About Dandelions
Dandelions was an email newsletter rooting for empathetic, brave, social justice-hearted families. We sent two issues a month from May 2019 to November 2023. Themes ranged from environmental and racial justice to gender and sexuality; explore the archives by topic.
About the authors
Joanna Eng is a staff writer and digital content specialist for ParentsTogether. Her older kiddo was just two years old when Joanna conceived of Dandelions, and her youngest was born in 2020 — right before the start of Covid-19 lockdowns, just after writing Dandelions issue #19. Joanna’s local waterway is the Bronx River and her superpower is making mixtapes. Find her on LinkedIn if you like.
Julia Smith used to lead programs, create content, and facilitate learning communities for nonprofits; now she works for herself. During the Dandelions years, she lived on Potawotami land, aka Chicago, home to many organizers and artists whose work informed the newsletter. Julia is anti-Paw Patrol, pro-The Baby-Sitters Club, and talks to her kid about abortion.
How we funded this passion project
We poured many hours into Dandelions, so in October 2019 we launched a Patreon page. Patrons did two things: offset our production costs, and redistributed wealth via our Family Justice Giving Fund. Over the years, this giving circle collectively sent over $1500 to grassroots organizations and mutual aid groups.
Why we stopped