Small businesses in rural and tribal communities often lack access to affordable credit—especially during health or economic crises—putting their survival at risk. Resilience and credit from the nonprofit lender RCAC helped Native American-owned Earth & Sky Floral Designs get back to business after a health setback.
Earth & Sky Floral Designs and Gallery, LLC is a 100% Native American woman-owned business located on the Pueblo of Laguna reservation. Owned by Shayai Lucero of the Acoma and Laguna Pueblos, the business provides full-service floral arrangements for weddings, funerals, birthdays, holidays and local ceremonies. Shayai operates the shop from a renovated lodge on her property and employs seasonal part-time help during peak times like Mother’s Day and graduations.
In 2023, Shayai faced a series of severe health setbacks—including a COVID-19 infection, complications and hospitalization—that forced her to close the business for seven weeks. Without incoming revenue and facing more than $49,000 in medical bills, the future of Earth & Sky Floral Designs was in jeopardy. But it quickly became clear the shop played a vital role in the life of the community. Shayai’s customers rallied behind her, affirming that the business was essential—not just as a service provider, but as a trusted part of local traditions.
The nonprofit organization Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) helped Shayai stay afloat. RCAC’s CEO Suzanne Anarde-Devenport referred Shayai to RCAC’s Re-emerging Loan Fund (RELieF) program, part of RCAC’s broader effort to assist rural businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. RCAC approved a $25,000 loan, with a six-month deferred repayment period and a low 3% interest rate. The funds provided working capital to sustain operations during the owner’s recovery, covering essential costs until the business could reopen.
The loan was ultimately forgiven in July 2024, a reflection of the RELieF program’s unique structure and its commitment to sustaining Native-owned enterprises through economic recovery. No additional assistance is needed at this time, and Earth & Sky Floral Designs continues to thrive, stronger and more resilient than before.
But for RCAC’s federally supported Loan Fund, Earth & Sky Floral Designs may not have survived the extended closure—leaving the Laguna community without a deeply rooted, culturally attuned small business that supports local events and lifeways.
Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that provides training, technical and financial resources, and advocacy to help rural communities and businesses achieve their goals and visions. RCAC’s loan fund fills financing gaps in New Mexico rural communities and 12 other western states.
Learn more about RCAC and its RELieF program. Find the floral designs of Earth & Sky here.