Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Bonham Blackwell
Hi Hannah, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Like many people, the story of where I am today is more like a winding road than a straight line. Growing up in rural Kansas, I never thought I’d be running a large organization in Chicago’s inner-city but at the same time, it doesn’t surprise me either. At age 15 I came to the south side with my church youth group led by my dad, the youth pastor. We were only a few miles away from where I live today, and the experience shook my world. I met teens my own age living through unimaginable circumstances. Most youth were living in the Robert Taylor homes at that time, infamous project housing known for gangs and drugs. The worst one of all – nicknamed “The Hole” – would be torn down not long after but at that time was still standing. Years later I made my way back to Chicago, finding myself eventually moving into the inner-city after feeling convicted by my faith in Christ to spend my life relieving the suffering of others. After many humble failings and attempts at making some sort of difference, my life truly changed when I met my husband on a blind date. In Quilen I found someone whose passion for the inner city mirrored my own. After a whirlwind 6 months of dating we were engaged and married soon after. We scraped together what little we had to buy a home in the middle of Englewood on the south side. The rest is history. Starting out of our house with nothing, we are now about to open our 2nd flower shop and 6th off-grid flower farm, offering viable employment opportunities to dozens of youth right here in our community.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Every stage had its struggles, but it really taught me to lean on my faith in God and took away my fear. When my first attempt at starting a community based home on the west side failed I felt completely lost. Meeting Quilen, it all made sense. If I had put down roots on the west side I would have missed out on all of the amazing things that we are doing here on the south side. Sometimes we are so caught up in what didn’t go right, that we miss the blessings hidden in our failures.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Southside Blooms is a farm-to-vase nonprofit social enterprise located in the heart of Chicago’s inner-city. We take over vacant lots and turn them into off-grid flower farms, using the blooms in everything from retail bouquets to high-end designs. Our mission is to use sustainability to alleviate poverty, and the heart of our work is to preserve life through providing community based career opportunities in the floral industry and an alternative to the street life. My role in the organization is to oversee the entire floral operation and overall look of our brand. I manage our frontline flower shop staff to oversee that every product going out the door is high quality and impeccably designed, and every event executed flawlessly. I also oversee the training of all of the youth, the true stars of our work. Every day they are rewriting the narrative of inner-city youth and I couldn’t be more proud of what they are accomplishing.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Most florists come to their work because of a love for flowers, but I came to this work because of my love for people.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Southsideblooms.com
- Instagram: @southsideblooms
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/southsideblooms
Image Credits
Southside Blooms