Refugee Garden Initiatives

A Lifeline for Refugees: Help RGI Continue Its Mission

My name is Phimmasone Kym Owens, and I know what it means to flee your homeland with nothing.

I fled Laos as a child during what we know as The Secret War. Despite Laos declaring neutrality, the CIA bombed my homeland relentlessly—making Laos the most bombed country per capita in history. My family crossed the Mekong River to Thailand, escaping persecution and an unlivable future. But our nightmare didn’t end there.

We lived in refugee camps for months. I remember hunger like it was yesterday—how my stomach ached from not having enough to eat. My family of four once shared a single drumstick and a small box of rice between us. Most days, we were served only cabbage soup with rice.

When we arrived in the U.S., we were introduced to the Standard American Diet—processed foods that were foreign to our bodies. I was lactose intolerant but given milk every day at school. I never felt full. I developed diabetes as an adult. We faced language barriers, racial discrimination, and a new kind of food insecurity. No one asked what we needed. No one understood that food is cultural—and food is healing. The lack of resources made every step toward stability a battle.

That pain shaped my purpose.

Today, I’m the founder and Executive Director of Refugee Garden Initiatives (RGI)—a nonprofit created by a refugee, for refugees—to ensure no one has to suffer alone.

We provide:

✅ Culturally appropriate food so families can eat what nourishes them, not harms them

✅ ESL education and literacy programs to ensure refugee children and adults have a fair start

✅ Financial literacy and economic opportunities to break cycles of poverty

✅ A platform for storytelling and advocacy so refugees’ voices are heard

We hire refugee elders who are often overlooked. We teach refugee mothers to grow and sell food. We help children reconnect with their cultural roots through the land. And we document these stories so they are never forgotten.

Update:

Thanks to supporters like you, we've grown from a single garden to three thriving farm locations:

The Farm on Jennings – focused on growing culturally important produce

Seng’s Suane Dok Mai – our cut flower and healing garden

Freedom II Plot at County Farm Park – a shared growing space for refugee families

These farms now feed hundreds of people, offer therapeutic space, and empower refugees with jobs and purpose. But this progress is at risk.

Because of a freeze in federal funding, our programs are in jeopardy. We urgently need to raise $75,000 to continue paying refugee staff, running our farms, and delivering education, wellness, and food access programs.

If we don’t meet our goal, we may be forced to scale back or shut down programs that hundreds of refugee families rely on.

This is more than just a fundraiser—it’s a lifeline. It’s an investment in our community. It’s about ensuring refugee families don’t just survive—but thrive.

Here’s how you can help right now:

Donate anything you can—every dollar matters

Share this campaign with friends, family, and your networks

Sponsor a refugee gardener, child, or family with a monthly gift

Every donation is an act of solidarity. Every share helps amplify our mission. And every dollar goes directly to supporting refugee lives with dignity and purpose.

Please stand with us.