In this Issue 2... Letter from the CEO 3... A Patients Testimony 4... Flowers and Positivity 5... Flower Tips 6...Flower Crowns 7... Benefits of Gardening 8... Donate
Quarterly Newsletter • Volume 2 Issue 3 • June 2015
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Letter from the CEO My favorite part of Random Acts of Flowers is being continuously impressed and inspired by the thousands of volunteers, donors, board members and community supporters across the entire organization that work so hard to help people they’ll likely never meet. It is inspiring to see how the Random Acts of Flowers mission positively impacts so many lives; from the moment a flower is donated through its delivery to a recipient in a partner healthcare facility. The entire team at Random Acts of Flowers offers moments of kindness and compassion across the nation and I’m convinced our mission does make the world a better place, one bouquet at a time.
Larsen Jay Founder & CEO
Background Mission Random Acts of Flowers recycles and repurposes flowers by engaging dedicated volunteer teams to deliver beautiful bouquets and moments of kindness to individuals in healthcare facilities across the country. As a recycling “green” nonprofit organization, RAF is committed to nourishing the health of the environment, individuals, and the community. History In July 2007, RAF’s founder, Larsen Jay, was in a near-fatal accident. While confined to his hospital room, the outpouring of support that Larsen received in the form of daily visitors and dozens of floral arrangements immediately aided in his long recovery. When Larsen was capable of leaving his room he noticed how many of his fellow patients did not have visitors or flowers – the very thing that helped him so much in those early and difficult days. Within moments the first “random act of flowers” delivery was made, repurposing his flowers and delivering them to patients in nearby hospital rooms. The memories of how a simple gesture touched his fellow patients compelled Larsen to form Random Act of Flowers in 2008. How It Works Flowers are used or given for a purpose; celebration, love, condolences, or perhaps as just a gesture of goodwill. But what happens to most flowers after their initial use is long
gone? Sadly, many flowers get tossed in the trash or are left to wilt away. Our organization is dedicated to changing that pattern by “repurposing” flowers and turning them into meaningful moments of kindness and compassion. RAF volunteers have recycled over 70,000 vases. Random Acts of Flowers doesn’t stop its “green” initiatives with just repurposing flowers. RAF recycles and reuses every part of the donated flower arrangements including ribbons, wire, foam, buckets, baskets, vases, moss, and stands. Each floral element is “upcycled;” it goes through the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value. All donated flowers and arrangements are
Sustainability What happens to most flowers after their initial use is long gone? Flowers are used or given for a purpose; celebration, love, condolences, or perhaps as just a gesture of goodwill. But what happens to most flowers after their initial use is long gone? Sadly, many flowers get tossed in the trash or are left to wilt away. Our organization is dedicated to changing that pattern by “repurposing” flowers and turning them into meaningful moments of kindness and compassion.
every flower getting a fresh cut, new water and minerals before being rearranged into a new, beautiful bouquet nestled in a recycled vase or basket. RAF’s vase recycling program alone keeps a tremendous number of containers out of landfills. To date, Random Acts of Flowers’ volunteers have recycled over 70,000 vases while continuing to process over 2,000 vases on average each month. The recycling process continues from there, with all discarded, wilted flowers and clippings composted in a community garden.
