Tag: repurposed flowers

Categories
Blog

Appreciating our Volunteers Across the Country

[fullwidth background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”” padding_right=”” hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]

Meet Some of our Volunteers Across the Nation

[/fusion_text][one_full last=”yes” 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]

Al and Liz Chase – Chicago

Al and Liz ChaseRAF Chicago volunteers, Al and Liz Chase, have a very simple reason for their more than a year of involvement in our mission of delivering hope. “We like flowers; almost everybody likes flowers. Delivering them is such a loving act. The hippies bringing love to the world in the 1960s and 70s were called flower children, and one of their mottoes was flower power. We are the flower children of 2017.”

For this married couple, it’s all about the love, and they believe that love is the most important aspect of the RAF mission. “Make people feel worthy and loved because their lives mean something. Often, we walk into rooms with no sign of love or hope. Bringing light into these lives is what is important. Thanking veterans for their service and bringing comfort to old or sick people.” They know that delivering hope can not only brighten someone’s day, but can brighten their whole outlook on life.

The Chases are also rightfully proud of their very successful vase drives. Al reports that, “Liz has done the organizing of a local vase drive that collected several hundred vases in 2016. We have a collection bin in front of our house and at the yoga studio. A walk around our neighborhood, dropping letters in mailboxes on a couple of blocks, resulted in 30 to 50 vases being dropped off over the next several days.”[/fusion_text][/one_full][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][one_full last=”yes” 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=”solid” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]

Karen Karmolinski – Indianapolis

indyvolAs RAF Indianapolis prepared to open its doors last October, it welcomed a group of enthusiastic new volunteers, including Karen Karmolinski. She became one of the branches first volunteers, inspired by the simplicity of the mission and filled with the desire to pay it forward to her community.

Karen believes that “the mission of delivering hope is a small but important step in healing the body and soul. This random act of care and kindness lets people know that there are others out there who love them.” For her, just knowing that the work we do will touch the hearts of others motivates her to stay involved with Random Acts of Flowers.

And, she knows the healing power of flowers firsthand. Her daughter-in-law has spent three years battling stage 4 melanoma, resulting in many hospital stays. This experience has inspired her to try to bring light to families in similarly tough situations through her volunteer work.

When she’s not delivering hope and encouragement with with Random Acts of Flowers Indianapolis, Karen enjoys spending time with family and friends, gardening, reading, and helping others in our community.[/fusion_text][/one_full][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][one_full last=”yes” 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]

Sara Clapp – Knoxville

Spring 2017 - Knoxville - InsideSara Clapp is a brand-new volunteer at the Knoxville branch. Her first day in the workshop was less than a month ago, but she already loves working on helping make the mission of delivering hope run.

Her experience with the mission has a much longer history, however. “My late husband was diagnosed with leukemia (CML) in November of 2014, and was the receipient of a poinsettia on Christmas Eve.” Two years later, he received a second delivery just before he passed away. Sara’s first-hand connection makes her volunteerism all the more heartfelt. “We appreciated the flowers he was given and I thought this was something I would enjoy.”

Her grown children embrace and encourage Sara’s participation at the Random Acts of Flowers workshop, and she’s already become a familiar smiling face to other volunteers, Knoxville staff, and the staff at the National Headquarters. RAF CMO and COO, Cindy McConkey Cox had the chance to chat with Sara on her first day volunteering and says, “Sara has a light about her that you just want to share. She came into the Knoxville branch mission-focused and ready to make a difference in people’s lives. We are lucky to have volunteers like her.”

When not at the RAF workshop, Sara enjoys walking with her Silver Sneakers class and reading.[/fusion_text][/one_full][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][one_full last=”yes” 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]

Patty Peasley – Silicon Valley

2017 - GotPrint -SV Newsletter - Outside - FINALPatty Peasley’s interest in the healing power of flowers began at an early age when her mother’s green thumb inspired her. “I was always surrounded by gorgeous flowers in the garden. As a youngster, I was encouraged to make May baskets and deliver them to neighbors.” Today, her husband of 51 years encourages her work with RAF. “He sees the joy it brings me.”

A volunteer since April 2015, Patty loves that “RAF gives volunteers the opportunity to share in the celebration of life by delivering flowers to others who are often isolated from the real pleasures, including social contact and nature.”

While she has made many memories during her time as a volunteer, one delivery stands out to her. “I recall an elderly man who was so gracious…He asked that each flower be identified and then wanted to know more about RAF. He stated that he had never received flowers of his own and was so delighted that someone thought of him.”

