[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/134691960″ layout=”classic” comments=”yes” show_related=”yes” show_user=”yes” auto_play=”no” color=”#ff7700″ width=”100%” height=”150px” class=”” id=””]
For Ruth Onesi, it would be a more than eight-hour drive from her home in Niagara Falls, NY, to our nearest branch in Indianapolis, IN. And, despite that her donations deliver hope and encouragement to people she will never meet in cities she may never visit, RAF can count on Onesi’s support like clockwork. She is just one of the many donors living in locations where we don’t have branches inspired by the Random Acts of Flowers mission.
How did she learn about RAF? Call it serendipity, if you will; but Ruth’s membership to the monthly Dollar Shave Club brought the RAF mission directly to her mailbox. The April 2015 Club Handbook featured a photo of RAF Founder and CEO Larsen Jay handing flowers to someone in a hospital bed and included some information about RAF. Ruth even admits, “I don’t know why I read it that month. I usually just recycle it.” So, we wanted to know what made Ruth decide donate from a distance in the first place, and what keeps her coming back to the RAF mission:
What attracted you to the RAF cause?
Everyone wants to know they matter. Some people are reminded of it more often than others, and unfortunately some people won’t ever know. There is always someone who cares for you without your knowledge; and, with RAF, it’s a guarantee that more and more people will know they matter and that someone cares for them when they need it the most.
Do you have a personal story that connects you to the RAF mission?
I am super grateful that I actually have zero personal experience being in a hospital. I just thought it was so cool. I’ve visited people in the hospital before and you see someone who’s in the waiting room or comes out and no one’s waiting for them. It’s awful.
One thing that does connect me is that I’m at that age where everyone is getting married, and they had a bunch of flowers at their weddings and then you’d just see them getting thrown away at the end of the night. It’s such a waste! So the fact that RAF recycles flowers gives hope to other peopl – something that would have been garbage – I think that’s really amazing.
Since you are a distance from an RAF branch, what motivates you to stay involved?
RAF is my favorite charity, hands down. I donate each week to some place, and I don’t see where the money goes for any of them. I go online and see the pictures RAF posts of people receiving flowers and that’s enough for me. I am always excited to continue donating to such an amazing cause that gives away happiness to everyone involved. I love knowing that what I donate can still affect multiple people in such a positive way.
In your opinion, what is the value of RAF’s mission?
The mission of recycling flowers to give hope and smiles to unsuspecting sick, lonely, and sometimes even ‘forgotten’ people is pretty much the greatest idea I had ever heard. I always root for the underdog.
What inspires you to continue supporting?
The best gifts are the simple ones, not just on special occasions or every once in a while. Random Acts of Flowers gives the gift of encouragement and boosts emotional health all year round!
What do you hope RAF will achieve moving forward?
My hope is that RAF will continue to grow and grow, and one day every city would have a branch. Most importantly, Niagara Falls, NY, of course!
What would you say to other potential supporters who don’t have an RAF branch in their backyard?
I challenge anyone who wants to see a small piece of the effect that this kind of charity has on people to try it for themselves. Go to a store, buy a bouquet, and hand it to anyone you want. See what happens. See how it changes their day. The happiness on their face, the way you feel knowing you may have just made their day. Maybe you just changed their whole outlook, or maybe even yours! And, that’s someone just walking down the street. That’s just a fraction of what RAF does everyday. The people who RAF gives flowers to are in the hospital, they’re lonely, so it means all the more to see that someone cares about them.
Simple and unexpected acts of kindness are easy to give but the echoes are truly endless!
What’s your favorite flower and why?
I do not have a favorite flower actually! But I do know that orange ones of any kind are usually the prettiest in my opinion.
Do you have any additional thoughts you want to share?
I just want to send a big thank you to Larsen and all the folks at Random Acts of flowers for providing something so amazing in a world full of chaos.
* Random Acts of Flowers ever-expanding service area currently includes Knoxville (TN), Tampa Bay (FL), Chicago (IL), Indianapolis (IN), and Silicon Valley (CA), but we receive support from donors in 34 of the 50 states. We hope you’ll join them by donating today!