RAF volunteers have recycled over 70,000 vases Random Acts of Flowers doesn’t stop its “green” initiatives with just repurposing flowers. RAF recycles and reuses every part of the donated flower arrangements including ribbons, wire, foam, buckets, baskets, vases, moss, and stands. Each floral element is “upcycled;” it goes through the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value. All donated flowers and arrangements are broken down into their core elements with
Taking others’ trash and turning it into “personable treasure” At the conclusion of Random Acts of Flowers’ recycling and repurposing efforts, the most important thing happens: a patient in an area healthcare facility is delivered a bouquet of flowers and offered encouragement, support and a moment of kindness and compassion. Taking others’ trash and turning it into “personable treasure” is the heart of Random Acts of Flowers’ mission. Striving to be a 100% recycling nonprofit organization allows RAF to give back to the community while also taking care of the environment. n
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broken down into their core elements with every flower getting a fresh cut, new water and minerals before being rearranged into a new, beautiful bouquet nestled in a recycled vase or basket. RAF’s vase recycling program alone keeps a tremendous number of containers out of landfills. To date, Random Acts of Flowers’ volunteers have recycled over 70,000 vases while continuing to process over 2,000 vases on average each month. The recycling process continues from there, with all discarded, wilted flowers and clippings composted in a community garden. At the conclusion of Random Acts of Flowers’ recycling and repurposing efforts, the most important thing happens: a patient in an area healthcare facility is delivered a bouquet of flowers and offered encouragement, support and a moment of kindness and compassion. Taking others’ trash and turning it into “personable treasure” is the heart of Random Acts of Flowers’ mission. Striving to be a 100% recycling nonprofit organization allows RAF to give back to the community while also taking care of the environment. n
By the Numbers 67,332
Total bouquets delivered nationwide
3,186 Individuals served last month
82,049
Total vases recycled nationwide
30,311 Total volunteer hours served
2,891 Average number of bouquets delivered each month
A Patient’s Testimony Rosie Bumpus, 25, has endured plenty of taxing hospital stays over the years — but this one was different. During this stay, Bumpus began to sense that she might not ever go home. The cystic fibrosis patient’s lung function plummeted, and she felt like she was suffocating. Doctors struggled to help her breathe more easily, but nothing worked. The normally cheery Bumpus felt defeated. Right around then, she heard a quiet knock on her hospital door. In walked a friendly woman bearing a colorful bouquet of flowers. Bumpus didn’t know her, and couldn’t figure out why she was there. “She asked me if I would accept this donation from Random Acts of Flowers,” Bumpus recalled. “They weren’t asking anything of me — they just wanted to give me a bouquet. It absolutely made my day. ... My parents could see the difference in me after I got those flowers.” Random Acts of Flowers is a charity based in Knoxville, Tenn., that gathers up used flowers from weddings, memorial services, florists, special events, grocery stores, museums and churches and recycles them in a special way. Volunteers reassemble the blooms into bouquets and then deliver them to patients in area hospitals, assisted living facilities, hospice care centers and nursing homes. Since its inception in 2009, the charity has delivered flowers to more than 15,900 unsuspecting strangers — many of whom are elderly, frail and, quite often, lonely. The charity enlists volunteers of all ages to make impromptu flower deliveries to unsuspecting patients at hospitals, nursing homes and hospice care centers. Bumpus said her entire outlook changed after she received her unexpected bouquet last fall at the University of Tennessee Medical Center. Doctors ultimately found a treatment that helped her recover enough to return home. She’s on a waiting list for a double-lung transplant, and she knows what she wants to do as soon as she’s healthy enough. “After I receive new lungs, I want to volunteer for them,” said Bumpus, who lives in Maryville, Tenn. “Especially in the past couple of years when my health has gotten to the worst it’s ever been, it’s these little acts of kindness that I thrive on. It makes all the difference.” Larsen Jay, 38, executive director of Random Acts of Flowers, started the charity after a grueling hospital stay of his own. In 2007, he tumbled off the top of a ladder while working on the roof of his workshop and fell a story and a half to the pavement below. He broke his left arm, left wrist, right wrist, right elbow, right femur and nose, and he fractured his face in 10 places. He said the only reason he’s functioning today is that his head hit the ladder instead of the concrete. Jay spent three and a half months in a wheelchair and has undergone 11 surgeries since the accident. As he slowly recovered, friends, family members and colleagues sent him a
