Tag: random acts of flowers

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Volunteers ensure flowers get 2nd chance to brighten someone’s day (WTHR, 2.20.2020)

“Have you ever wondered where Valentine’s Day flowers go when they aren’t sold? This is it. Random Acts of Flowers is where flowers go to get a second chance.

“These are really good flowers that would normally go into the trash,” said volunteer Amber Livers.

Thanks to 400 volunteers like Amber, they have a second chance to make someone’s day.

Random Acts of Flowers has made 75,000 deliveries since late 2016.

“Whenever volunteers come in, this is the first thing they check. Where are they going? How many do we need and where do the flowers come from? The bottom line is what really matters. We would not exist without our awesome floral partners here in the city,” said Lindsay Potter, program director.

Between 300 and 500 bouquets are shipped out a small building on the near north side every week.”

Read the Full Story

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Blog Newsletter Newsroom

Indianapolis In Bloom Newsletter – August 2019

 

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IN BLOOM
August 2019
It’s been a busy summer here at our Indianapolis workshop, and – thanks to the support of our volunteers, donors, and friends like you – we’ve made thousands of deliveries to people in our community! We couldn’t do it without you, and we’re so glad that you’re part of the RAF Indianapolis family!
SUPPORT DELIVERING HOPE WITH A DONATION

A NOTE FROM INCOMING BOARD CHAIR, SARAH CLARK

Everyone agrees. RAF Indianapolis is a special place. Each day I enter the workshop on 54th Street, I think RAF could stand for Random Acts of Friendship. Maybe it’s the sweet smell of fresh flowers and the happy chatter combined with the collective sense of purpose. It just feels good. The moment one engages in this mission, the magic begins. Whether it’s knocking on the door of a neighbor to collect a vase or two, or regularly volunteering in the workshop, moments of kindness happen long before the vase of flowers is delivered.

And… Indianapolis gets it! The enthusiasm and dedication of our volunteers, floral suppliers, and healthcare partners is second to none. As we enter our third year, I believe it is a pivotal time for us to fully recommit to both sustaining and growing our mission in the Indianapolis community while having good fun doing it. What an exciting time to be a part of RAF Indy!
AN INDY INVASION!
At the end of July, the Random Acts of Flowers team descended on Indy for a three-day retreat at our workshop! We shared lots of good ideas, plans for the future, successes, challenges, and more than a few laughs! We were glad to be able to host,
and we’re already looking forward to Retreat 2020!
THANK YOU TO TWO AMAZING FLORAL PARTNERS
Flowers are our foot in the door at hospitals, assisted living facilities, and other healthcare centers in our community. They are the way we share kindness and compassion, and remind our neighbors that someone cares about them.

Without amazing floral donors like
JP Parker and McNamara Florist, we wouldn’t be able to provide beautiful blooms to people who need a pick-me-up. We are so grateful for their generosity and continued support of our mission!
GET YOUR VASES
TO OUR PLACE!We are so grateful to everyone who has donated vases to our branch! Vases are the vessel of our mission,
and we are always in need of more!

You can drop off vases at our workshop in Broad Ripple, Monday-Thursday 10:00am to 4:00pm, or at several locations throughout Indianapolis.
LEARN MORE ABOUT DONATING VASES AND VASE DRIVES!
Deliveries of Hope
69,500+ in Indianapolis
447,000+ Nationwide
Vases Re-purposed
69,000+ in Indianapolis
454,000+ Nationwide
Volunteer Hours
22,500+ in Indianapolis
203,500+ Nationwide
SUPPORT DELIVERING HOPE WITH A DONATION
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Blog RAF in the News

A Testimony to Flower Power (Floral Business, Spring 2019)

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Blog Chicago Patron Society Knoxville Patron Society RAF in the News

RAF on Flower Power with Jill (March 2019)

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Random Acts of Flowers Has Recycled
Over 400,000 Bouquets for Patients & Nursing Homes

In 2007, Random Acts of Flowers founder Larsen Jay was in a near-fatal accident landing him in a Tennessee hospital bed.  Aside from expert medical care, he also credits the bouquets of flowers generously sent by friends and family in helping him heal and persevere through the multiple surgeries and challenging recovery process.

Leaving the hospital, he noticed how some patients didn’t have cheery flowers to give them an emotional lift as he had. The first Random Acts of Flowers donation was made that day when he re-purposed his bouquets and delivered them from his wheelchair.[/fusion_text][button link=”http://www.flowerpowerwithjill.com/random-acts-of-flowers-has-recycled-over-400000-cheery-bouquets/” color=”default” size=”xlarge” stretch=”” type=”” shape=”” target=”_self” title=”” gradient_colors=”|” gradient_hover_colors=”|” accent_color=”” accent_hover_color=”” bevel_color=”” border_width=”” icon=”” icon_position=”left” icon_divider=”no” modal=”” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=”1″ animation_offset=”” alignment=”center” class=”” id=””]Read Full Coverage Here[/button]

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Blog Chicago Patron Society Knoxville Patron Society

A Look Back at Delivering Hope in 2018!

As we kick off delivering hope in 2019, we wanted to reflect on some of the highlights of 2018.