Just as each bouquet made by our volunteers is different, each recipient has a unique story. As the last day unfolded along our GROW 2016 fundraising tour – which included stops at our branches in Tampa Bay, Knoxville, San Francisco, and Chicago – our celebrity guest speaker, HGTV host Chris Lambton, had a particularly touching visit with a woman named Emilie.
Emilie is a resident at Dobson Plaza, a senior care facility in Evanston, IL. On this cool November morning, she was surprised and charmed by the handsome stranger bringing her flowers on a Thursday. And Chris found himself not just delivering hope, but receiving the kind of joy one only gets from giving.
The special moment was amplified when, after delivering bouquets given new life by Random Acts of Flowers Chicago to some 30 residents at Dobson Plaza, Chris retraced his steps down the hallway to leave. When he stopped to say a final goodbye to Emilie, he was moved to see her clutching the vase of repurposed flowers he had given her earlier that day.
“That’s powerful,” Chris said. “There is absolutely no doubt that what you are doing is meaningful when you see something like that.”
We learned more of Emilie’s story when her son, David, reached out to Chris via email the next day –
She moved to Dobson Plaza three years ago from her hometown of Springfield, where she spent 35 years as a Montessori teacher before her retirement. Despite being much closer to one of her sons and her grandchildren, the transition from Springfield to Evanston was difficult.
Hi Chris,
You don’t know me – my name is David, and I am the son of Emilie, who I believe you met yesterday during your visit to Dobson Plaza nursing home in Evanston, Illinois.
Dobson staff told me that you brought Mom flowers and spent a little time with her, and I just wanted to say thank you. I’m sure this made her day. I see her every weekend, but all visitors are appreciated. The transition for her from Springfield, where she is from, to Evanston has been difficult for her, and little acts of kindness go a long way.
Again, many, many thanks. I truly appreciate it, and I know she did as well.
David later shared, “In the process of getting Mom through that transition, I’ve come to realize that, when you reach a certain age, the best thing you could give to a person is time.” Chris’s visit was just that, a personal moment of kindness and a step out of Emilie’s everyday routine. David added. “After Chris Lambton’s visit, Mom talked to me about it and she just lit up. She was touched by the flowers, and I – in turn – was touched because, again, that’s something that someone beyond our family did for her. It really meant a lot. It meant a lot to her, and it meant a lot to me.”
News of David’s message to Chris along with photographs of Emilie with her bouquet spread across the Random Acts of Flowers branches and our national headquarters. In tandem, they affected us deeply and reminded us of the ever-expanding ripple effect of delivering hope and encouragement. Chris’s delivery touched Emilie and her family which, in turn, touched our organization as a whole, revitalizing us and refocusing us on the value of our mission.
When celebrity landscaper Chris Lambton joined us for GROW – a series of events benefiting Random Acts of Flowers’ branches across the country – we knew that his presence would add some stardust to the occasion. What none of us realized, however, is what an impact Chris’s participation in the RAF mission – arranging bouquets and delivering them to hospitals and healthcare facilities coast-to-coast – would have on him. As he and his lovely wife Peyton eagerly await the arrival of their first child (due any day now), the experience gave Chris a chance to think about the impact flowers have had in his own life, as well as experience the joy of delivering hope and encouragement first-hand .
What motivated you to take to the road for two weeks for GROW at a time when you own family was about to grow significantly with the birth of your first child?
(Laughs sheepishly) Have you ever been around woman in her ninth month of pregnancy? The emotional swings were getting pretty unpredictable!
No, seriously, I have known and worked with Cindy McConkey Cox when she was Scripps Networks, the parent company of HGTV and DIY Network. She’s now the COO at Random Acts of Flowers, and once she shared with me the mission, I was in.
It resonated with me and my own experience as my mother battled MLS. My mom was a gardener and loved flowers. So when her health really started to decline and it was hard for her to putter in her garden any more, one of her friends brought her a bouquet every week, and I saw how much that meant to her. After Mom passed, her friend continued to bring a bouquet to my dad and my brothers and me for the next six months, and it was an important part of our healing process.
