Tag: random acts of kindness

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Thank You BBQ Honors Knoxville’s First Responders

Thank You BBQ Honors Knoxville’s First Responders

Photo Courtesy of Knoxville Fire Dept.

Knoxville News Sentinal – First responders with the Knoxville Fire Department, Knoxville Police Department, American Medical Response, and other were honored by Random Acts of Flowers founder Larsen Jay on Saturday, ten years to the day that Jay was seriously injured in a life changing accident.

Over 100 first responders from the Knoxville area were treated with a free barbeque lunch by Jay and a group of volunteers. According to Captain D. J. Corcoran of the Knoxville Fire Department, this year’s celebration was part of an annual tradition of Jay’s.

“Every year for the last six or seven years, he’s come back and done something for the firefighters and emergency workers. This year is the ten-year anniversary, so it’s kind of milestone.”


KnoxTNToday.com – Larsen Jay bought lunch for the area’s first responders Saturday on the 10th anniversary of his near-fatal accident.

“After 12 surgeries and years of therapy, I live a healthy and productive life with a wonderful family,” Jay said. “I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than to honor the hard-working people in our safety and health professions.”

 

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The Impact of a Fall: Reflecting on a Decade’s Ripple Effect

The Impact of a Fall:
Reflecting on a Decade’s Ripple Effect

Larsen Jay soon after his 2007 accident.

Ten years ago today, I fell. I fell from a roof onto the hard concrete below. Ten years ago, the impact of that fall affected my body – breaking numerous bones that, along with my life, had to be painstakingly and patiently put back together. Ten years ago, the impact of that fall was very personal – between me and my body, me and my family, and me and my identity – but the ripple effect of that impact has reached far further than I ever could have imagined.

Because, my time in the University of Tennessee Medical Center – Level 1 Trauma Department ten years ago (read more about that here) and my realization of the role that hope plays in the healing process changed my life. And, by extension, has changed the lives of countless other people in communities across the country.

As I reflect on my accident a decade later, Random Acts of Flowers – the organization founded as a direct response to my experience – is closing in on making 250,000 deliveries of hope and encouragement nationwide. Our five branches continue to impact more lives each month by increasing the number of deliveries, linking up with more healthcare and floral partners, reaching out to volunteers at community organizations, and spreading the word of our mission far beyond their own branch backyards. Further, organizations inspired by Random Acts of Flowers’ simple goal of recycling flowers and delivering hope are serving people in more than two dozen communities outside RAF’s service areas.

This ripple effect cannot be denied.

Random Acts of Flowers deliveries do not only touch the lives of the recipients. We receive testimonials from family members, doctors and nurses, RAF volunteers, and community members about how the RAF mission has touched their lives. Hope is an infinite resource and it can be delivered in myriad forms. For us, the vase and the flowers are the catalyst for making real connections with people and for sharing personal moments of kindness.

I can’t imagine how many people we will have impacted and inspired ten years from now. Half a million? A million? Five million? More? As RAF puts down roots and its branches reach further into each community, the ripple effect will only increase. That’s an impact I am happy to make again and again.

 

This weekend, I will honor Knoxville’s first responders for their service with a BBQ lunch. Some of these first responders made sure that my accident was not the end of my story, but the beginning of a new chapter; and to them, I am forever grateful.

So today of all days, I encourage you, wherever you are, to remember that each day blooms anew, turns over a new leaf, and is an opportunity to make an impact for the better in your own life and to your community. Get out there, make an impact, and live your life filled with hope.

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Meet Random Acts of Flowers Queen of Green, Sarah Cronan

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Meet RAF’s Queen of Green, Sarah Cronan

Headshot by Crystal Martin

This week, Random Acts of Flowers’ National Director of Finance and Administration Sarah Cronan, is more than 1,000 miles away from our National Headquarters, attending the 2017 Perennial Plant Association Symposium in Denver, Colorado. Because – while Sarah is the Queen of fiscal Green for our organization – her other passion is gardening, which makes her and RAF a perfect match!

