By Laryn Godbold
When Morgan Thomas discovered Vogue magazines in the grocery store checkout lines, there was never a thought that those alluring pages would become a movement. As a child, Thomas used fashion as a form of expression and a portal to artistry. It wasn’t just the clothes that were fascinating — it was the storytelling, as well.
“I grew up watching ‘America’s Next Top Model,’” she says, laughing. “I have always gravitated towards [fashion]; the thoughtfulness behind a collection.”
Today, Thomas funnels her early passion into more than herself. She founded the Mildred Flora Foundation, a Sacramento based nonprofit in December of 2024 with a mission and focus on bringing awareness to some of the most pressing issues of the Sacramento area: homelessness, food scarcity, human trafficking and addiction.
The foundation is not built on conventional charity. The power of arts and fashion are used to raise money and awareness for local causes.
Like many other creatives, Thomas did not start in the arts. Her professional career started in accounting, catering to the nerd in her, she says. But just like many people during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Thomas realized accounting was “soul sucking” and not what she wanted to spend the rest of her life doing. She decided then to return to school, earn her degree at The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, and then secured a job at Levi’s in Sacramento in 2021, finally planting roots in an industry she always appreciated.
When she and her husband moved to Sacramento about a year and a half ago, she saw a need for additional funds for local nonprofit organizations. “As I grew in my knowledge and experience within the fashion industry. … I really wanted to use fashion as a way to give back to the community,” she says.
The name Mildred Flora Foundation has significance to Thomas, by paying tribute to two women who have tailored her values: Mildred Pauline “Millie” Bultman, her great-grandmother on her father’s side, and Flora Elsie Lampson, her grandmother on her mother’s side.
“They are both matriarchs on their respective sides of my family, and really instilled the value of giving back and pouring into your community,” Thomas says.
She reminisced on the love of fashion these women also had. Bultman was remembered for dressing to the nines, even in her later years. Lampson had a limitless wardrobe of head-to-toe suiting and dresses.
“They [both] loved fashion and they loved giving back,” Thomas says. “I wanted to honor them through the naming of the foundation.”
While homelessness and food scarcity are long-standing social concerns, addiction and human trafficking are personal additions made by Thomas. She says her father was an alcoholic, so she became passionate about making sure people had access to mental health care in order to feel supported. While in college in the LA area, Thomas worked with an organization called Freedom and Fashion, which works with women who are survivors of human trafficking and helps them transition back into normal life.
“Watching the amazing work they did with them and seeing their lives change through the work that they did just gave me a passion for doing the same thing,” Thomas says.
Thomas learned that Sacramento has one the highest rates of human trafficking. According to a study done by Community Against Sexual Harm, there were about 13,000 minors and adults that were trafficked for sex in Sacramento County between 2015 and 2020 — a figure that likely undercounts the true number of victims.
“It’s relevant for my past and I have a passion for that, but also it’s relevant for this community specifically,” Thomas says.
With the foundation still in its beginning stages, Thomas plans on partnering with local organizations and inviting the community to immerse into social causes through fashion shows and artist collaborations. When evaluating the needs of the local community within Sacramento, she saw a need for funding local nonprofit organizations did not have.
The inaugural event for the foundation is set for Sept. 27. Mildred Flora Foundation will be hosting a fashion show as well as an exhibition. Thomas is looking locally for designers, models and artists who want to participate. Profits from the event are donated to River City Food Bank, with a goal of $10,000. With the foundation’s support, RCFB has been able to serve more people within the community.
While Thomas says she would like to expand beyond Sacramento, she feels a duty to the community and the many needs within Sacramento County. While the needs can be overwhelming, Thomas is passionate about pouring into the community.
“I think until I feel that our neighbors here in the Sacramento area are cared for, it’d be hard to move on,” Thomas says.
This story was written by Laryn Godbold, a student at American River College.