veritable jungle of flowers and plants to cheer him up — but he couldn’t help but notice how many hospital rooms looked barren and joyless in comparison. “A lot of people aren’t used to people doing nice things for them for no reason,” said founder Larsen Jay, shown here delivering flowers to a patient. “It might have been the morphine drip I was on at the time, but I said, ‘We’ve gotta go back to my room,’ ” Jay said. “We took all the cards off
“It’s these l i t t l e a c t s o f kindness that I thrive on. It makes all the difference.” of our flowers and started making deliveries to other rooms. We didn’t ask permission. We just did it. It was great.” At the time of his accident, Jay worked as a film and television producer — but that act of giving beautiful flowers away to complete strangers kept coming back to him. He looked around online to see whether any organizations were repurposing used flowers on a grand scale, but he couldn’t find anything like it. In 2008, in the midst of a crippling economic crisis, he tentatively asked some of his friends
whether they wanted to help him start a charity. “We got 199 donations, most under $100,” said Jay, who lives in Knoxville with his wife and two boys, ages 4 years and 10 months. “I had to use my own truck for a while. Then we got a donated vehicle.” Random Acts of Flowers officially launched as a charity in the spring of 2009, and Jay now runs it on a full-time basis. The charity’s first formal act was to make a spontaneous flower delivery to the very hospital room where Jay stayed after his accident. The charity buys nothing and recycles everything. Every part of a donated flower arrangement — from the vase to the stand to the foam to the foliage — gets reused in creative ways. At this juncture, Random Acts of Flowers’ three employees and 125 volunteers regularly deliver flowers to seven hospitals, 34 assisted-living and nursing-home facilities and three hospice care centers, as well as in-home healthcare groups and community health operations. The group sees the potential to expand nationally and perhaps even internationally. Random Acts of Flowers has delivered flowers to nearly 16,000 unsuspecting people. “There’s no shortage of flowers thrown away all over the world, and no shortage of people who could use a little pick-me-up,” Jay said. “It’s basic human kindness and compassion. ... I can’t see a reason why this shouldn’t be happening everywhere. If there’s limitless supply and limitless demand, why not?” For her part, Bumpus loves thinking about a future time when she can stop being a regular hospital patient and can start cheering patients up by bringing them flowers instead. “It’s a very simple way to show anyone — whether it’s a loved one or a complete stranger — love. Just pure love,” Bumpus said. “There’s no motivation behind it except to make that person feel better.” n Written by Laura T. Coffey Photography by James Walter
Rosie Bumpus recieves flowers from RAF during an extended hospital stay. 3
Study Proves Flowers Cause Positivity Depression Linked to Extended Illness Health problems may linger longer if they’re coupled with mental health problems. A new study finds that depression is a risk factor for more time spent at the hospital. Researchers suggest that treating depressive symptoms in patients with physical illnesses could result in shorter stints in the hospital and overall less cost in health care. Matthew Prina, Doctoral candidate at the University of Cambridge, and lead author of this study, conducted in the Department of Public Health & Primary Care at the University of Cambridge Institute of Public Health. Prina directed a team of researchers to look at hospitalization rates for elderly patients with and without depression. Elderly patients with depression, that are being admitted into hospitals for non-mental health reasons, are sticking around hospitals for longer periods of time than patients without depression. Prina’s study aims to find any links that exist between depressive symptoms in elderly patients and hospitalizations for non-mental health reasons. The data for the study was retrieved from the 19952006 archives of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA). According to the study, researchers were able to see: “Hospital outcomes including admission, length of stay, readmission and death while in hospital were recorded at 6, 12 and 24 months intervals after each LASA interview.” The point was to find out if the patients were getting what they needed in terms of care. If depression is a risk factor that may contribute negatively to a physical illness, does the depression need to be treated as well for optimal recovery? After one year the LASA group reported 14 percent of patients with depressive symptoms compared to only 10 percent of patients without depressive symptoms were hospitalized. The death rate for people during a hospitalization was twice as high for depressed patients, .8 percent vs. .4 percent, for non-depressed patients. The length of time patients stayed in the hospital was also nearly double, 2.6 days vs. 1.4 days: patients with depressive symptoms vs. those without. Armed