JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – News4JAX continues to shine a spotlight on the local organizations that serve our unique and vibrant LGBTQ+ community as we celebrate Pride Month.
MORE: How News4JAX is Celebrating Pride through June
Founded by Jacksonville resident Kamala Williams, The Lotus Flower Project is committed to strengthening our community by empowering women to rise above life’s challenges and activate their purpose.
The woman-led organization supports the local LGBTQ community through Kamala’s Kloset and other programs.
“Our programs are inclusive, not exclusive. Our programs are for those who need services and need resources. Our programs provide dignity while providing those services and resources,” Williams said.
Williams said The Lotus Flower Project got off the ground thanks to the generosity of her community.
“We started without any funding. We started without any grants. I started with about 27 folks that we call Vision Keepers, who sowed into the organization financially because they believed in the vision,” Williams said. “We used that money to outfit a space, putting up sheetrock and drywall and baseboards and crown molding, building dressing rooms. It was our first space, our first official program, which is now Kamala’s Kloset.”
Kamala’s Kloset offers gender-affirming clothing and accessories in a boutique experience for transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming people.
The Lotus Flower Project also offers mentorship, counseling services, support groups, workshops and more to uplift and empower local women.
The Lotus Prison Project supports LGBTQ women in prison through pen pal, bond assistance, re-entry assistance and other programs.
The Lotus Flower Project also makes a difference through Kamala’s Kitchen, which offers a pop-up kitchen to help those in food crisis in our community; and Project W.I.N., a ministry focused on providing self-care essentials like diapers, clothing and toiletries for mothers.
Williams said every program The Lotus Flower Project offers is personal to her, which is why they work.
“The reason that every program is successful when people ask is because it’s based on me,” Williams said. “And when you base something on your own life experiences, there’s no right or wrong way, and there’s no way that you can fail.”
For more information on The Lotus Flower Project’s programs and how you can contribute, go to thelotusflowerproject.org.