Sarah’s interest in gardening stems from her childhood visiting her grandparents who lived on farms, growing their own vegetables and flowers. She loved to visit them, picking flowers and enjoying the fresh veggies. This interest became a passion as she got older, and is now a defining part of her life. Having spent her pre-RAF career in a series of intense – and sometimes stressful jobs – Sarah finds her garden a therapeutic and comforting place.

“Whenever I travel, wherever I go, I love to seek out people with an interest in plants and check out nurseries. I’m always on the lookout for unusual things that I can’t get in my local garden center.
I love plants!”

Sarah returned to the working world at the beginning of 2017 after having spent several years with her garden as her full-time job. When RAF COO/CMO Cindy McConkey Cox (with whom Sarah worked at Scripps Networks Interactive) reached out to her about joining the RAF team, Sarah was “ready to get back to business. And, I wanted something tied to the horticulture industry in some way, so Random Acts of Flowers was absolutely perfect.”

“I love flowers. I love growing flowers, but I also love cutting flowers. I cut flowers from my own yard to enjoy in my house. And, the mission of RAF is incredible, and – as someone who is so involved with plants – I fully understand the positive impact that being around flowers and plants can have on someone’s life.”

From managing the fiscal green at the RAF office to cultivating the floral green at her home garden, Sarah wears her Queen of Green crown beautifully![/fusion_text][imageframe lightbox=”no” gallery_id=”” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”none” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”center” link=”” linktarget=”_self” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””] [/imageframe][separator style_type=”none” top_margin=”40″ bottom_margin=”” sep_color=”” border_size=”” icon=”” icon_circle=”” icon_circle_color=”” width=”” alignment=”center” class=”” id=””][one_sixth last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][/one_sixth][two_third last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]

After Sarah’s garden appeared in an article in the Knoxville News-Sentinel, a local garden club reached out to see if the club could pay a visit. So earlier this year, the club visited Sarah’s home to see the wide variety of plants she cultivates on about two acres of land in West Knoxville.

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National Development Director Puts Down Roots to Help Random Acts of Flowers Bloom

National Development Director Puts Down Roots
to Help Random Acts of Flowers Bloom

Random Acts of Flowers has added Sarah Elizabeth Hauge to its national team as National Director of Development. Hauge will be based at the Random Acts of Flowers national headquarters in Knoxville, TN, where she will focus on securing national partners for the nonprofit, but her work also will impact the five branches located in cities across the country.

Hauge is uniquely qualified for the position, having worked the past five years in financial management with RAF partner Pershing Yoakley & Associates, P.C. which focuses primarily on serving the healthcare industry. Prior to that, Hauge was responsible for corporate relations and development with the United States Chamber of Commerce in Washington D.C., where she developed and managed a yearly fundraising strategy to retain a portfolio of approximately 30 corporate accounts totaling $3 million in value. In this role, she served as the primary point of contact for current and prospective partners, negotiating existing and new corporate contacts.

At Random Acts of Flowers, Hauge will develop and implement the agency’s fundraising strategy and donor stewardship plan to take the organization to the next level. She will work directly with the RAF executive team and its national board of directors to manage a comprehensive fundraising program including annual giving, leadership gifts, corporate and foundation grants, third-party fundraising and planned giving. As the dedicated fundraising professional for Random Acts of Flowers, Hauge also will assist the Knoxville, Tampa Bay, Chicago, Indianapolis, and Silicon Valley branches in constructing development plans to be implemented on the local level.

Beyond her professional experience, Hauge was drawn to Random Acts of Flowers through a very personal connection to the floral industry. Her grandparents owned Hauge’s Flowers in Morgantown, West Virginia, where she spent many childhood summers learning about the floral industry. One of the most important things from her grandparents was, “Whether for a funeral, a wedding, or a simple arrangement a husband picked up to surprise his wife, flowers meant something special to a person or a family. I knew that I have impacted someone’s world for the better.”