with this knowledge, Prina and his team hope that medical professionals can treat patients that present with depression as an independent risk factor to their physical illness more effectively. Awareness of depressive symptoms could influence treatment plans, speed up physical recovery and improve health. Overall the result could be better care for the patient, reduction in treatment costs and shorter sick time for the patient. Positive Vibes Recent research confirms that flowers might be the perfect pick-me-up for millions of Americans who do not consider themselves "morning people." Participants of a behavioral study conducted by researchers at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital confirmed that they feel least positive in the early hours but reported being happier and more energetic after looking at flowers first thing in the morning. "The morning blahs, it turns out, is a real phenomenon, with positive moods -- happiness, friendliness and warmth, for example-manifesting much later in the day," says lead researcher Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D. "Interestingly, when we placed a small bouquet of flowers into their morning routines, people perked up. Dr. Etcoff is referencing the fact that
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participants in the study responded to the flowers, which had been placed in rooms they frequented in the morning. Overall, the participants reported that they liked to look at the blooms first thing in the morning, particularly in the kitchen. The final study results demonstrate that flowers impact people emotionally at home, causing them to feel less anxious and more compassionate. They even reported a boost of energy that lasted through their day. "What I find interesting is that by starting the day in a more positive mood, you are likely to transfer those happier feelings to others -- it's
“Flowers impact people emotionally at home, causing them to feel less anxious and more compassionate.” what is called mood contagion," says Etcoff. "And, the kitchen is the place where families tend to gather in the morning -- imagine how big a difference a better morning mood can make." New York City floral and interior designer Rebecca Cole, host of Discovery Channel's Surprise by Design, is not surprised by these findings. "I grew up with a kitchen often decorated with flowers," says Cole. "My family knew instinctively that flowers brought joy to the people who came in contact with them --
and now there is scientific proof." Cole shares her floral design experience with others, showing them how to use flowers to capture emotion and encourage community in their kitchens. "There are so many places for flowers in the kitchen -- the room where we spend most of our waking time," says Cole. "From the breakfast nook to the table to the countertop, flowers just belong. It's even the most convenient room to change the water!" Whether you visit the supermarket or elicit the help of your florist, Cole suggests the following tips for experimenting with color, trying new, dramatic styles and creatively using containers. "What could be simpler than bringing home a few blooms to brighten your kitchen table and your mood?" says Cole. "Experiment, design and smile." For more advice, visit http:// www.flowerpossibilities.com and http://www. aboutflowers. The Home Ecology of Flowers Research Methodology (2006): Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D., of Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, and her research team investigated the effects of flowers in the home environment on well being. Fiftyfour people, ages 25 to 60, were studied using a series of self-reporting measures
Tips to Help Brighten Your Day • Cut flower stems short and place the flowers in interesting or everyday kitchen containers such as tea tins, jelly jars, salt and pepper shakers or even pretty wine glasses. Pick something to match your personal style. • To make a big “wow” statement, choose lots of one type of flower. Take off the leaves below the waterline and place them in a big jug, teapot, coffee tin or water pitcher for a burst of cheer. • Select surprising color combinations to make a bold statement. For example, try red and purple stems in grouped vases. Or, use monochromatic flowers, from one color family, to create a simple, pleasing effect. • Choose citrus-colored flowers for a sunny feeling. Place a bud vase holding a few stems of yellow and orange blooms inside a bowl filled with oranges. Or, place a narrow vase of flowers inside a wider, but equally tall, vase. Fill the larger vase with lemons or limes to surround the smaller vase for a fresh look. • Play off of the accent colors in your kitchen to bring a splash of color with flowers. Look around and match flowers to decorative wall plates, placemats or curtains to pull out key accent colors. • Line three bud vases or decorative bottles, low or tall, along the middle of your kitchen table or along your sink for a fun, dramatic effect. It’s also a great conversation starter when guests drop by. • Inspire neatness. Place flowers where kitchen clutter typically congregates to prevent future messes fromsettling there.