Patty’s advice to potential volunteers is to “follow the passion in your life and put your energy into it. RAF has afforded me that opportunity, and I recommend it to anyone. You walk away feeling that you are the one who has received a gift.”[/fusion_text][/one_full][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][one_full last=”yes” 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]

Shari Schwartz – Tampa Bay

Spring 2017 - Tampa Bay - OutsideFor Shari Schwartz, the perpetual spring and summer weather in Tampa Bay is what put her in the right place at the right time to become an RAF volunteer. Soon after the branch opened in late 2013, snowbird Shari saw a newspaper article that inspired her to put her experience as a floral arranger to good use; and, with the encouragement and support of her husband, she became a dedicated volunteer during the months that they spend in Florida.

Three years and dozens of deliveries later, Shari still finds joy in arranging flowers and delivering hope in Tampa Bay. To her, the most important thing that Random Acts of Flowers does is bring smiles to the faces of people who are in a tough moment in their lives, and those smiles are what motivate her to stay involved.

She and her husband deliver bouquets to the VA hospital once a month, and she considers it an honor to give back to the veterans, thanking them for their service. When not volunteering at Random Acts of Flowers, Shari enjoys cooking, reading, and – of course – enjoying the beautiful Florida weather.[/fusion_text][/one_full][/fullwidth]

Categories
Blog

“Drown Your Sorrows in Good Deeds” – How loss turned to hope with Random Acts of Flowers

“Drown Your Sorrows in Good Deeds”
How loss turned to hope with Random Acts of Flowers 

thumbnail_Charlie 2When Theresa Heller’s young son Charlie passed away in a tragic accident during the summer of 2015, she felt understandably at sea. He had been a vibrant boy and a source of love and laughter for his mother, family, classmates and community. “He was so full of life,” she says, “and the world was his oyster.” Charlie was known around their neighborhood as “Charlie the Merchant,” and he loved to sell (or simply give away) games, lemonade and toys from his table or wheelbarrow.

In honor of the vibrancy and generosity of her son’s life, Theresa decided to establish Flowers from Charlie the Merchant, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity (#5402085). She tells us that delivering flower bouquets in her community helps her keep the joy of his life alive and is the only thing that makes her feel better.

Theresa first discovered RAF in Readers’ Digest, but the seed of the idea for Charlie the Merchant came from young Charlie himself. Theresa had a job merchandising flowers at local stores, and sometimes, Charlie would come along. They noticed how many perfectly good flowers were going to waste because they were out of date or had one bad flower in the bunch. Charlie lamented the waste and wished the bouquets could be donated for people in their community.

After his passing, Theresa decided to put this idea into action. With advice from RAF and flowers from her family’s gardens, Flowers from Charlie the Merchant gave away over 1,000 bouquets in its first year of operation. These were delivered to residents of Kalamazoo County, including those at hospice, hospital, and nursing homes, as well as the VFW (baby potted plants), and many others.

The local Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 98 donated the initial money to get the nonprofit charity status and launch Flowers from Charlie the Merchant.  Portage Printing donated business cards to the cause, and Sign Crafters of Parchment donated a large magnet sign for the side of Theresa’s vehicle. In recent months, Charlie the Merchant has talked with Meals on Wheels through Senior Services of Kalamazoo, and is hoping to be able to reach the capacity to do this soon.

“I don’t have to sit and wonder ‘Now what? Who am I’? I’ve established this,
and it’s my future. The need is there.”

Charlie the MerchantTheresa also hopes to use this as a way to show Charlie’s cousins, friends and classmates about grief, and that “It’s helped them too, I think. They can see that you don’t have to be shattered forever. You can still do something. Life goes on and you can try to make the best of it.”

Charlie the Merchant has brought healing and meaning into her life.  She says, “I don’t have to sit and wonder ‘Now what? Who am I’? I’ve established this, and it’s my future. The need is there.”

In 2017, Theresa would love to continue to grow the reach of Charlie the Merchant. She asks that if anyone in the Kalamazoo area would be interesting in donating money or flowers, or volunteering to deliver boxes of bouquets, they visit the Charlie the Merchant website or email Theresa directly.

Categories
Newsroom

Kroger and Random Acts of Flowers team up to deliver beautiful donated flowers (WTHR, 3.31.2017)

Kroger and Random Acts of Flowers team up
to deliver beautiful donated flowers

(WTHR Indianapolis, 3.31.2017)

Whether it’s an anniversary, Valentines or Mother’s Day, flowers seem to convey love more and more. Flowers are also often sent to say “get well” and that’s the focus of an organization relatively new to Indianapolis.

