One of the best volunteer jobs in the world is being “The Flower Lady.” One man calls me “Mrs. Roses.”

I drive up to 96 miles a day in my KIA - gathering and giving away free, donated bouquets! Five hundred bouquets of flowers and thirty boxes of food were given away this week. And someone donated a bicycle for a five year old, school supplies for six little ones, and 2 ladies gave me a total of $177 to help someone. I knew of a young woman from an impoverished family who was heading to her first year of college on a scholarship. Her mother showed me the list of needed things for her dorm room. Blanket, shampoo, hygiene items, etc. The mother could not provide them for her daughter.

But honestly, all of the driving around this week, picking up all types of donations has gotten me to the point of exhaustion. And maybe a bout of compassion fatigue. I am going to take a break this week. My adult kids want me to cease my outreach due to concerns about COVID. I think they are right.

Many of the people that I interact with do not wear masks, do not have masks, can’t afford masks, have no transportation to stores to buy masks, are not connected to social services, do not have soap, sanitizer, food, and toilet paper.

A lot of people are suffering.

The lady pictured below was my last visit before the pandemic started - remember those wonderful days when nobody wore masks? I hope the doors open wide to visitors soon so I can go back to this senior community and bloom smiles again. Everyone there loved receiving flowers on a monthly basis.