(Left) Helen Olivia Flowers in Alexandria, Virginia, joined Baltimore-area florist Victoria Clausen to raise money for Ukrainian refugees through the sales of blue and yellow flower arrangements. Photo by Justine Seas. (Right) A photo from Clausen’s Instagram account of the flowers DV Flora donated to her cause. Photo courtesy of Victoria Clausen.
As millions of refugees flee her homeland of Ukraine, florist Victoria Clausen designed 560 bouquets of blue and yellow flowers to sell around the Baltimore, Maryland region, raising $40,000 just last weekend, she says. Those proceeds were sent to Ukraine to provide citizens with food and transportation to evacuate disabled children.
“I decided to do something because crying was not productive,” says Clausen, who emigrated from Ukraine to the United States in 1997 and now owns Floral Fetes and Victoria Clausen Floral Events in the Baltimore region. “Flowers and human life have many parallels — just the fleeting nature of both. Flowers and human life are beautiful. Flowers need water and sun and peace, and so do the people of Ukraine.”
With her mom, brother, aunts, uncles, and many friends still in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro, Clausen has heard daily, first-hand accounts of the need to assist refugees escaping the war in the Russian-invaded parts of the country. She has sent the money she raised to her family and friends, who are using it to help others.
“I’m sending it directly to people I trust with my life,” she says. “It is being distributed where it is needed most, and it is being put to use immediately.”
(Left) Mellano & Company donated boxes of these yellow and blue flowers to help florist Victoria Clausen raise money for Ukrainians. (Right) Bunches of flowers, including sunflowers — Ukraine’s national flower — are ready for customers. Photos courtesy of Victoria Clausen.
Support Blooms
Clausen posted her campaign, #BloomsForUkraine, on Instagram and it quickly captured attention. Kelly Shore, owner of Petals by the Shore and the drop-ship wholesaler The Floral Source, saw the posts and arranged for a box of 80 sunflowers — Ukraine’s national flower — to be sent to Clausen from the southern California grower and distributor Mellano & Company. It was the first of several boxes Mellano & Company donated to Clausen through Shore.
Mellano & Company was eager to help, says Michelle Castellano Keeler, the company’s vice president and president of the Society of American Florists.
“Mellano & Company feels for the people of Ukraine,” Castellano Keeler says. “We are proud to support Clausen’s efforts to help Ukrainans.”
The wholesaler DV Flora also donated flowers — yellow roses and chrysanthemums and blue hydrangea and delphinium — to support Clausen, says John Burk, DV Flora’s ecommerce and marketing manager.
“We felt it was important to support Victoria because we know of her struggles emigrating from Ukraine and the close ties she still has with family and friends there,” Burk says. “We recognized that with her determination and following, she would be able to make an immediate impact to help those affected by the war.”
Rachel Gang, co-owner of Helen Olivia Flowers in Alexandria, Virginia, learned of Clausen’s effort through an event planner and immediately set out to help. Her store raised $4,000 by selling blue and yellow bouquets at price points of $100, $200, and $300.
“We were blown away by the response,” Gang says. “It’s been really special for the D.C. floral community to see the funds moving so quickly, and what they are actually being used for in real time is incredible.”
The outpouring of support from not only the floral industry, but also customers, is heartwarming, Clausen says. More florists are starting to contact her about joining the effort.
Meanwhile, others in the industry are also using flowers to show support for Ukraine. DV Flora reported selling out of sunflowers and seeing increased demand for blue and yellow flowers and ribbon. Bloomtastic Florist, in Columbus, Ohio, encouraged Instagram followers to post a picture of a sunflower to show love and support for Ukraine. Wild Fig Floral in Katonah, New York, and Main Street Florist in Carlinville, Illinois, were among the retail shops offering a sunflower giveaway. In Minneapolis, Minnesota, an ABC affiliate reported that Revel & Flourish partnered with Len Busch Roses to sell handheld bouquets, with proceeds benefiting a Ukrainian floral farm that was destroyed by Russian forces.
Ongoing Support
Clausen’s mother has been feeding Ukrainians fleeing their homes daily, and using the proceeds from the flower sales to pay for desperately needed supplies. Her childhood best friend is driving people to western Ukraine and returning with supplies. The money Clausen and others raised also helped evacuate disabled children, six to Poland and six to Hungry, she says. The funds also helped purchase all-wheel drive vans, which will be used as field ambulances.
Clausen is committed to supporting the ongoing needs of the Ukrainians.
“I’m waiting to hear from friends if there anything else , and when it’s time we’re going to support the rebuilding efforts,” she says.
Sarah Sampson is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.