Florist’s Surprise Deliveries
May 2009
Who doesn’t like to receive flowers on Valentine’s Day or a fresh
vase of tulips on Mother’s Day? Even wildflowers picked by a small
child and arranged in a bucket convey a beautiful sentiment because
of the thought and effort behind them.
After a busy Valentine’s Day at Schmidt’s, Patti DeBlass saw that she had several red roses left over. She decided to call Patriot’s Colony, a local retirement community, and ask if they had a need for a flower arrangement.
Patti (above) and Dave DeBlass, owners of Schmidt’s Florist, share joy and “live green” by extending the usefulness of their leftover flowers.
“I just got the idea that it might be nice to give someone our excess flowers—that it might brighten their day,” remembers DeBlass.
Patriot’s Colony loved the idea and told Patti they’d be happy to take extra arrangements whenever they were available. From there, the concept—coined Blooms That Brighten—grew. It was decided that residents at Patriot’s Colony would be chosen at random and surprised with flowers. A log would be kept to make sure everyone got an arrangement to enjoy.
“To see the look on their faces when they receive the flowers, whether they are zinnias, carnations or roses, is just amazing,” says DeBlass.
Soon the community caught wind of Schmidt’s donations, and other retirement centers and assisted living facilities wanted to know how they could participate. Says DeBlass: “The community just really embraced this idea.”
Aware of the fact that many of the elderly in assisted living are either living alone or are lacking spontaneity in their lives, DeBlass believes flowers can help: “Flowers are good for people. When you see them on a day-to-day basis, it definitely makes a difference in your life.”
A behavioral study conducted by Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D., of Harvard Medical School found that people feel more compassionate toward others, have less worry and anxiety and feel less depressed when fresh-cut flowers are in their home.
In another study conducted by Dr. Jeannette Haviland-Jones of Rutgers University, it was reported that flowers trigger happy emotions, heighten feelings of satisfaction and affect social behavior in a positive manner.
Though it’s only been a few months, Blooms That Brighten has grown tremendously. DeBlass’ “little” idea now involves a team of volunteers who arrange the flowers and drop them off at local facilities. The certified non-profit services eight facilities including the Williamsburg Hospice House, where a bouquet arrives for every new guest. On average, DeBlass estimates that she sends out between 40 and 50 arrangements a week.
“It amazes me every week,” she says. “It’s been less than a year since we’ve been doing this, and it’s growing like crazy. Ultimately we’d love to serve all the facilities every week, but each week it depends on what donations we get and the number of volunteers we have.”
According to DeBlass: “We just want to bring flowers to any facility that has senior citizens, no matter their economic status. We’ve had people say they’ve never gotten flowers before.”
For residents of Madison Retirement Center, receiving anything out of the ordinary— especially something as uplifting as flowers—is enough to brighten their entire month, let alone their day, says Administrator Jeff Charles. “We are an assisted living facility that receives people on Medicaid,” he explains. “[Our residents] are on a very tight budget. They may treat themselves to take-out pizza once a month, but that’s usually it. That’s why it’s even more important and special for them to receive flowers.”
“We really appreciate it,” he adds. “[Schmidt’s has] been so generous. They bring us these beautiful flowers that brighten our residents’ lives—it’s certainly a blessing.”
To volunteer for Blooms That Brighten, donate flowers or vases, or make a contribution to support the program, call Schmidt’s Florist at (757) 229-1665