Donation Spotlight - Little Leaf Shop Brings Hope to the Front Line
Jun 17, 2020
Little Leaf, the self-proclaimed little jungle, opened its doors December of 2016 in response to high demand for plant life by customers at Salt & Sundry, its big sister shop down the street. By pairing funky, timeless products with easy-to-care-for plants, Little Leaf gives customers all the tools and direction they need to create green masterpieces in their homes and offices.
Little Leaf has made a name for itself as a D.C. community staple, but like many other small businesses this brick and mortar has been forced to rethink the way it interacts with its community. Since COVID-19 was declared a global health emergency, Little Leaf has seen significant change. From curbside pickup to organized donations, this locally-rooted business has overcome physical challenges and re-committed itself to serving its community from six feet apart. It's businesses like these, in times like these, that can come together and positively influence their community.
In April 2020 volunteers representing Little Leaf and Aria Development Group rolled up their sleeves outside of George Washington University Hospital to disinfect almost 100 plants and planters for healthcare heroes in the D.C. area. When ADG reached out to Little Leaf to facilitate a donation of 75 plants, Nicole and the team knew this would be a great opportunity to partner with LBE Design’s Plant-a-Seed. In addition to the already-generous donation, Little Leaf stepped up to provide 15 extra houseplants with 15 Revival Ceramics planters. Throughout the day doctors, nurses, and other hospital workers stopped by the plant stand to pick out a house plant.
Back in March, National Nurses United conducted a survey revealing that, of over 6,500 surveyed nurses, only 30% believed that their employers would be able to provide enough PPE in the event of a surge in cases and that only 44% felt confident that they had been given enough information about COVID-19 to effectively respond. Our greatest hope for this donation was to brighten their day in the midst of an impossible situation.
“The response [to the donation] was incredible” raved Nicole, “it’s so powerful and heartwarming to bring a little love to the people who deserve it the most right now.” Uplifting by nature and proven to positively impact the human psyche, a plant may very well be just what the doctor ordered. Thanks to the team at Little Leaf, our still-beautiful seconds helped to provide a little green and a lot of hope for those on the front lines.
As a voice for small business, Little Leaf finds that the best way to advocate for local shops is to actively give back to their community. No gesture is too small to make a difference in someone’s life, even if that gesture is as small as a house plant, for as great of a sacrifice our healthcare workers make every day. At LBE Design, we are inspired by our retail partner’s dedication to support the community that supports them.