#Volunteer Spotlight : Random Acts of Flowers - @RndmActsOfFlwrs
Sometimes the smallest efforts generate the highest impact.
In looking for volunteer efforts in the Chicago suburbs, I stumbled across a new organization that piqued my interest.
There is something so refreshing about a fresh cut flower to boost your mood. The color. The smell. The freshness.
Random Acts of Flowers (RAF) improves the emotional health and wellbeing of individuals in healthcare facilities by delivering recycled flowers, encouragement and personal moments of kindness. Using flowers as the vessel, RAF's vision is to inspire and nurture a culture of care and compassion.
RAF’s model is incredibly innovative. RAF solicits flower donations from wedding venues, funeral homes, florists and grocery stores. The flowers are then recycled by volunteers and delivered to residents at hospitals, senior care facilities and hospice centers.
The patients often have never received flowers.
RAF started in Knoxville in 2008 and has grown into 5 cities nationally including Chicago- and has delivered nearly a quarter of a million arrangements.
A study conducted in early 2016 by the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine confirms the positive impact that deliveries from Random Acts of Flowers have on the emotional wellness of medical patients.
Almost 95% of respondents self-reported that the unexpected delivery from Random Acts of Flowers improved their overall emotional wellness, with 73.5% reporting “extreme improvement.”
81.1% of respondents reported they had not received other gifts of flowers outside of the Random Acts of Flowers delivery.
11.3% of the sample said our volunteers were the only visitors they had during their hospital stay.
As an anthophile, I loved this idea and had an incredible experience working with them. It was incredible to see volunteers collecting flowers, processing them, re-arranging them and having them in a patron’s hands usually within 24 hours.
Sometimes all you need are flowers and smile to make someone’s day.