Chanda Clifton and her sister Megan Weaver own Amory Flowers and Gifts. The business has been a cornerstone in the community for several decades and has been owned by the sisters for two years now. Amory, Mississippi, has proven time and time again that it is a small town with a huge heart; this week was no different.
Clifton met a young girl named Amyah Tisdale last week when she stopped to purchase a glass of lemonade she was selling in her front yard.
“I knew Amyah had to have a mission because it was 186 degrees outside, and she had been out there every day that week. While getting my cup of juice from her, I had to ask, “What are you raising money for?” She responded with a smile and said, “I want to take my family on vacation.” I said, “Wow, that’s amazing; where do you guys want to go?” and she said, “Alabama, to the water park.”I knew right there I was either fixing to leave there with every ounce of lemonade she had to offer or come up with a way to help her more than once.”
Amyah had a beautiful bouquet of crocheted flowers on her table and a sign that said, “Purchase four or more cups of lemonade and receive a complimentary crocheted flower.” Clifton asked Amyah if she had made the crocheted flowers, and she responded, “Yes, ma’am, and I make many other things too.”
“In that moment, I knew I had a way to help Amyah,” Clifton recounted. “I offered her a space at Amory Flower Shop to sell her creations, promising to give her 100% of the proceeds. Her eyes lit up with joy!” She said, “Really? That would be amazing, but this stuff takes a lot of time to make, and I don’t have enough right now.” I reassured her, “Take your time. Get some things made up, and give me a call!”
Not even a week later, yesterday, Amyah showed up at the flower shop with a bundle of crocheted flowers. Each flower takes her approximately 45 minutes to make, so the time she has invested in what she brought is more than obvious.
The outreach from the Amory community and surrounding areas that saw Clifton’s Facebook post explaining what they were doing to help Amyah has been tremendous. Amyah has more than earned enough money at her lemonade stand to enjoy the day at Point Mallard Water Park with her family. She said they had a great time. Amyah graduated from Amory High School in 2023 and is a freshman at Mississippi State University, studying interior design. Now, any additional funds raised will go towards her education.
“We open at 9 am, and people have been calling and coming in all day,” shared Weaver.
A fellow classmate who graduated with Amyah and also attends MSU (Ali Holton) currently works at the flower shop in Amory. She shared, “Amyah is so genuine. She smiles and hugs you every time you see her; she has ever since we were kids. In fact, she still stops and hugs me when she sees me on campus at MSU. These beautiful flowers she’s made represent her personality. When you meet Amyah, you want to be her friend.”
Amyah’s delicately crocheted flowers represent time, love, and dedication, but to Clifton, they also represent a mission.
“I come from a long background of struggles that I brought on myself. When I decided to make things right in my life, I prayed to God to lead me, and He gave me a heart for people, as He has always had a heart for me. The flower shop has become my mission field, and it’s an honor to help people like Amyah,” Clifton said.
“The way God has worked in my life is something I wish I could show the world. I never advertise the things I do, I don’t talk about them, I don’t tell people, because I do it for God and I know He sees it all, but under the circumstances of this particular situation, I shared it with Facebook and exactly what I hoped would happen, happened. I have been blessed beyond measure, not with things, but with God’s amazing saving grace, so when things like this happen, I don’t want people don’t see me, I want them to see Christ in me,” shared Clifton.
Amory’s Flowers and Gifts made a young girl’s dreams come true this week, proving that small acts of kindness can have a huge impact!
“Amory is a beautiful city full of some pretty amazing people,” Clifton said. “Our goal is to sell everything Amyah has delivered as soon as possible. Ready, set, GROW!”
