Wildflowers Institute

WILDFLOWERS INSTITUTE IS DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE SOCIAL FUNCTIONS OF A NEIGHBORHOOD.

WILDFLOWERS INSTITUTES MOST SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITY IN 2021 WAS TO EXECUTE NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECTS THAT WOULD MAKE VISIBLE LOCAL RESOURCES AND ASSETS THAT PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN HELPING VULNERABLE GROUPS COPE WITH THE PANDEMIC. THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 HAS BEEN HARSH AS IT HAS SELECTIVELY AFFECTED IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE COMMUNITIES AND MULTIRACIAL NEIGHBORHOODS. THE PANDEMIC HAS ALSO HIT HARD THOSE FROM FRAGILE POPULATIONS, WHO HAVE DISPROPORTIONATELY SUCCUMBED TO THE VIRUS. SUCH POPULATIONS RELY HEAVILY ON RELATIONSHIPS WITH FAMILY MEMBERS AND THEIR COMMUNITY TO MAKE IT THROUGH HARD TIMES. ALONG WITH THE CHALLENGES OF SOCIAL ISOLATION, THE IMPLICIT SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CODES OF CONDUCT FOR BUILDING TRUST AND COOPERATION AMONG NEIGHBORS ARE CHANGING HAPHAZARDLY. NORMS ARE BEING BASED MORE ON PERSONAL BIAS AND ON SELF-INTEREST BUT NOT ON HELPING OTHERS. THE INSTITUTES PROJECTS ARE BEING IMPLEMENTED IN THE LAO IU MIEN COMMUNITY IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA; SOUTH VALLEY, ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO; AND SAN FRANCISCO CHINATOWN. ALL THREE COMMUNITIES AND THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS ARE EXPERIENCING SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DISRUPTIONS. THERE IS A LACK OF CLARITY ON HOW TO REBUILD THEIR COMMUNITY IN SUCH A WAY THAT THEIR SOCIAL ECOSYSTEM IS STRONGER AND MORE VIBRANT. WE SEEK TO REVEAL WHO IS STEPPING UP IN TIMES OF CRISIS, TO MAKE MAPS THAT WILL GUIDE OTHERS, AND TO DEVELOP BLUEPRINTS OF WHAT WILL STRENGTHEN THE SOCIAL FABRIC OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THE THREE COMMUNITIES MENTIONED ABOVE PARTICIPATED IN HIDDEN GEMS III. WILDFLOWERS STAFF TRAINED LOCAL LEADERS IN THE INSTITUTES METHODOLOGY. WE HELPED LOCAL LEADERS IN DEVELOPING AND CONDUCTING A SURVEY. WE DEVELOPED A PRACTICAL STEP-BY-STEP SET OF ACTIVITIES TO ORGANIZE AN ARTS AND STORYTELLING AWARDS PROGRAM AND A CULTURAL CEREMONY. WE ORGANIZED SESSIONS TO SHARE PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES. WE CONVENED EIGHTEEN MEETINGS LASTING SEVERAL HOURS PER MEETING TO DISCUSS THE PROJECT GOALS AND TASKS. WE HAVE ALSO HELD ELEVEN VIRTUAL PLANNING SESSIONS WITH STAFF AND CONSULTANTS. THE HIDDEN GEMS SUBMISSIONS FROM RESIDENTS OF A NEIGHBORHOOD MAKE VISIBLE HOW THINGS REALLY WORK IN INTERGENERATIONAL FAMILIES AND CLANS, IN COMMUNITIES, AND IN NEIGHBORHOODS. LOCAL STORIES REVEAL THE INVISIBLE RESOURCES THAT HELP OTHERS DURING THE PANDEMIC. THE ARTWORKS AND NARRATIVES UNCOVER THE PEOPLES CULTURE THEIR BELIEFS, VALUES, AND PRACTICES THAT HELPED THEM MAKE IT THROUGH THE PANDEMIC. THE CEREMONY RECOGNIZING THE AWARD WINNERS GENERATES A COMMUNAL EXPERIENCE THAT ILLUMINATES THE PEOPLE AND THEIR PATHWAYS TOWARD ADAPTATION AND RESILIENCY.THE HIDDEN GEMS PROJECT IS REACHING OUT TO 41,000 PEOPLE IN SOUTH VALLEY, ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO; 18,000 PEOPLE IN SAN FRANCISCO CHINATOWN; AND 30,000 LAO IU MIEN IN THE UNITED STATES.WE WILL BE ANALYZING WITH OUR FELLOWS, STAFF, AND CONSULTANTS LOCAL NARRATIVES AND ARTWORKS THAT ARE COMMON TO OUR THREE COMMUNITIES. WE WILL BE EXPLORING HOW TO ACTIVATE AND FORTIFY LOCAL RESOURCES AND ASSETS POST-PANDEMIC AND IN PREPARATION FOR THE NEXT PANDEMIC.