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Random Acts of Flowers Knoxville Makes 75,000th Delivery

Random Acts of Flowers Knoxville
Makes 75,000th Delivery

Random Acts of Flowers Knoxville celebrated a big milestone yesterday,
delivering its 75,000th bouquet to a recipient at Parkwest Hospital!

Longtime volunteer liaison, Rita Stroud, was very excited to be a part of this special delivery. “I remember we had 25 bud vases to give out for the first delivery at Parkwest Hospital back in 2009. Immediately, it was such a blessing. Every recipient is genuinely surprised and excited when we come into their room with a beautiful arrangement. I absolutely love it, and I am so happy to be the liaison at Parkwest.”

RAF volunteers Rena McAlister and Andrea Murphy join Stroud each month for the delivery. Mcalister said, “Early in 2009, I read an article about a new volunteer outreach program called Random Acts of Flowers. Little did I know I would receive so much joy, fun, and satisfaction for giving just a few hours of my time each week.” Murphy, a volunteer since November 2010, added, “I want my son to realize it really takes little effort to positively impact someone’s day when you give just a little love and kindness. It just takes small gestures, time, and a desire to leave a lasting impression.”

Random Acts of Flowers began when founder Larsen Jay used a personal experience to inspire a simple yet generous mission. After a near-fatal accident, Jay was amazed by the amount of support and encouragement he received as his hospital room filled with beautiful flowers. He soon realized that several of his fellow patients did not receive visitors or flowers, and it became his personal mission to share the floral encouragement he had received. The bouquets he shared with other patients that fateful day serve as the inspiration behind RAF’s mission to improve the emotional health and well-being of individuals in health care facilities by delivering recycled flowers, encouragement, and personal moments of kindness.

“For more than nine years, the dedicated team at Random Acts of Flowers have focused on the simplicity of kindness, compassion and the delivery of hope. We find great comfort in knowing that the emotional impact of every recycled bouquet delivered in a healthcare facility has a ripple-effect far beyond the recipient. This significant milestone serves as an ongoing testament to the volunteer spirit and the generosity behind all who support the Random Acts of Flowers’ mission,” Jay said.

See WBIR’s Coverage HERE…

 

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Random Acts of Flowers surprise Barrington residents (Current in Carmel, 7.15.17)

Random Acts of Flowers surprise Barrington residents

(Current in Carmel, 7.15.17)

Determine, Inc. a global provider of industry-leading cloud solutions, recently teamed with Random Acts of Flowers as a team-building exercise. The employees spent the day arranging, delivering and surprising nursing home residents with the bouquets, including at The Barrington of Carmel.

“Our mission is to improve the well-being of people in hospitals and nursing homes. People are attracted to our mission for a lot of different reasons. There’s not anyone who can’t benefit from someone in their community coming in and reminding them that they’re not alone and they care about them,” said Lindsay Potter, program manager at Random Acts of Flowers.

SEE FULL ARTICLE HERE

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The Longest Day: Celebrating Lives Well Lived

The Longest Day: Celebrating Lives Well Lived

Today, many of us will celebrate the longest day of the year – the summer solstice – by spending time outside with our friends and family, soaking up the sun, and reveling in the fact that we’ve made it another year around the sun while twilight slowly settles around us.

But, for many, this Longest Day has an even greater meaning. The Alzheimer’s Association of America has adopted the summer solstice as their Longest Day and they say “The Longest Day is all about love. Love for all those affected by Alzheimer’s disease.” It’s a day to celebrate the vibrancy of the lives of those individuals affected by this disease and to give them and their families an opportunity to raise money while participating in activities and hobbies that they’ve always shared.