All that is to say I know the impact flowers can have on someone’s emotional health and well-being.
What did you do at each of the branch locations?
I was the guest speaker at the GROW fundraising events, but really they allowed me to be part of the mission. So of course I met donors and sponsors. But the fun part was going into their workshops and arranging flowers alongside their volunteers and even better was going on the deliveries. I delivered bouquets to hospital patients in Tampa Bay, people fighting Parkinson’s Disease in Knoxville, veterans in Silicon Valley and the elderly in a low-income senior care facility in Chicago.
Was there a favorite moment for you?
I really loved spending time with the volunteers. Random Acts of Flowers does its mission with thousands of volunteers who love what they do, working with the flowers and spreading hope and encouragement to those who are most vulnerable in their communities. But the deliveries. Wow! Every one of them was different. But the one thing that was the same – and the thing that I won’t forget – was how much it meant to each person I sat with and handed a bouquet to know that some stranger, someone they’ve never met, cared enough to bring a little joy into their day.
Editor’s Note: On November 22nd, Chris and his wife Peyton welcomed their daughter, Lyla, into the world. All of us at Random Acts of Flowers send our heartfelt congratulations!
Today, as the RAF branches across the country deliver patriotic bouquets, adorned with the American Flag, to VA homes across the nation, the quote above (by ancient Roman Senator Publius Cornelius Tacitus) rings especially true to all of us here.
We take great pride in our mission of delivering hope and encouragement to individuals in healthcare facilities throughout the country, every week of the year. But, today of all days is special. Today, we deliver flowers to brave men and women who – through their military service – brought hope to us as citizens of the USA. So, yes, today we deliver hope; but along with that hope, we deliver deep, abiding gratitude to the people we met.
Thank you to those we honor today for your service, for your patriotism, and for the hope that you’ve given us as a nation.
***
“Your thoughtfulness reflects the concern that you feel for our Veterans and for the service they provided to all of us while in service to our country. Without your support, we could not provide for activities like this that make hospitalization more bearable. Your thoughtfulness also reflects the concern and compassion that our community feels for our Veterans.” – Nathan, Tampa Bay Healthcare Partner
***
In Chicago, we partnered with Y.O.U. (Youth & Opportunity United) and AmeriCorps to deliver bouquets to more than 500 veteran patients; and, Dare2tri’s Melissa Stockwell joined Random Acts of Flowers Chicago for a Veterans Day delivery! Stockwell lost her leg in Iraq in 2004 after a roadside bomb went off. After a year at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, she went on to win several Paratriathlons and, on September 11, 2016, she won a Bronze Medal in the Rio Paralympic Games.
On her Facebook page, Stockwell shared this quotation in honor of Veterans Day –
“A Veteran is an ordinary and yet an extraordinary human being – a person who offered some of their life’s most vital years in the service of this country, and who sacrificed their ambitions so others would not have to sacrifice theirs. A soldier and a savior and a sword against the darkness, and nothing more than the finest, greatest testimony on behalf of the finest, greatest nation ever known. So remember, each time you see someone who has served our country, just lean over and say Thank You. That’s all most people need, and in most cases it will mean more than any medals they could have been awarded or were awarded.“
***
“Your Random Acts of Kindness improve the quality of my life while staying here at the VA Rehab Center. Your thoughtfulness brightens my room and warms my heart.” – Kimberly, Recipient
***
In Knoxville, the Veterans Day delivery to Ben Atchley State Veterans Home was facilitated by Dave Penson, a regular volunteer at the branch and a veteran himself. He served 22 years (was commissioned out of college in 1971) before retiring. Part of a robust military family (including his father, his wife (herself a retired colonel), and their children), Dave was pleased to deliver hope and encouragement to men and women who, like him, feel taller and prouder today.
Thank you to all of our Veterans Day sponsors across the country, including Advocate Condell Medical Center; Alternative Staffing, Inc.; Dover Foundation; FTD; Functional Pathways; MZI Group; and UL.