Screenshot (9)Stunning and striking, they line the shelves of Kroger – the world’s largest florist. “Anywhere from 5 to 7 days is typically a good rule of thumb for the shelf life of flowers. Everyday we’re going through and looking at the freshness of the flower,” Kroger Floral Sales Manager Sheila Fair said. “All of our stores have multiple shipments every single week and we always want the freshest flowers out there, so every day we’re going through and looking at the freshness of the flower.”

But what happens when they get a little “long in the stem?” “We treat our floral department just like any perishable department in the store; just like we treat bananas in produce or fried chicken in the deli,” Fair said. About half a dozen central Indiana Kroger stores now donate them to Random Acts of Flowers.

WATCH THE FULL STORY HERE!

Categories
Blog Chicago Patron Society

Something Bright during a Dark Time: The Impact of Random Acts of Flowers

Something Bright during a Dark Time:
The Impact of Random Acts of Flowers

by Natalie Rothstein, MA, LPC, Psychotherapist, Urban Balance

0NatalieRoth7269-1016x1024In December 2016, I wrote a blog post on behalf of Urban Balance about Random Acts of Flowers and the incredible contribution they’ve made to the Chicago community and nationwide. Random Acts of Flowers brings donated flowers that have been rearranged into beautiful bouquets to patients at hospitals during their stays. The nonprofit has been able to touch the lives of more than 196,000 patients nationwide and has also reached a wide population of patients. The organization has continuously been growing and reaching more and more patients in the communities that it serves.

Upon learning about Random Acts of Flowers, I was warmed to my core.  I know the impact of something bright during a dark time can be profound and amazing. The giving the organization does is a beautiful and important way to help patients during hospital stays, which can be incredibly draining and difficult.  The added brightness might not change circumstances, but it can truly make a difficult time feel less gloomy and more hopeful. 

As a therapist (Licensed Professional Counselor) at Urban Balance, a counseling practice based out of Chicago, I am particularly aware of how gratitude and positivity can play a powerful role. I have seen the effect both personally and for my clients, and I often emphasize the importance of incorporating a gratitude practice into one’s life. I feel strongly that expressing gratitude fosters hope and strength to manage when life may feel filled with negativity.

Receiving flowers during a hospital stay gives a patient something to be grateful for and brings positivity to their environment. Regardless of the reason someone is there, being in the hospital can be a very overwhelming time; but, brightness through the gift of flowers can help hope blossom. It’s important to acknowledge that sadness and difficulty are very real parts of being a patient, but allowing oneself to look to positives is extremely helpful for a person’s mental wellness.

One beautiful bouquet can be a guiding point in the emotional healing process for someone. This is why what Random Acts of Flowers does is so important. The idea of giving to others during their difficult time that can have such monumental benefits on their spirit and their hope, is powerful.

The mind and body are completely connected. Being physically unwell can take a tremendous toll on someone’s emotional wellbeing, and this is where the impact of hope and brightness come in. One beautiful bouquet can be a guiding point in the emotional healing process for someone. In our most fragile states, we need positives that can help us through. This is why what Random Acts of Flowers does is so important. Giving to others during their difficult time can have such monumental benefits on their spirit. I commend them for taking such an important concept, cultivating it, and making it flourish.

I am impressed by the amazing work that Random Acts of Flowers does for the mental wellness of hospital patients in the communities it serves. Their work creates a chain of care and support. The volunteers who create the flower arrangements not only receive personal fulfillment, but also know that they are helping recipients feel like a perfect stranger did something to brighten their day. That is a wonderful testament to what kindness can look like. I look forward to hearing about all of the work that they continue to do.

Categories
Newsroom

Donations bring spring to hospital (The Greenfield Daily Reporter, 3.2.2017)

Hancock Regional Hospital Guild volunteer Becky Hopper places a flower arrangement on a cart destined for Reflections, the geriatric psych unit at the hospital. Staff requested plastic vases so the patients of that unit could enjoy flower arrangements as well, despite the no-glass rule. Rorye Hatcher

[fusion_text]

Donations bring spring to hospital

(The Greenfield Daily Reporter, 3.2.2017)

The cheerful riot of flower petals spilling out of Cynthia Fincher’s car was only rivaled by the sweet perfume of the arrangements drawing stares from visitors to Hancock Regional Hospital.

Fincher, a volunteer for the Hancock Regional Hospital Guild, brought 40 flower arrangements from Random Acts of Flowers, an Indianapolis organization that collects flowers from florists, grocery stores, events and even funerals and has volunteers re-arrange them into bouquets that are donated to Indianapolis-area hospital patients.

