Roses, roses, roses….every color……peach, white, pink and red roses. And bountiful bouquets of other kinds of petals and blooms. All of the leftovers from the Trader Joes’ stores generously donated for me to take to two nursing homes, a train station, people along the street and one 7-11 parking lot in Wyndmoor. I must admit, I am a bit exhausted. They had so many flowers left over from the weekend. I think the flowers chase away the blues for a lot of people. What do you think?
“Your flowers improve the mental health of so many people.”
Someone just told me how “green” that I am – environmentally green, that is.
Your organization has re-purposed and recycled thousands of flowers but the best part is what the flowers have done for a person’s mental health. You have improved the mental health of so many people.
Have you ever felt a little blue? Maybe wanted to stay in bed all day? A lot on your mind? Feeling that your life does not mean much to your family? Maybe not have much in terms of a family that visits. It is hard to keep your spirits up when life throws you a few curve balls regarding health, finances, love. But for most of us, the fleeting thought passes. We hop in the car, call a friend, run to the refrigerator for a snack or just wait the feeling out. We have more options for activity and the ability to take a ride or go walk in a park – when we want to shake the blues.
Life isn’t the way it used to be. Why hasn’t God taken me? I have no one that visits me.
That is what I hear day after day – little bits of that same theme is shared with me when I give someone a bouquet of flowers. I love hearing words of appreciation about why they are happy about receiving a flower visit.
Sometimes it is just the smallest thing that can make a day brighter for a person in a nursing home.
I am hoping for a miracle now. I would like to continue doing the Happy Flower Day Project – to make it grow – grow nationwide. I am just a one man band, in a sense, with the project. In order to sustain it, I need a Team of Angels to help. Please say a prayer that someone will come into my life with the funds to pay me a salary and cover the expenses to continue doing this.
Since May of 2013, I have had the privilege of passing out 21,354 bouquets of flowers…..and saved that many from going into a dumpster – instead blooming smiles to thousands of surprised recipients.
Thank you!
Speaking Engagements – a cheery and flowery topic for your meeting?
Patricia Gallagher, The Flower Lady, welcomes the opportunity to share the story about how a simple phone call to Trader Joe’s inquiring about what they do with their extra flowers…….has launched a non-profit organization that has bloomed more than 21,000 smiles.
Would the members of your service organization, church congregation, garden club, Rotary, Kiwanis Club, or business like to hear the speaker share about a program that is beginning to spread nationwide?
Director and Founder Patricia Gallagher would love to share the mission of the Happy Flower Day Project and tell you lots of amazing stories about how a simple gesture of flowery kindness has randomly blessed people in shelters, nursing homes, hospices, hospitals, half-way houses and hundreds of other places.
To schedule a speaking engagement, please contact Patricia at 267 939 -0365. (Cell)
Frequently Asked Questions
• How/when/where did you get started in this outreach? What was your inspiration?
How did you go about setting things up?
How did the project grow and change?
• Who helps you with the Happy Flower Day project? Do you have people who regularly volunteer to help? Do different people help at different times?
• How have different recipients responded? Any story that particularly stands out?
Patricia brings hundreds of beautiful donated bouquets to strangers ever week!
Busy week – did another radio interview this week!
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bellesprit/2014/09/09/bellesprit-radio-show-guest-patricia-gallagher-september-feature
Put on a Happy Face – passing out flowers is a happy job!
Radio Interview about Team of Angels Project and the Happy Flower Day Project. Sep 16
RADIO INTERVIEW WITH HOST EDIE WEINSTEIN:
http://vividlife.me/ultimate/46488/patricia-gallagher-edie-weinstein-random-acts-of-kindness
Magazine/Radio Interview with The Flower Lady – Patricia Gallagher –
http://www.bellesprit.com/random-acts-of-flowers/
Radio Interview about Team of Angels Project and the Happy Flower Day Project.
http://vividlife.me/ultimate/46488/patricia-gallagher-edie-weinstein-random-acts-of-kindness/
Thank you to Edie Weinstein for the wonderful article about the Happy Flower Day Project!
To view the pages of this article about The Happy Flower Day Project , click down at the bottom right hand corner of the picture on the cover and the pages will turn so you can read full four page article with pictures. Click about four times to get to the page with my article.
http://www.bellesprit.com/wp-content/uploads/swf/2014/september2014.swf
Letter received today: “The Team of Angels bookmarker means a lot to me. “
I get a letter like this about twice a week.