“My elderly father who suffers from Alzheimer’s was recently admitted to UT Medical Center. We are still here. He was placed on the oncology wing for lack of space elsewhere. Cancer patients who we have hope will beat their disease tend to receive lots of flowers and visitors. Once someone has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, a disease we can only hope to manage not cure, friends and even family begin to distance themselves. I had just thought that I should get Pop some flowers myself when a gentle knock came at the door. The sweetest lady came in carrying a bright yellow basket full of carnations, hydrangeas, daffodils and sunflowers. My dad was so excited. He said, “Those flowers brighten up the whole room, don’t they?” They sure do! It is amazing how something as small as a basket of flowers can mean so much. Many, many thanks.” – Joanie H., Knoxville

Here at Random Acts of Flowers, we encounter recipients facing Alzheimer’s disease at the hospitals and assisted living facilities that we visit on a regular basis. For them – and for us – a bouquet delivery is a welcome bright spot in a world that is turned upside down.

Collage of woman receiving flowers and flower bouquet“To all of you at RAF – I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the flower arrangements you brought to Moldaw Residences in Palo Alto. I am especially grateful for the flowers in our Memory Support rooms. My husband has been there since it opened in 2009, and flowers brightened his room until the last petal fell, brightening the days for him, me, and all the caretakers. What pleasure you have given to all of us, and I want you to know how much I appreciate the surprise of RAF.” – Marcia E., Silicon Valley

 

And, research has shown that a familiar smell can bring back memories from the past (see our recent blogpost Tuesdays with Flowers: Making Memories Blossom with Random Acts of Flowers for more on the subject).

Sunny Biden from The Pat Summitt Foundation (an organization fighting Alzheimer’s disease with a comprehensive approach, awarding grants to organizations that provide research to treat, prevent, cure, and ultimately eradicate this disease; education and awareness of Alzheimer’s, its onset and treatment; and support services to patients, their families and caregivers) says that “with Alzheimer’s the first thing to go is, short-term memory, so bringing flowers to someone… there’s always something nostalgic about a flower that reminds someone of a memory. So, if someone gets a certain flower that they loved, it might bring back a childhood memory that they’re more inclined to remember than a short-term memory.”

Every day of the year, Random Acts of Flowers uses flowers to bring renewed hope and new moments of kindness to recipients battling illness, injury, and the aging process. Today, on The Longest Day, we would like to remind you to take a few of these “extra” minutes to spend time with the people you love – do something special with them, for them, or in their honor.

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Knoxville Patron Society Newsroom

“A Jungle of Joy and Happiness”: The Knoxville Mercury Discovers the Roots of RAF

“A Jungle of Joy and Happiness”:
The Knoxville Mercury Discovers the Roots of RAF

Coury Turczyn of The Knoxville Mercury spent a little time with our Founder and CEO Larsen Jay and found out more about the roots of our mission, how we’ve bloomed in Knoxville, and how our branches stretch across the country.

“Random Acts of Flowers may be one of Knoxville’s most well known nonprofits. That’s because its mission makes so much sense that it’s remarkable no one thought to do it before 2008: The national organization takes flowers and bouquets that would otherwise be discarded and redistributes them to patients in hospitals, nursing homes, senior care facilities, and hospices. It provides some emotional well being and encouragement when people need it most.

As it approaches its 250,000th delivery nine years later, we checked in with founder Larsen Jay on how his brainstorm has evolved into a national phenomenon” —

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE…

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RAF Indianapolis Program Manager Lindsay Potter on WIBC’s Caregiver Crossing

RAF Indianapolis Program Manager Lindsay Potter
on WIBC’s Caregiver Crossing

“There’s all kinds of research on how flowers have the power to enhance recover…we use those as a vessel for connection.”

