Legacy in Full Bloom

When Alisha Crutchfield moved to Westville in 2016, she fell in love with the neighborhood. “It’s peaceful and family and community centered,” she said. She’d left behind life in New York City and a career in retail and celebrity fashion styling as well as fashion director for the Miss Universe Organization. 

A new mother in an unfamiliar city, she often drove past an empty office space on Edgewood Avenue in her neighborhood and the space kept calling to her. 

She envisioned starting a new chapter in her career and quickly found support from the city of New Haven and through The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. “Resources from New Haven, the city’s Department of Economic Development and The Community Foundation allowed me to start and sustain my business,” she said. She took part in a Quinnipiac Entrepreneurship Academy and Connecticut Community Outreach Revitalization Program (ConnCORP) program for minority and women-owned small businesses. “It fueled my business acumen, helping me to set up a proper business plan and efficiently process my financial statements.” 

She leased the Edgewood Avenue space and got to work, taking down the blinds in the former office. Light spilled all around. She used the expansive space as a canvas and created BLOOM, a multi-concept retail space that houses a flower & gift shop, café, wellness room, plus indoor/outdoor event spaces. Locally made products such as jewelry, soap, candles and artwork fill the space!

 “We house a café, a flower shop, event spaces, a cozy front patio, and a wellness room which turns into a co-working space where people working in that field can indulge in aromatherapy as they work,” she said. 

In addition to commerce BLOOM is invested in community enrichment -  hosting workshops and life’s array of  celebrations.

“It’s a community center reimagined. A neighborhood oasis, where people stop in to have lattes and catch up with friends,” Crutchfield said.

BLOOM recently expanded to include upstairs space, now a “retreat meets bed and breakfast – rooted in well-being” where a group of friends recently enjoyed a wellness weekend and the Yale School of Medicine ran a music mindfulness study. 

The possibilities continue to unfold for BLOOM “where people from different backgrounds meet up and get to know one another,” she said. “I love serving the community in an innovative way.” 

“That leads me to the Legacy in Full Bloom Fund,” she said. 

Crutchfield established her fund at The Community Foundation because she has seen the far-reaching impact of The Foundation in her own life, out in the community and as a member of the advisory committee of The Foundation’s Community Fund for Women & Girls. 

Her fund taps into the power of community. “Coming from a low-income, poverty-stricken community in Boston where I grew up, I persevered because of the strong mentality that my family and the community instilled in me,” she said. “I want young people in the New Haven community to thrive.” 

The Legacy in Full Bloom Fund is part of the CFGNH’s Vineyard Project for Black Futures in New Haven Initiative, whose purpose is to be, “a powerful voice in the conversation of addressing racial equity in new ways, including the narrative shift toward a greater focus on Black excellence, the long history of Black philanthropy and strong legacy building that exists in the Black community, as we dismantle racial stereotypes and biases.”

Crutchfield wants to leave a legacy for her and for her young daughter and to honor “the strong traditions of educational excellence and etiquette established by our ancestors in the face of unimaginable circumstances and through the harshest of times,” she said. “As a successful entrepreneur, dedicated community member and mother, I know the power of education and etiquette in every aspect of pursuing my dreams.  This fund will provide grants to organizations that will uplift and empower Black youth in their pursuit of education, using intellect and poise.”

“I want our young people to be ready to take on everything that can come in the workforce, whether they are working in corporate America or as small business entrepreneurs or in other workplaces,” she added.

The Legacy in Full Bloom Fund will support community organizations including the Leadership, Education and Athletics in Partnership, Inc. (LEAP); ConnCAT – Connecticut Center for Arts and Technology, and New Haven Promise. She also plans to support youth arts organizations.

Crutchfield  calls her giving concept “the power of one,” and encourages individuals who come to BLOOM to contribute even a dollar to the fund. Already people are embracing the idea, “giving a dollar or $20 or $150,” she said.

She named her fund for a quote she’s lived by throughout her adult life: Bloom where you are planted. “It’s an affirmation that has gotten me through so much,” she said. “I want this fund to do the same for others.”