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Flowers For Friends Blooms In Bridgeport Thanks To Work Of 8-Year-Old

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — Three years ago, 8-year-old Sophie Pennock Collins saw a homeless man on the street in Bridgeport and asked her moms, Laura Pennock and Tara Collins, if she could give him her wallet.

Sophie Pennock Collins, 8, making a donation at the Black Rock Food Pantry with her moms, Tara Collins, second from left, and Laura Pennock, fourth from left.

Sophie Pennock Collins, 8, making a donation at the Black Rock Food Pantry with her moms, Tara Collins, second from left, and Laura Pennock, fourth from left.

Photo Credit: Meredith Guinness
Sophie Pennock Collins and friends with Flowers for Friends bouquets

Sophie Pennock Collins and friends with Flowers for Friends bouquets

Photo Credit: Facebook
Sophie Pennock Collins brings her Flowers for Friends bouquets to market.

Sophie Pennock Collins brings her Flowers for Friends bouquets to market.

Photo Credit: Facebook

“My moms said, ‘What do we have a lot of that we can use and sell and give money to homeless people?’” said the Bridgeport third-grader. “And I said flowers because we have, like, a bajillion of those.”

And thus was born Flowers for Friends, Sophie's floral bouquet business that’s a staple of the Black Rock Farmers Market in her neighborhood.

The idea is simple: Sophie harvests flowers from her yard and the community garden plot her family tends nearby, and then creates bouquets she sells at the market. Neighbors often donate flowers and some even help make the bouquets each Friday night during the summer.

In her first year, Sophie raised $324 selling bouquets outside nearby Harborview Market. But business really picked up when she moved to the 2-year-old farmers market, where she earned $1,300 last year and a whopping $2,288 this past summer.

On Dec. 19, Sophie and her moms stopped by the Black Rock Food Pantry to give volunteers a check for $400. She gave another $800 to the Bridgeport Rescue Mission and $1,000 to the United Congregational Church’s Norma Pfriem Urban Outreach Initiatives, which is trying to open a homeless shelter for families, said Laura Pennock.

"It is wonderful for a young person to work so hard and contribute back to the community," said Sheila Dunn, volunteer coordinator for the food pantry. "Truly this is neighbors helping neighbors and helping to keep the Black Rock Food Pantry's shelves stocked."    

Pennock, who has worked for florists in the past, is not surprised by her daughter’s success.

“Who doesn’t want to buy a bouquet from a cute little girl?” she said.

Sophie enlisted help from classmates and friends, who often help out on market days. Some of their moms volunteer to make the bouquets, but Collins said the family is always looking for more people to help. Those interested can contact them via the Flowers for Friends Facebook page.

Sophie hopes to grow her business because, she said, she believes all people deserve a little beauty in their lives.

“People love flowers,” she said. “Seriously, how can you not love flowers?”

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