By Mary Casey-Sturk
You may have seen a girl selling flowers at the corner of West Villa Place and South Fort Thomas Avenue. Perhaps you’ve stopped to buy zinnias from a young entrepreneur with a smile that could brighten any day. If so, you’ve already met Josie Soltes. If not, you may get the chance this summer.
Six-year-old Josie, along with her parents, Garner and Brittney, and her brother, Beckett, has called Fort Thomas home since 2022. Dennis, Josie’s grandfather, who lives in Delhi, has been planting the zinnia seeds since 2022. Josie helps maintain the flowers, pruning and caring for them as they grow. While in bloom, the zinnias support pollinators like hummingbirds and butterflies. By late summer, when they’re ready to be cut and sold, they help support area families through La Soupe.
Nourishing the Community
Walnut Hills–based La Soupe is a nonprofit organization working to feed area families. According to its website, “La Soupe bridges the gap between food waste and hunger by transforming surplus ingredients into nutritious meals for those in need through the power of chefs.” The organization adds, “Each week, we rescue an average of 30,000 pounds of fresh food from local grocers, farms, manufacturers, and distributors. Our chefs transform these ingredients into restaurant-quality soups and meals, which are shared with community partners who feed our neighbors facing food insecurity.”
That represents a significant need in the community, and Josie has chosen to help by donating the money she raises from her neighborhood flower stand.
Bouquets for Days
The flowers are sold on a pay-what-you-want basis. In 2025, the family added a new option, allowing buyers to “Sponsor a Bouquet” by donating directly through La Soupe’s website. Josie and her family then create and deliver a bouquet on the donor’s behalf. This option allows those who don’t live in Fort Thomas to participate. All proceeds go directly to support La Soupe.
Fort Thomas Living asked Josie and her dad, Garner, why they chose to support La Soupe.
“We have always been passionate about food security as a cause,” they shared. “We believe food is foundational to adults and children alike. We found La Soupe shortly after moving to Cincinnati and fell in love with their mission and creative model to address both food security and waste all at once.”
“We started selling zinnias for La Soupe in 2024,” they continued, “Over the past two years, we’ve raised almost $2,500, which equates to about 500 meals for the community.”
Josie adds, “I like that people enjoy the zinnias, and that it helps other families have food.”
The family shared that they want others to have the same resources and opportunities they do, and La Soupe helps make that possible.
In addition to zinnias, late-summer bouquets sometimes include marigolds, dahlias, and gladiolus—“depending on what grows,” Josie and Garner said.
“We usually have the stand up and running by the end of June. It really depends on the weather and how the zinnias grow,” they explained. “We set up the stand at the end of our street (West Villa Place) on weekend mornings and keep a self-serve stand on our front porch during the week.”
They sell both single stems and bouquets on a pay-what-you-want basis, and in 2025, they sold between 500 and 800 flowers.
La Soupe Ladles Out Love for this Project
“Watching Josie grow her fundraiser over the past two years has been a joy for our entire team. She is the living embodiment of the idea that big impact often starts with small hands. Her dedication to our mission proves that age is never a barrier to compassion, and we couldn’t be more proud to have her as part of the La Soupe family,” shared Melissa Marie, Donor Engagement Officer.
Marie added, “Josie is a powerful reminder that extraordinary change doesn’t require a grand stage, but a big heart and the willingness to help. For the past few years, she has proven that even the smallest hands can sow the seeds of change. Her flower fundraiser does more than just support our mission—it inspires us all to give what we can, where we are.”
When asked about her favorite flower, Josie didn’t choose zinnias—she chose lavender!
Through a simple flower stand, Josie is proving that even small acts of kindness can grow into something much bigger.
To learn more about La Soupe, visit lasoupe.org
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