Eva Cloward has taken her fascination of flowers and people and integrated them into her business Second Chance Bouquets.
Cloward, a pre-k teacher at Cornerstone Christian School, started Second Chance Bouquets last year. The business collects donated flowers from weddings and special events to bring them to nursing homes and hospitals.
Second Chance Bouquets delivers in the metro area, but mostly Bellevue. She has delivered more than 800 bouquets since opening last year.
Cloward was inspired by other similar companies that also deliver donated flowers to nursing homes.
“It just kind of touched my heart and I was like, ‘This is what I want to do,’” she said.
Within a week, Cloward and her husband, Kevin, had a business plan, cards and shirts ready.
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Within a month, they were a 501©(3) and had their first orders to deliver.
“It really was an opportune time for us to do it,” Cloward said.
“It was just crazy, it really just took off really fast.”
Cloward said the team has made 300 deliveries since January. They can have anywhere from 17 to 100 bouquets to deliver in a day.
“We have to be ready for it, and that makes it hard sometimes because the flowers aren’t going to last so you know you have to get them back to me and out to somebody else,” she said.
Cloward said there’s a stigma people might have toward the elder generation, but this job has made her step out of her comfort zone and have conversations with the residents.
“I think they’re just as excited to meet you as you are,” she said.
Cloward said word of mouth is the best way the business is promoted, being that they’re “so small.”
“Donations, monetary donations, are hard to come by, so we’re really limited to how much we can put out with advertisement and all that,” Cloward said.
“I work with two florists who do a lot of weddings and [will mention SCB] if the brides come to them.”
One florist Cloward has known since her own wedding is Elissa Vilter of Flowers by Elissa. Vilter said she told Cloward about a wedding she provided flowers for, and they all ended up going to waste. After that, Cloward’s business took off.
“Eva’s a total go-getter, it’s the coolest thing ever,” Vilter said.
In addition to working with her husband, Cloward also works with her mother; her three daughters, Mollie, Sicily and Katie; and friend Amy Pfortmiller.
Cloward has also received help from Cornerstone students in the PULSE group when there are large orders.
“I love to [deliver], but to have other people do it, too, and experience this to come in and talk to residents, people that have so much history, I think it would be good,” she said.
“My house is usually overflowing with every surface I can find with flowers and vases. You know they’re going to someone who will really enjoy them.”
Vilter said she loves what Second Chance Bouquets represents.
“It’s not wasting flowers and it’s blessing more that just one person,” she said.
“I love Eva and I’m so grateful she thought of this.”
Cloward said she’s “grateful” for the experiences she’s had with Second Chance Bouquets.
“Some day, someone’s going to knock on our door with flowers and you definitely want that,” she said.
“I’m hoping to start something that will continue.”