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Tuesdays with Flowers: Making Memories Blossom with Random Acts of Flowers

Tuesdays with Flowers: Making Memories Blossom
with Random Acts of Flowers


Describing Stephanie Mataya as a caregiver feels like a vast understatement once you get to know her. A full-time speech pathologist, wife, mom, stepmom, and dog/cat/lizard mom, Stephanie spends her time bettering the lives of the people (and animals) who surround her and nurturing a culture of care and compassion in her community. For the past fifteen years, Stephanie has been a speech pathologist at BayCare, one of the largest healthcare systems in Pinellas County, Florida, and during that time, she has become very involved in the Random Acts of Flowers mission both at work and during her free time.

This is her story of the impact delivering hope has had in her life.


I work with the elderly and a lot of our patients are people who come to us from long-term care or assisted living facilities. They are often people who are dealing with dementia for the first time and don’t have family around. That’s an issue we deal with a lot here in Florida. People come down here to retire and then they are alone. 

The flowers that Random Acts of Flowers delivers create an emotional connection, and people – when they’re in the hospital – are overwhelmed. Their families are overwhelmed. It’s such a surreal experience and when flowers are there, you feel like a normal person. We expect to see flowers and trees and grass, and we take them for granted. But, when you’re in a facility, you don’t have the opportunity to go outside and enjoy nature in the same way.

The flowers create that feeling that someone cares about them, and it’s a great way to start a conversation about something other than the care they’re receiving. Everything’s being done to them, this is done for them. As a healthcare provider and a speech pathologist, it opens a lot of doors.

One of my favorite stories about the impact of Random Acts of Flowers is about a patient who had come from a skilled nursing facility. She wasn’t talking to us or interacting; she was shutting down. An RAF delivery came, and the flowers were on her windowsill. I brought the flowers over to her and started talking about them and had her smell them. And, she immediately started talking with me. She said, “I remember getting flowers for my birthday.” This bouquet had roses and was very fragrant and she said, “Roses are my favorite flower.”

That olfactory experience started triggering a lot of memories for her. There’s a lot of research about how the sense of smell can trigger memories and emotions. And, this woman who hadn’t spoken in a long time started speaking about her husband and her kids. From that point, she got more interactive, would eat more, etc. We encouraged her home facility to give her flowers to help her stay more alert and interactive.

Another story I love – We have a long-term care unit and we get our deliveries there every Tuesday. Recently, we had a young woman from Chicago in our care. She had a lot of memory issues, but one thing she could always remember was “on Tuesdays, my flowers come.” We would work on her knowing the date, trying to get her oriented. She was very confused, but we could give her that touchstone – “On Tuesdays, my flowers come.” She’s well on her way to a full recovery and going back home soon. She wants to volunteer at RAF Chicago when she’s feeling better. That’s what I call a full circle!


And, because RAF made deliveries to BayCare, I was able to see the positive effect it had on patients. It encouraged me to become more involved. My family and I have done deliveries, my son’s Boy Scout troop volunteered at the workshop, and my mom has even volunteered with floral prep. The benefit I’ve seen at my workplace made me want to help deliver hope to others. I love RAF, and I love what it does for patients, caregivers, and volunteers.


One more story! My sons are 15 and 17, and we did a delivery a few years ago at an Assisted Living Facility. There was a man there who had dementia, and we were told not to give him any flowers because he would eat them. My sons were upset because it was the man’s birthday the next day, but we couldn’t leave any flowers for him. So, with the facility’s permission, they decided that they wanted to bring him something for his birthday. So, we went back after school the next day with food and punch and spent some time with him for his birthday. Teenage boys are not necessarily known for being that compassionate, but making the connection with this man over the flowers helped their empathy shine through. They were able to think about delivering hope and bringing care and compassion to someone.

I would tell people interested in RAF, “Get involved immediately!” It’s so simple, but it’s so powerful. When you, as a volunteer, do something with your hands – prepping the flowers, making an arrangement, delivering flowers – it gets into your soul. One thing that’s especially great is that the feedback is immediate, and you can see it and feel it in the moment. When you talk about the ripple effect, the caregiver and the volunteer gets to enjoy the glow that the deliveries create.