When Tampa Bay’s Jim Overton retired after more than 40 years as a painting contractor, his wife quickly noticed that boredom and lack of activity were affecting his mood. She, along with their friend and RAF Tampa Bay Board Member Pam Ora, suggested that Random Acts of Flowers might be a good way for him to stay active, make friends, and contribute to the community. Now, Jim volunteers at RAF Tampa Bay several times a week, delivering hope to people who need it most.
We sat down to talk with Jim about his experiences and why he
thinks more people should support Random Acts of Flowers.
How did you get started volunteering at RAF Tampa Bay?
I volunteered to drive the van for a delivery and was asked to come on in and deliver flowers. We went in and it was surprisingly rewarding to be able to deliver the flowers to people. I told them “We’re doing this to bring a smile to your face,” and I loved it.
I had become really depressed and was sitting around feeling sorry for myself. This is just fulfilling. Now I look forward to the next time I get to do it.
What is your favorite delivery story?
I’ve had several people – men and women – break down in tears, crying, “I’ve never had flowers delivered before. Ever.”
I had one lady who said, “I was going to have an order of edible arrangements delivered to me, just to have something delivered and here you are delivering flowers to me.” We just made her day.
I delivered one time on St. Patty’s Day and a lady said “I got flowers delivered by a leprechaun!” I have reddish hair and I look Irish, so she was laughing about that. It’s just a great feeling to bring a lot of smiles to so many people.
What is your favorite part of the spirit of the organization?
Mainly, it’s just surprising people and seeing the smiles and the joy that we can really bring to people. I love telling others about it and helping them understand that it’s such a good thing that we’re doing for the community, letting them know that’s it’s an organization that’s helping the whole community.
Why do you feel Random Acts of Flowers is a good fit for you?
I try to be upbeat, fun-loving, and wanting to do whatever I can to help whenever I can. I hate to say “no,” which is a really good thing, I think.
What do your family and friends think about you volunteering at RAF Tampa Bay?
They’re so proud of me and they say it’s such a wonderful thing that I’m doing. They can see that I get a lot of pleasure and enjoyment out of it. They can tell, when I’m talking about it, that I’m so positive about it. I love sharing the experience that I’ve had with making so many people happily surprised that they’re getting flowers for – it seems like – no reason at all. They just think it’s the greatest thing.
What would you say to someone who’s thinking about supporting Random Acts of Flowers, either by volunteering or donating?
I tell everybody I meet that volunteering at RAF is a great thing to do, and there are so many different ways that you can contribute.
What do you like to do when you’re not volunteering?
I love boating. I have a pontoon boat, and we’re constantly trying to find time to get out on that. I love relaxing and enjoying nature. I was talking to Chris Lambton (HGTV expert landscaper who visited Tampa Bay for GROW 2016), telling him how my yard was just like how he explained the landscaping trends with paths and fountains and a fishpond. I could really relate to him and what he does.
Did you enjoy GROW and meeting the celebrity speaker, Chris Lambton?
Oh, yeah, it was a blast! At the end of the night, he gave me a big bro hug! I enjoyed delivering flowers with him and Larsen (RAF founder and CEO) at the hospital, too.
Is there anything else you think our readers should know?
I would love to see more people have the opportunity to get involved and reap the rewards of volunteering.
I get a lot of pleasure out of it, and know other people would, too.
[vimeo id=”190280967″ width=”800″ height=”550″ autoplay=”no” api_params=”” class=””]
On October 27, 2016, Random Acts of Flowers’ Founder and CEO Larsen Jay and GROW Special Guest Chris Lambton, star of HGTV’s Going Yard and former contestant on The Bachelorette, appeared on WATE Knoxville to talk about the organization and the GROW 2016 event.
First Delivery Impacts Emotional Health and Wellbeing of 75 Individuals at Eskenazi Health
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (October 13, 2016) – A very vulnerable segment of the Indianapolis community — those struggling with injury, illness and the aging process — will receive much-needed hope and health benefits thanks to a national not-for-profit agency now serving Indianapolis.
