Flowers For Valentine's Day

Volunteers arranging the bouquets into vases.

Flowers for Valentine's Day! How many people will be giving and receiving flower bouquets in the spirit of the day? Probably millions. What happens to bouquets that aren't sold, not just on Valentine's Day, but on any other day?

Well, in Portland, Oregon, there is an answer. You see, back in 2007 a group of volunteers gathered in Heidi Berkman's garage, creating beauty to be shared with those who are coming to the end of life's journey. That is how THE BLOOM PROJECT started.

Heidi is the founder and now director of the organization. She has a special place in her heart for the work of hospice organizations and wants to share the beauty and kindness in the gift of flowers. She utilizes her background in retail marketing and experience with nonprofits to arrange with places that have too many flowers than can be sold to allow her organization to make special gifts of them. Not just the patients at hospice receive those gifts, but also the family members/caregivers in the process of saying goodbye.



The Bloom Project maintains a list of 20 hospices, while collecting unused flowers from local florists. Volunteers trim the flowers, arrange them in bouquets and place them into decorated vases. The flowers bring joy to those coming to the end of their lives and their loved ones. The organization accepts volunteers, who can be involved with pick-up, delivery, flower arranging (after training), organizing fundraising events. There is even a way to connect with the group to contribute monetary or flower donations.

So, if you're interested in providing beauty and joy to people who have reached a difficult point in their lives, this is the place. After all, who better to appreciate the wonder of nature's beauty. By the way, since its beginning The Bloom Project has gifted more than 80,000 bouquets.

Thanks to this article from Oregon Live: http://www.oregonlive.com/window-shop/index.ssf/2015/02/the_bloom_project_unsold_flowe.html.

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