By Lee Merrill
t all started with a prayer and a dream. Four years ago, Lisa Ardoin’s budget couldn’t keep up with her growing passion for the homeless of Shreveport. “Friends and I were bringing food downtown on Saturdays in an effort to develop friendships with our homeless neighbors. It became costly because, on some weekends, we’d connect with 80-plus hungry people all around the downtown area.” One night, she prayed, “Lord, what can I do to raise money to help these people and show them your love?”
That night, Lisa’s dreams bloomed with flowers. “I’ve always loved flowers because of the happy feeling they give me, so I spent time pondering what God could be telling me. I remembered a piece of artwork my daughter received as a gift. It was a cross with some small pieces of glass scattered on top of it. The piece had some kind of clear finish over it. I thought maybe I could create and sell floral-themed artwork using the same technique.”
After some googling, Lisa discovered the clear finish was resin. She started experimenting with creating flowers with pieces of glass and pottery, vintage jewelry, and other materials she had on hand. Lily’s Love was born. Through word-of-mouth and a Facebook page, Lisa has sold hundreds of one-of-a-kind art pieces made mostly with upcycled materials. The proceeds go toward providing food and other practical needs for the homeless of Shreveport under the guidance of 3:18 Church, which meets at the LoveWell Center on Cotton Street every Saturday evening. The church welcomes hurting people from all walks of life to come find the help, healing, and hope they need.
In her spare time, Lisa creates custom orders as well as items to share on her Facebook page. While most of her creations are flowers, she also creates seasonal pieces such as Christmas ornaments. Her friends keep an eye out for tea cups and other items she can transform into beautiful art. She loves to use reclaimed barn wood when she can find it. A local thrift store donated close to 20 pounds of old jewelry to add to Lisa’s stockpile of inspiration. When Lisa’s little Yorkie, Sophie, broke her favorite coffee mug, it quickly became part of her latest piece. Nothing goes to waste at Lily’s Love.
Many customers return again and again to find the perfect gift for any occasion. One of Lisa’s beautiful pieces will quickly become the focal point of a room, and her ornaments will become heirloom pieces. Perhaps best of all, the purchase of a Lily’s Love original will provide help to the most vulnerable of the community. Lisa grew emotional when thinking of her unique ministry. “I believe God gave me the skill to create these pieces because it’s for a bigger purpose than creating beauty. Each piece of art is made with love, prayers, and hope that God will use them to make a significant difference in the lives of our homeless neighbors. People He loves.”
For more information about Lily’s Love, look for the Facebook page full of flowers at facebook.com/lilys.love.900.