“The mission of Random Acts of Flowers is simple, yet its impact is huge,” said Dr. Lisa Harris, CEO of Eskenazi Health, where 75 patients received the first delivery of repurposed floral bouquets this morning from the new Random Acts of Flowers Indianapolis branch. “At Eskenazi Health we’re focused on the total wellbeing of our patients and those who care for them. We’re grateful for the opportunity of this partnership with Random Acts of Flowers to benefit our patients and our medical staff as well as our community.”
Founded in 2008 in Knoxville, Tenn., Random Acts of Flowers (RAF) focuses on its mission to improve the emotional health and wellbeing of individuals in healthcare and assisted living facilities across the country by delivering recycled flowers, encouragement and personal moments of kindness. The new Indianapolis facility, located in the SoBro area, is the organization’s fifth branch, with RAF also serving Tampa Bay, Chicago and Silicon Valley in addition to Knoxville.
RAF Indianapolis expects to serve nearly 12,000 individuals in area healthcare and senior care facilities in its first year. In addition to Eskenazi Health, St. Vincent Health, IU Health and Community Health also have signed on as healthcare partners with RAF Indianapolis, along with Brookdale Senior Living, with more to be added in the coming weeks. Flowers for today’s first deliveries were repurposed from floral stock from RAF’s national partner FTD/ProFlowers. Ongoing, RAF Indianapolis also will create beautiful bouquets from flowers recycled from weddings, special events and memorial services and unsold florals from grocers, local florists including retailer McNamara Florists and wholesaler Kennicott Brothers, and the FTD/ProFlowers distribution center in Richmond. Vases for the deliveries also are donated from the community and repurposed by RAF Indianapolis.
“We take what would otherwise end up in a landfill and transform it into beautiful bouquets to provide an unexpected surprise and emotional lift to people in a time of need,” said Larsen Jay, who conceived the idea of Random Acts of Flowers while recuperating from a near-death accident. “This is something that is very personal to me, because I have experienced the healing benefits of flowers myself and have seen it a thousand times over in the faces of those who have received a bouquet from Random Acts of Flowers.”
Multiple studies indicate that the mere presence of flowers in a patient’s hospital room can, in the words of researchers from Rutgers University, become “a powerful positive emotion inducer” that improves mood and long-term episodic memory in elderly patients. A 2009 study from researchers at Kansas State University found that “patients in rooms with plants and flowers had significantly shorter hospitalizations, lower ratings of pain, anxiety and fatigue, and more positive feelings” when compared to patients in a control group. Most recently in a study conducted earlier this year at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, 95% of respondents reported that the unexpected delivery from Random Acts of Flowers improved their overall wellness, with 73.5% reporting “extreme improvement.” Further, the UTMC study reaffirmed that RAF is serving patients who typically are not getting this sort of encouragement, with more than 80% of respondents reporting they had not received other gifts of flowers outside of the RAF delivery, and 11% stating that the RAF volunteers were the only visitors they had during their hospital stay.
“I never dreamed this idea borne from my hospital room nine years ago would spread the way it has,” Jay said. “But thanks to the tremendous leadership of this community, we now are able to bring our mission to Indianapolis.”
Run largely by a dedicated corps of volunteers, Random Acts of Flowers has more than 2,000 volunteers nationwide who have served more than 155,000 people in hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living and hospices across the country. The agency also has recycled more than 180,000 vases, repurposed countless bows and card picks and composted tons of green waste.
The new RAF Indianapolis branch has a small staff of three and is actively recruiting volunteers to assist with floral pickups, floral preparation, arranging bouquets, driving, personal deliveries and miscellaneous assistance in the facility.
###
For b-roll, mission photos, testimonials and other media materials, go to: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/m6twg7i73u8jl4f/AADNpFxckd_UJ8jqdC4luPfXa?dl=0
CONTACT: Cindy McConkey Cox – cindy@randomactsofflowers.org; 865-368-3976 Tom Surber – thomas.surber@eskenazihealth.edu 317-880-4793
This short, informational video will give you a quick overview of our organization and mission. We hope you enjoy it.