allowing the research team to know where the subjects were, with whom and what they were doing when they experienced an emotion, both when flowers were and were not present. Half of the participants received a "control" home decor item, other than flowers, to ensure the study's validity. After living with either flowers or the control intervention for approximately one week, participants rated their feelings during specific periods of the day, recording their emotions
during each episode. The research team also took photographs before and after flowers were delivered to determine any changes in the use or appearance of the room. n Written by Megan Henderson Photographed by Alyssa Sweere
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Flower Crowns Flower crowns are one of this summer’s hottest trends. Here’s how you can get the latest look by upcycling the flowers at your disposal. Tools • 18-inch lengths of heavy, 18- to 20-gauge floral wire (2 per crown) • Floral tape • Small bouquet of flowers • 18-inch lengths of light, 24- to 26-gauge floral wire (min. one length per flower) • Pruners or wire cutters
So just why are these flower crown headpieces so popular? The prevailing influences for summer fashion are the styles being favored at summer music festivals. Flower headbands definitely play a huge role here as concert-goers aim to achieve that perfect flower child, hippie-bohemian look. Summer is also the most popular season for weddings. Many brides are choosing to adorn their hair with floral crowns, leading to an increased demand for the style. There is a youthful innocence, reminiscent of days on the playground stringing daisy chains together.
How To 1. Take two heavy-gauge wires and twist them into a hoop. Test the hoop to make sure it comfortably fits on your head (make it a little roomy, as you’ll add flowers). You can adjust by twisting the wires closer or farther apart. 2. To ensure the wires don’t poke your head, wrap the hoop fully in floral tape. 3. Choose one flower from the bouquet. Attach this first flower to the hoop by wrapping a lightgauge wire once near the base of the blossom, leaving a long tail of wire.
4. Secure the flower by wrapping the long tail of wire down along the stem, attaching the blossom firmly. 5. Wrap the stem of the flower in floral tape to prevent the wires from poking out. 6. Add a new flower from the bouquet. To do this, position it below the flower—directly beneath its blossom—already secured to the crown. Repeat steps 4 and 5. 7. Continue adding flowers, moving backward and following these same steps, until the crown reaches your desired look. 8. To preserve the wreath, cover the bottom of a pie tin with one layer of damp paper towels. Layer your wreath (or wreaths) on top. Add another layer of damp paper towels, and store the tin in the fridge for up to three days. Tip: If you plan to preserve your wreath by hanging it to dry, attach flowers that are commonly found dried, like lavender and rosemary, explains Thomas. Ranunculus and poppies, on the other hand, are not the best options for decorative wreaths because “they are always a whisper away from dying,” she says. n Written by Samantha Wertz Photography by Andy Gannon
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Benefits of Growing a Flower Garden The simple act of planting, tending, and growing flowers can have minor and major benefits to any family that has the means to engage in gardening. With just a bit of soil, seeds, and perseverance you can obtain the educational, social, environmental, and health benefits of flower gardening for the whole family.
Social When gardening is engaged in as a group activity with other family members or friends, gardeners will see an improvement in the social aspect of their lives. In an age where family activities include sitting mindlessly in front of the television or video game screen, gardening is a fun and educational group activity. As the season passes and the plants begin to bloom you might also notice a strengthening of family ties. This is in part due to the fact that during gardening you are not disengaging with each other, but working together to achieve a common goal. Gardening can be a fun and satisfying social activity. It can be used to stretch the mind and help form emotional connections with family and friends. As the plants grow, the body is strengthened. By the time the flowers are in bloom you might find yourself wondering “why didn’t I do this earlier?”
