Photo: Lexie Larson // Neighbors of Park City.

HEBER CITY, Utah — Locals who rely on Heber’s West Side Blooms for their flora and fauna and fresh-cut flowers may not know that behind the scenes and all year long, the shop’s bighearted entrepreneurial owner is working to bring cheer, no matter what the season.

Mom of five Nancy Daybell, owner of this beloved community flower business, is not one to let grass grow under her feet (pun intended). At times a hairdresser with a barber shop in her home, Nancy also owned a vinyl-decal printing business, then eventually grew into an accidental hobby farmer nurturing fruits and vegetables on her family’s childhood land, transitioning it four years ago into the current flower farm. And with the recent addition of a community pantry in her off-season flower booth, she is fulfilling what she sees as a true community need in what many are experiencing as hard economic times.

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Nancy was born and raised in Heber Valley, where she and Randy, her husband of 50 years, met in middle school. She exudes a heart that serves in whatever occupations she has held, including her best-kept secret: For years, she has been the “Secret Santa” of the valley, annually receiving and responding to more than 100 letters to Santa from children throughout the community. While it started as a clever marketing idea for her flower business to stay relevant in the winter, she says it quickly turned into a sincere labor of love to bring joy to Heber’s children.

“I don’t promise anything, but I know all kinds of trivia about reindeer and what they eat and why they can’t get carrots at the North Pole,” Nancy muses. She adds that the yearly Herculean effort—every letter is handwritten on North Pole stationery and personalized to the child—has Randy’s full support. “One year, I received a letter from a whole preschool class, and I told him I would respond with one letter, and he said, ‘Oh no you’re not. You’re going to write every single one of those kids back,’” she laughs. To the community, she asks that parents include a return address to ensure every letter gets a response. “Once in a while, I have to go on Facebook to find an address,” she says.

More recently when the government shut down in November, causing the suspension of several social benefit programs, including the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Nancy has had a more somber realization, and a desire to serve, inspired by which she says most likely came from years of living in New York City while Randy taught at various universities in the city and in Washington, D.C. “I think just seeing the level of poverty and mental illness in the city was the impetus for our community food pantry. We lived in Harlem, and there was a gal on our floor who had five little boys and lived on welfare. In many cases, that system is ingrained for generations, and it opened our eyes to the way some people live,” she shares.

Recognizing she had an empty flower booth, a relic from the Heber Creeper (where she worked 50 years ago) that would be available during the winter months, Nancy launched full-tilt, offering community assistance in the only way she knew how—with her whole heart. “I thought, this is something we can do,” she reflects. With an initial $250 donation from her brother (which she recalls made her cry), she began purchasing volumes of food and household staples—canned goods, cereal, rice, pasta, laundry soap, diapers, wipes, clothing, and toys—and posted her requests on social media. The community was quick to respond, offering donations of food, household items, and money. “It’s been incredible,” she continues. “We’ve had almost $2,000 in donations, not counting people who have dropped off items. Almost every day, there are coins and dollar bills in the cash box, and I really feel that people are taking what they need and putting in what they can afford.”

With a donation of two refrigerators, the program has grown in scope to include cold storage items and plenty of perishable foods, like beans, vegetables, and potatoes. “We’ll keep doing this as long as there’s a need, and as long as the donations keep coming in,” says Nancy. “I am shameless when it comes to asking for donations. It’s touching—I have to walk away a lot, and I cry a lot. We were at the grocery store recently, and an employee asked why we had so many carts full of food. I told him what we were doing, and he added an extra $100 on to our grocery card. Just little surprises like that.”

While Nancy is quick to point out that she’s no Mother Teresa, she shares a message by a Catholic saint, one that has resonated with her: If you can, feed 100; if you can’t, feed one. “I’m no saint,” she admits, “but I can spare a can of soup. Everybody can. And if someone can spare a few coins to have some pride after they take some food from the pantry, I’m great with that.”