Tag: Staff

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Newsroom

Coolbot keeps RAF Silicon Valley Flowers Ready for Delivery

“The trick to keeping flowers fresh and beautiful is keeping them cool. Proper temperature control is even more important when flowers are recycled. And it can be a major challenge, particularly in the summer, where temperatures in Silicon Valley average in the 80s.

‘Our workshop isn’t well ventilated,’ Fairclough says. ‘There aren’t any windows. During the summer, our flowers were just dying by the day because of the excessive heat that was building up in the workshop.’

To beat the suffocating heat, Fairclough and her team built a mock cold room using an air conditioner and some plastic sheeting. It was better but still didn’t cut it. Thankfully, one of her volunteers happened to be a freelance florist who knew about the CoolBot. So, Fairclough picked up the phone and gave us a call” …

READ MORE…

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Blog Chicago Patron Society Knoxville Patron Society

Honoring Cindy McConkey Cox

“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we share the news of the passing of Cindy McConkey Cox, our Chief Operating & Marketing Officer for Random Acts of Flowers.  After a heroic four-year battle with cancer, Cindy died early this morning with her family by her side.

I cannot begin to express how devastated we are as a team.  Cindy was a guiding light in our organization since her first day in April 2016. Within our organization she was known as a brilliant communicator, a strategic thinker, and someone who always put others above herself. Thoughtful, warm, and ‘one tough cookie’ is how her closest friends describe Cindy.

We extend our deepest sympathies to her husband Gary and their two children. A woman of deep faith, Cindy cherished her new role of ‘grandmother’ and anyone who spent much time with her  was bound to see a picture of her dogs including her new black lab Sable.

Our love for Cindy is hard to put into words.  Her loss is profound. We will miss her deeply but we are also grateful our team could share so many meaningful personal and professional milestones with this wonderful woman.”

– Larsen Jay / Founder & CEO, Random Acts of Flowers

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Blog

“We send you these flowers from our hearts” – A Hurricane Irma Wedding Story

“We send you these flowers from our hearts”
A Hurricane Irma Wedding Story

Justin Murphy and his new bride, Katherine, had planned a glorious celebration of their love and life together, but Hurricane Irma had other plans for their oceanside wedding day. Read about how the couple’s resilience, love, and generosity touched hundreds of lives in the face of the storm –

Katherine and I started planning for our picture-perfect dream wedding well over a year ago – a sunset celebration on Clearwater Beach, FL on Saturday, September 9th. Just a week prior to our chosen date, we went into the Pinellas County Courthouse and obtained our marriage license. And, well into the week before Hurricane Irma hit, we were still hopeful that mother nature and the storm were going to make a turn in another direction. As the days passed, however, our concerns for the safety of our more than 150 guests from both near and far as well as local venue employees increased. The dangers became real and we started to consider our options to evacuate the Tampa area. On Wednesday, September 6th, our wedding event was officially cancelled. As challenging as that was, we kept our hopes up and our love remained stronger than ever.

Evacuation notifications began to spread, and we learned local government offices would be closed ahead of the storm, too. Thursday morning the 7th came and with heavy, yet strong hearts, we were determined to see our lifelong commitment to each other through. Katherine put on her beautiful wedding dress, did her hair and makeup while I found a suit stashed away in the closet. We met in the living room of our home and shared a few tears as we experienced our true “first look.” Meanwhile, my mother ran out and found a bouquet for Katherine to carry. It was emotional for us all, and yet, so beautiful. With my mother and our son as our witnesses, we were married on the afternoon of Thursday, September 7th. While it was not quite under the beautiful sunset of Clearwater Beach, it was a true testament of the strong love we share today and alwaysl.

Amid our own plans to evacuate the area, we thought about all the beautiful flowers that were prepared for our wedding day. We were not willing to let those flowers – a symbol of what was to be – go to waste. We asked our wedding planner, Barb Oehlerking from Artistry Designs to see how we could donate so many beautiful flowers. We were fortunate enough to find such a great organization and team in Random Acts of Flowers in Tampa. Through the efforts of Monica, Janette, and Barb, we coordinated and donated every flower we had planned to use on our wedding day.

We learned more than 170 bouquets were made and so many lives were touched. We are so glad to see a tough and sad situation turned into a positive one.