Here’s just a small sampling of the milestones and moments that defined our last year here
at Random Acts of Flowers!

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Newsroom RAF in the News

Random Acts of Flowers Bring Smiles, Aromas, 50,000th Bouquet (IndyStar, 11/29.2018)

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Random Acts of Flowers Bring Smiles, Aromas, 50,000th Bouquet (IndyStar, 11/29.2018)

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This team of rockstar volunteers created more than 200 arrangements to be delivered to patients at Eskenazi Health —one of which was the 50,000th delivery since our launch in Indy!

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Random Acts of Flowers volunteers deliver their 50,000th bouquet of flowers to Ana Ramos, right, and her new daughter, Keilani Pena Ramos, at Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital, Thursday, Nov. 29, 2018. The newest branch of the national floral nonprofit has been delivering the flowers to patients to offer hope, encouragement and smiles, for about two years. Kelly Wilkinson/IndyStar

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Claire Alexander, from left, Joan Perry, and Kathy Bradfield, with Random Acts of Flowers, get ready to deliver their 50,000th bouquet of flowers at Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital, Thursday, Nov. 29, 2018. The newest branch of the national floral nonprofit has been delivering the flowers to patients to offer hope, encouragement and smiles, for about two years. Kelly Wilkinson/IndyStar

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See the Indy Star’s Full Coverage HERE!

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Blog Chicago Patron Society Knoxville Patron Society Newsroom

Random Acts of Flowers Turns 10 years old (WATE, 7.24.2018)

“A Knoxville-based nonprofit has been bringing smiles to hundreds of thousands of people’s faces for 10 years now, and it all started with one bouquet of flowers. Random Acts of Flowers celebrated its 10th birthday Tuesday.

Fran Scheidt has been constructing the floral creations since the very beginning. ‘It was about a third the size of this,’ she said describing their warehouse.

In 10 years Random Acts of Flowers has expanded to Tampa Bay, Chicago and Indianapolis, and they have handed out 340,000 bouquets made from donated flowers, in hospitals, assisted living facilites and hospice care. About 90,000 of those have been in Knoxville where it all began.

‘I like to be around people, but I like what we’re doing,’ Scheidt said.

It has been 10 years of brightening days with beautiful blossoms.”

 

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Blog Chicago Patron Society Knoxville Patron Society Newsroom

Random Acts of Flowers Celebrates 10 Years of Delivering Hope and Encouragement

A decade ago, Random Acts of Flowers (RAF) made its first official delivery. With a strong vision and a simple mission, co-founders Larsen and Adrian Jay started what has become a nationwide phenomenon. Over the past ten years, Random Acts of Flowers has delivered more than 340,000 bouquets of recycled flowers to individuals in hospitals, assisted living facilities, and hospice, and the organization has repurposed more than 356,000 vases, all thanks to the more than 161,000 hours put in by dedicated volunteers. Currently, the RAF mission serves four communities in the US – Knoxville, Tampa Bay, Chicago, and Indianapolis – and has inspired more than two dozen smaller organizations in communities from coast to coast, as well as in the UK.
 
From Sunday, July 22nd through Tuesday, July 24th, Random Acts of Flowers employees from all four branches and the national headquarters will converge on Knoxville for a company retreat focused on making the next ten years of delivering hope even more successful than the last ten have been.
 
Knox County mayor Tim Burchett has proclaimed Tuesday July 24th to be Random Acts of Flowers Day.
 
And, that evening, RAF staff will be joined by board members, donors, volunteers, supporters, and community members for the 10thBirthday Happy Hour party at Clancy’s Tavern in downtown Knoxville.
 
And, for the past month, supporters have been part of the Random Acts of Flowers 10th Anniversary Challenge, participating in a friendly challenge to collectively raise $10,000 in honor of 10 years of delivering hope. The person who raises the most during this one month challenge will receive one bouquet of flowers a month (sent to the person of their choice) for a whole year – compliments of RAF’s friends at The Flower Pot in Knoxville. Further, a generous donor has agreed to match the donations made through the challenge.
 
As challenge participant Tiffany Gardner says, “In our busy lives, it’s easy to forget that there are people in communities everywhere who are experiencing health hardships. In hospitals, hospice, and assisted living facilities, people are in need of a reminder that they haven’t been forgotten and that there are people who care about their well-being. RAF does that every day.”
 
Random Acts of Flowers looks to make more than 110,000 deliveries in 2018 and crest 500,000 deliveries by the end of 2019.
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Blog Knoxville Patron Society Newsroom

Happiness Week (WBIR, 7.12.18)

For Happiness Week, WBIR’s  Rebecca Sweet and Leslie Ackerson visited the RAF Knoxville workshop to learn the ways you can deliver some summer sunshine to folks who need it.

SEE THEIR COVERAGE HERE –

 

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Blog Knoxville Patron Society Newsroom

“He grows them, cuts them, then gives them away” (WBIR, 7.2.2018)

WBIR’s Emily Stroud paid a visit to one of our dear friends and supporters John Benzinger – a retired flower farmer who now puts his green thumb toward delivering hope!

 

Also, check out our full interview with John from last year on our Blog!