Nashville Educators Help Plant Shop Owner Rebuild After Storm

For years, Kimberly Daft quietly gave free plants to Nashville teachers, turning classrooms into living labs where students learned about photosynthesis and responsibility. Last week, when an ice storm knocked out power and killed every plant in her Old Hickory shop, those same educators showed up to return the favor.

Metro Nashville Public Schools administrators arrived at Lawrence & Clarke Cacti Co. on Wednesday morning, ready to unload boxes. Jennifer Berry, Claudeen Denning, and other STEAM program leaders spent hours hauling replacement inventory from delivery trucks, unpacking specimens, and helping Daft rebuild what she'd lost.

"She's provided free plants for classrooms for years," Berry explained as she shouldered a potted plant through the doorway. The gesture wasn't just about repaying a debt but about supporting someone who'd invested in their students without asking for anything in return.

The ice storm had been devastating. Without electricity, Daft watched helplessly as temperatures dropped and her life's work withered. When her insurance company disputed the claim, she posted an emotional video online expressing her frustration and heartbreak.

The Ripple Effect

That video reached 60,000 people who'd never stepped inside her shop. Within days, strangers donated $60,000 to help her restock. The money allowed Daft to place new orders, and when those trucks arrived, her teaching friends made sure she wouldn't unpack them alone.

The volunteers worked alongside shop employee Jessica Cagle, creating an assembly line of support. Claire McGee joked with Daft between boxes, lightening the mood as cacti and succulents found new spots on empty shelves.

Metro Schools' STEAM programs have benefited from Daft's generosity for years. Her donations helped teachers create hands-on science lessons without stretching tight classroom budgets. Students learned to care for living things, observed plant growth cycles, and developed environmental awareness because one small business owner believed education mattered.

Now those same classrooms will continue receiving plants, thanks to a community that refused to let generosity go unrewarded. The volunteers transformed a disaster into a testament about what happens when kindness comes full circle.