    

“My grandmother is in the hospital and she wanted to thank all of you for the flowers that were given to her out of the kindness of your hearts! It really made her happy! All I wanted to see was a smile on her face and she smiled like a ray of sunshine!” – Julie H., Family of Recipient

Our message to all recipients would be that we send you these flowers from our hearts. We hope they brought a ray of sunshine and hope into your lives. Knowing Random Acts of Flowers was able to step in and repurpose the flowers and bless others brings us both happiness and joy. We sent them to you in love and as a symbol of the love both Katherine and I share together today. We will welcome our son to this world in December, another joy we share together and look forward to. The picture-perfect dream wedding we set out for will occur sometime in 2018.

For now, we focus on getting our lives back together, sharing the moments and memories that surfaced during such a challenging time, and celebrating our special love that will endure for all time.

Sincerely, Justin Murphy

After All, To Love and Be Loved Is Life.

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Blog

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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Blog

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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Blog Newsletters

Spring 2017 Newsletter

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Spring 2017 Newsletter

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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)

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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)

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Chicago Patron Society Knoxville Patron Society Newsroom

Success Story: Larsen Jay (Thoughtfulicious, 1.8.2017)

Success Story: Larsen Jay

larsenjay_03“Many have written about Larsen Jay and his now nationally-present charity Random Acts of Flowers. However, as it often happens with success, we only see the tip of the iceberg – the end-result, the success – but are not privy to the rest of the story.

What happens before success is achieved and how does one get to it? I sat down one afternoon and asked Larsen about his paths and passions, understanding more about the man behind so many great production projects and great initiatives benefiting the Knoxville community.”

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW…

(Thoughtfulicious, 1.8.2017)

 

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Blog Chicago Patron Society Knoxville Patron Society

Meet RAF’s New(ish) Communications Chameleon, Christina Scott Sayer

Meet RAF’s New(ish) Communications Chameleon, Christina Scott Sayer

9618887106_98a8761318_bI discovered Random Acts of Flowers about a year ago as I was searching for employment at nonprofit organizations in Knoxville, TN (where I knew I would be moving in the late spring). I had never heard of RAF before, but I was immediately enamored of the simplicity and straightforwardness of the mission. The concept of a pipeline taking what is often incorrectly viewed as worthless waste and transforming it into a beacon of hope and encouragement touched me deeply.

I was so inspired by the mission that, though there wasn’t a position available at the time, I reached out to the HR Manager in the National Office in Knoxville, expressing my interest and promising that – if nothing else – I would love to be a volunteer in the local branch once I had settled into my new city.

So, when I found out that Random Acts of Flowers was in search of a Communications Chameleon (as CMO/COO Cindy McConkey Cox styles my position), I jumped at the opportunity to apply. Just as Cindy calls herself an accidental COO, I consider myself an accidental graphic designer and marketing manager, a chameleon who approaches each project with a fresh eye and a spirit of adaptability.

I come from a theatre background (Shakespeare, specifically) and have worked professionally as an actor and a playwright for nearly a decade. In the course of my theatre work, I found myself suddenly cast into graphic design and marketing roles. This hands-on, by-the-bootstraps approach to learning the trade has allowed me to hone my skills and mindset for the nonprofit world.

And, while the skills are important, the mindset of humility and service that threads through nonprofit work is the center of my professional ethos. That’s what excites me most about being at Random Acts of Flowers. Everyone from CEO and Founder Larsen Jay to the every-once-in-awhile volunteer factors the mission and its goals into every idea, every project, and every day.

We’re not here for ourselves; we’re not here for money or influence or attention; we’re not really here for the flowers. We’re here for the joy we see on the faces of those surprised by the gift of a bouquet. We’re here for the knowledge that a little love goes a long way. We’re here to deliver hope and encouragement, and – if you want to call it just a little selfish – we’re here for the satisfaction that serving a smile gives back to us.

cloverhillThe short version of this story is this – Now three months on the job, I am so happy to be here at Random Acts of Flowers. The mission and the culture of the organization fits with my philosophies seamlessly, and I am thrilled to be able to contribute my particularly flexible brand of marketing and communications manager-ness to this amazing cause.

So, if you have an occasion to send me something to proofread, you can go ahead and address it to your collateral designing, copy-editing comma chameleon.