Health
“stretch the mind and help form emotional connections w i t h family and friends”
Gardening flowers provides numerous health benefits by providing opportunities to strengthen the body. Due to the sedentary nature of many jobs and hobbies, the amount of physical activity that people get weekly is way below the amount recommended by the Center for Disease Control. Adults should exercise at least 2 hours and 30 minute a week. Children should have at least 1 hour a day of physical activity. Planting, weeding and watering plants all require some degree of daily physical activity. Keeping to a weekly workout regime prolongs life by fighting disease and strengthening muscles and bones. Gardening will allow people to achieve most of their weekly physical activity quota. Another side effect of today’s sedentary lifestyle is the unnaturally pale skin and a disturbingly low amount of Vitamin D in the body. Vitamin D enters the body when ultraviolet radiation touches the skin. The vitamin D is necessary for children and adults to absorb calcium. Without Vitamin D all that milk that you force yourself and your kids to drink is useless. Without the Vitamin D that is produced when you engage in outside activities like gardening, your family will have weak bones and teeth and disturbingly high dentist and doctor’s bills.
Educational Whether your flower gardening routine is a solo or group activity, you can derive educational benefits from gardening. Solo: Gardening as a solo activity requires a lot of research and a bit of flying blind. The internet—one of the main sources of secondary knowledge—can only teach so much. Despite that deficiency people who are solo gardeners can engage in real life problem solving throughout the gardening process. Group: When gardening with kids, knowledge can be shared and lessons can be passed from one generation to another. Old hats at gardening can gain new insights by observing the young and inexperienced at work. Newcomers can provide open minds that are capable of learning knowledge from multiple teachers (internet, older gardeners, and his or her own experiences).
Environmental Planting flowers will not halt the rate at which our environment is deteriorating, but it will slow the process a tad. Today carbon dioxide levels are at an all-time high. Despite that people are bound to their gasoline vehicles by necessity. By planting flowers, people can lower their carbon foot print by supplying the environment with more plants that can consume the carbon dioxide. Through photosynthesis the oxygen supply is then replenished a bit. n Written by Emily Meierhofer Photography by Moriah Santman
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Donations
Money Random Acts of Flowers is supported solely through corporate sponsorships, grants and private donations from individuals like you. A donation of any amount will make an immediate difference in the impact of our mission. Make your tax-deductible gift today and together we can inspire kindness, happiness and healing in our communities one recycled bouquet at a time! Your generous contribution will fund the mission and daily operations of Random Acts of Flowers at a national and local level, including launching branches in new cities, building our national team, maintaining delivery vans, purchasing workshop supplies and, of course, making floral deliveries to our neighbors in need. Flowers/ Vases RAF recycles and repurposes flowers and vases donated by the community. We reuse every flower, stem, stand, pick, foam, wire and basket – nothing is spared and every donation helps bring a smile to another person in the community. We also regularly
Q&A hold vase drives and volunteers recycle thousands of vases every month. Do we need flowers and vases…YES! Legacy Gifts Your support today makes it possible for us to expand Random Acts of Flowers and deliver flowers and smiles to people across the country. You can also be an integral part of our future by including a charitable gift within your estate or financial plans. With a little planning, you can help support our vision of kindness and compassion and help insure RAF’s future. Everyday Support In addition to direct donations of money, time and in-kind goods and services, you can provide support through actions you take every day! If you’re an online shopper, you can support RAF by purchasing items through smile.amazon.com! While you’re checking out at the grocery store or shopping online for that great gift, there are ways you can support our charitable mission.
12543 Michigan Avenue Chicago, IL 60611
Joycelin Calderon 13867 Frederiksen Court South Beloit, IL 61078
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How will my donation be used? Your generous contribution will fund the mission and daily operations of Random Acts of Flowers at a national and local level, including launching branches in new cities, building our national team, maintaining delivery vans, purchasing workshop supplies and, of course, making floral deliveries to our neighbors in need. What do you accept? We can accept donations via credit card, cash, checks, stock and in-kind donations. You can mail your donation to: Random Acts of Flowers National Headquarters, P.O. Box 27573, Knoxville, TN 37927 or contact Rose Russo for more information on how to make your gift at: Rose@RandomActsOfFlowers.org Hey! I know about... Know about an awesome grant, foundation or corporate sponsorship opportunity that RAF may be able to apply to? We’d love to hear about it! Please email our CEO Larsen Jay with the details at: Larsen@RandomActsOfFlowers.org