EMU grads brighten lives through blooms

Laura Ruth ’09 and Rebecca Shelly ’14 are spreading joy and kindness through the power of flowers, while making a positive impact on the planet.

In March, the EMU alums launched Friendly City Florals, a nonprofit in Harrisonburg, Virginia, that gives event flowers another life by refreshing them and donating them to people in need. The dahlia-loving duo collects locally grown flowers and used floral arrangements from weddings, funerals and other events, repurposes them into new bouquets, and delivers them to nursing homes, hospitals, schools, counseling centers and other organizations in the community.

The idea for Friendly City Florals started late last year. When Ruth’s dad passed away in December, Shelly—who had lost her own father just a few years prior—was there to support her. The two stay-at-home moms began talking about all the bouquets they received, and realized there was a way to reuse the flowers to brighten someone else’s day.

By reusing flowers that would otherwise be tossed into the trash, Friendly City Florals is reducing the environmental impact from events and diverting a significant amount of floral waste from landfills. According to The Green Bride Guide, a staggering 400 pounds of trash and 63 tons of carbon dioxide emissions are created at the average wedding. Friendly City Florals reuses all parts of donated floral arrangements, including the flowers, floral foam, wire, vases and ribbons. 

Shelly, who graduated from EMU with a psychology degree, has worked in various segments of the wedding industry for the past 10 years and seen firsthand the amount of floral waste that can result from weddings. “We want to change the narrative of wedding waste, especially with flowers,” she said. “We would love to help people rethink that part of planning their big day.”

Ruth, who graduated from EMU with a degree in social work, is a licensed clinical social worker and serves on the board of The Collins Center. She said she’s seen the positive effect that their bouquets can have on someone’s mental health and well-being. “They bring so much joy and are so uplifting for people,” she said. “It feels so good to be a little part of that happiness in their day.”

Shelly said the EMU and Harrisonburg communities have played such a major part in their lives that “it feels special to be able to give back.”

‘Part of a movement’

Both Ruth and Shelly have roots that run deep into the EMU soil. Each of them met their husbands (Ben ’09 and Isaac ’09) on campus and come from families with plenty of alumni. Shelly’s sister and Ruth’s two siblings graduated from EMU. Shelly’s mom, Lisa Crist, worked at EMU for 37 years, while both of Ruth’s parents are alumni.

At EMU, Ruth and Shelly found their roar. They said their passion for sustainability and for building community was jump-started while students. 

Shelly worked at the dining hall during her first and second years at EMU and said that seeing people compost their food and napkins helped remind her of “the little instances throughout your day that you can find to be sustainable.” 

“It doesn’t have to be all or nothing,” Shelly said. “The little bits add up along the way.”

Ruth said her passion for giving back was shaped by her experiences helping organize Take Back the Night at EMU in 2009, interning at the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Community Services Board, and volunteering at nonprofits such as Patchwork Pantry and Mercy House during her time at EMU. “These formative experiences sparked my dedication to serving our community and driving meaningful change,” she said.

Friendly City Florals is sponsored by local businesses and grassroots donors, and receives help from many friends, family and community members who volunteer their time and share their expertise.

The nonprofit has been featured on the “CNN 5 Good Things” podcast, in a widely shared video from climate educator Jacob Simon, and in The Washington Post. Ruth and Shelly are in touch with a couple daytime talk shows about sharing their story. They look forward to seeing a shout-out to the nonprofit in Reader’s Digest magazine in its February issue.

Ruth said people from all over the country have contacted them asking how they can help out in their own communities. “It’s heartwarming to know we’re inspiring others to be part of a movement to recycle, reuse, and spread joy and kindness,” she said.

To learn more about Friendly City Florals and find out ways to get involved, visit: friendlycityflorals.com