The Greenfield resident had been looking for a way to volunteer for the hospital that was in her “wheelhouse,” she said. When she heard about Random Acts of Flowers, the hospital’s volunteer coordinator Dawn Earlywine thought it fit in with Circle of Kindness, a recent initiative to promote acts of kindness by hospital staff.

READ MORE…

Photos by Rorye Hatcher of the Daily Reporter.[/fusion_text][images picture_size=”fixed” hover_type=”none” autoplay=”no” columns=”3″ column_spacing=”13″ scroll_items=”” show_nav=”yes” mouse_scroll=”no” border=”yes” lightbox=”yes” class=”” id=””][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”http://randomactsofflowers.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/58b210abc57a2.hires_.jpg” alt=””][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”http://randomactsofflowers.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/58b210a8a9727.hires_.jpg” alt=””][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”http://randomactsofflowers.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/58b210b487038.hires_.jpg” alt=””][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”http://randomactsofflowers.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/58b210b0d7d0a.hires_.jpg” alt=””][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”http://randomactsofflowers.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/58b210afaa3b4.hires_.jpg” alt=””][image link=”” linktarget=”_self” image=”http://randomactsofflowers.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/58b210ae79993.hires_.jpg” alt=””][/images]

Categories
Newsroom

Random Acts of Kindness Day 2017 (WISH-TV, 2.17.2017)

Random Acts of Kindness Day 2017

C43rWatWYAAmYmzINDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Friday, Feb. 17 is National Random Acts of Kindness Day (RAK), and WISH TV got involved with the help of a former Colts player.

24-Hour News 8’s Joe Melillo spent his morning continuing the tradition of spreading random acts of kindness throughout Daybreak. RAK is a day everyone can get involved in and celebrate the “pay it forward” mentality…He surprised a man with a free cup of coffee at Starbucks, paid for two people’s meals at the Donut Shop on 56th Street, and then he went to Community East Hospital with Random Acts of Flowers.

SEE THE VIDEO

(WISH-TV, 2.17.2017)

Categories
Blog

Guest Blog: The Magic Healing Power of Flowers by Katie Hess of LotusWei

Guest Blog: The Magic Healing Power of Flowers

by Katie Hess of LotusWei

Flowers bring joy to our faces and light up our lives. Being around them simply makes us feel better, and scientific studies have shown that flowers in a hospital room can even help us heal faster by promoting lower stress and perceived pain levels.

unnamedBut the magic of flowers goes even deeper than this feel-good reaction we have to their presence. Imagine walking in a field of your favorite flower. Or burying your face in its petals. That which you are feeling – whether in reality or through visualization – is indicative of the benefits and special qualities of that particular flower.

Every flower on the planet has its own unique quality. When we think of a Peony flower, it makes us feel very different than when we think of a Rose or a Daisy or Orchid. Some flowers bring us joy, others invoke love, peace or even help us sleep more deeply. Each flower contains a particular healing quality, feeling or state of mind within us. Even if we have not been aware of or articulated this knowledge before, we intuitively know this about flowers.

Flowers Act as Messengers

Excerpted from Flowerevolution: Blooming into Your Full Potential with the Magic of Flowers.

Flowers connect us with our loved ones. Giving flowers to is a profound expression of a particular essence or feeling that cannot always be expressed in words. When we buy flowers for other people, we consider them as we choose the flowers. We access that “feeling” part of us to see what kind of flowers suit them or embody the particular feeling that we want to convey.

Each flower embodies a unique quality. Irises, for example, evoke an elegant and wild creativity, with their royal purple, paintbrush-like tips that ruffle out into full bloom and the bold streak of yellow in the center. Gerbera daisies, on the other hand, are all joy; they’re expansive, radiating liveliness and vitality with their radial shape like the sun. Orchids are an entirely different story, otherworldly in their exquisite sophistication and beauty.

Imagine for a moment giving an orchid to someone. Now visualize giving the same person a bouquet of peonies. Next, see yourself giving them a bouquet of sunflowers. How does it feel? Each gift of flowers feels totally different, right? And they will likely provoke different responses from the recipient.

Even when you buy cut flowers or a potted plant for yourself, your choice expresses or brings out a certain quality in you. Some flowers you feel particularly drawn to, and others you simply don’t. More often than not, the flowers you are drawn to are not the same as the flowers the next person is attracted to. Based on our internal landscapes, we gravitate to specific flowers for the way they make us feel.

These preferences are not based on traditional symbolism; they come from understanding the flowers through our hearts. We already speak the language of flowers, without knowing it. The flowers that we are most attracted to are those that have qualities we want to embody or that dissolve, shift, or awaken something inside us.

