindness, and his willingness to help other residents." We are so glad to have Andre deeply involved in the Clare Housing community and are eager to see where his pursuits take him next.