[youtube id=”RdHSo3kVBqE” width=”600″ height=”350″ autoplay=”no” api_params=”” class=””]

 

What’s more, these qualities can be captured, collected and infused into water, Mother Nature’s greatest recording device, into what are known as flower elixirs. Different from aromatherapy, flower elixirs don’t have a scent and work through the body’s acupuncture meridians. It is a liquid infusion of a flower or plant’s ‘chi’ or life-force, whereas an essential oil is distilled or extracted from the plant into a highly aromatic oil.

I’ve spent the last 15 years working with flower elixirs and observing their transformative effects on people. At a time when we are more distracted, fatigued and stressed than ever, flower elixirs not only help us be our best selves, but they also show us our full potential. By spending time around them – putting them in our environment, using their essential oils (aromatherapeutic) or flower elixirs (taken internally) – it is possible to experience the specific healing qualities of different flowers.

Flowers have been a well-loved way to brighten up our home or someone’s day, but they are also the best remedy you’ve likely never even heard of.

__________________________________

Katie Hess is a flower alchemist and the founder of LOTUSWEI, one of the world’s leading floral apothecaries. After 15 years of independent research of flower and plant-based healing, her flower-powered community is thriving in over 15 countries. Her transformative elixirs having been featured in O, The Oprah Magazine, The New York Times, The LA Times, Sunset, and Organic Spa Magazine. A lifelong spiritual seeker, Katie has studied meditation and mindful-awareness techniques with several Tibetan Buddhist masters, including the Dalai Lama and the Karmapa, Tibet’s next generation leader. Choose the flowers you’re most attracted to and find out what it means about you at: www.lotuswei.com.

If you’d like to discover more about flower elixirs, their magical abilities, and the activating qualities of individual flowers, I just came out with a book: Flowerevolution: Blooming Into Your Full Potential with the Magic of Flowers.

Categories
Newsroom

“Flowers bring a welcome escape.” (IndyStar, 2.2.17)

[fusion_text]

Flowers Bring a Welcome Escape

(IndyStar, 2.2.17)

[/fusion_text][fusion_code]PGlmcmFtZSB0aXRsZT0iSU5ESUFOQVBPTElTIFNUQVIgLSBFbWJlZCBQbGF5ZXIiIHdpZHRoPSI4MTAiIGhlaWdodD0iNDU2IiBmcmFtZWJvcmRlcj0iMCIgc2Nyb2xsaW5nPSJubyIgYWxsb3dmdWxsc2NyZWVuPSJ0cnVlIiBtYXJnaW5oZWlnaHQ9IjAiIG1hcmdpbndpZHRoPSIwIiBzcmM9Ly93d3cuaW5keXN0YXIuY29tL3ZpZGVvcy9lbWJlZC85ODg1NTgyNC8/ZnVsbHNpdGU9dHJ1ZT48L2lmcmFtZT4=[/fusion_code]

Categories
Newsroom

Random Acts of Flowers (The Broad Ripple Gazette, Indianapolis, 1.20.17)

IMG_20161222_092009_989Random Acts of Flowers Indianapolis’s Program Manager, Lindsey Potter says “The wonderful thing about RAF is that it’s a very simple concept that has a huge impact. There isn’t anyone in our community who has not been touched by the experience of having a loved one require healthcare assistance.  Everyone can relate to the fear, the stress, and often just the boredom of being hospitalized. We do what we do in order to be bright spot in what can otherwise be a difficult and trying time.”

READ MORE…

(The Broad Ripple Gazette, Indianapolis, 1.20.17)

Categories
Newsroom

Kindness in Bloom: A Random Bouquet Makes Patients’ Days (IU Methodist Health Foundation, 1.19.2017)

Kindness in Bloom:
A Random Bouquet Makes Patients’ Days

We spoke with Alison Kothe, executive director of Random Acts of Flowers Indianapolis, and she explained that flowers are gathered, arranged and delivered by volunteers. She says individual hospitals may direct their team to a particular floor or group of rooms, and from there the volunteers are turned loose to deliver a random burst of color and joy.

RAOF - SM-86“I think this is an important service because there is growing evidence that proves flowers can truly help a patient heal,” she says. “There is a direct correlation between emotional wellbeing and physical wellbeing. They feed off one another. The receipt of an unexpected burst of color as well as an unexpected act of kindness from a perfect stranger with a warm and caring smile is a perfect formula for giving someone a spiritual boost.”

READ MORE…

 

(Indiana University Methodist Health Foundation, Indianapolis, 1.19.2017)