Hello Patricia,
I received the Team of Angels for the Overwhelmed bookmark and angel pin. I was so overwhelmed to receive it because I am so overwhelmed right now. It really means a lot to me. I have the time to write now and hope that you will write back.
A loved one of mine passed away on June 20. We went together for over 20 years. We loved each other and took care of each other. He had to have his left foot taken off – under the knee. He was a smoker and the stump healed slowly because of the smoking. He had just a little pencil hole wound when the doctor shocked him and me and told him that he was admitting him for the surgery to remove his leg. He was fitted for a fake leg and everyone was excited but he never did walk. I don’t know how to spell that word that begins with a p – I think it is pros- thee-sus. Days before his death he would cry, yell and scream. A neighbor told me that he has that look in his eye that he is going to die. I would stay with him all day until about six at night. He would say to me, “Don’t leave me alone. Don’t go home at night. I do not want to be by myself.”
I had to go home to get my rest. Now when I go outside, I see him all over. But just in my mind because he is gone forever. He never wanted to go into a nursing home. I love and miss him much. It is bad for me. He was 62. One morning, I found him and he had passed away.
Your Team of Angels poem for the overwhelmed helps me every day when I say the prayer. Can you please write me back?
“Dear Patricia, I remember meeting you a long time ago.”
Dear Patricia,
I remember meeting you a long time ago at the Lower Providence library. My dad had just fallen off a mower and then fell over a four foot retainer wall. I was not in a calm state. My father did pass away and so did my sister. I am not a religious person but I needed the Team of Angels pin that you gave me. I passed it along to a friend who had cancer.
Someone just gave me a Team of Angels for Someone Special. His name is Joe. He passed out five or six to the ladies at the dance. I don’t have a computer but I would like to also pass them out. If people are stressed, they could use one of your Team of Angels. I would like to keep this tradition going of giving the angels out like Joe is doing.
When Spirit talks, I listen. Spirit asked me to write this letter to you. Do you by any chance remember me?
TC
Meals on Wheels Program and Tribute to Bob – my volunteer
Hi Patricia~
Loved, loved, loved the article about the Heart of the 91 year old man in the Chestnut Hill Local. I work for the l Meals on Wheels and I would love to talk you more about what you do and perhaps, if you ever need an “inspiration” for “God, who needs the gift of a beautiful bouquet today?”—we can provide an answer with the lovely hearts and souls that we serve meals to– spanning the area from Wyndmoor ( where we prepare the meals on Stenton Avenue) to neighborhoods of Chestnut Hill, Mt. Airy and parts of Germantown as well as Flourtown, Erdenheim and Oreland! So, please give me a call, send a text or send me an email. Would love, love, love to speak with you! What a beautiful way to help us deliver a meal to some lovely people— so incredible if we can say it with flowers, too!
Would love to hear more about “ Hearts Away”!! It inspires me to speak to the loved ones that I have lost—in this beautiful and personal way! Thanks for sharing your story!
With Smiles, Lynne
The editor of the newspaper asked Lynne if he could print her letter in the paper. This is her response to him.
Good Evening Mr. Lear~
I think I read an email from you today asking if I would like to print my letter to Patricia Gallagher in The Chestnut Hill Local. I read it on my cell phone. Of course, I now cannot find that email. I am one of those “technologically challenged” people—so I hope that you will please bear with me. I apologize!
Perhaps, if we print it—I should do some editing– as I reread it—I discovered a “typo” —also I would delete my personal cell phone number.
Again, my apologies for not being able to locate your recent email.
I did speak to Patricia today and she was just a delight and a truly incredible lady! What amazing work she does—it gives new meaning to the Language of Flowers and she did share that the gentleman with that beautiful heart passed away! I would hope that this letter would and could be a tribute to him!
I hope that we can be in touch!
With many thanks and appreciation,
Lynne
Doing a radio show to tell others how to start a Happy Flower Day Project in their community
Dear Patrica,
My name is Candice Potter, co-Host for Bellesprit Radio Show. We would like to invite you to be our special guest on September 13, 2014 @ 8pm ET for a 1 hour interview! We would like to do a feature on the show about your Happy Flower Day Project and plan to feature it in an article that will be the cover feature of Bellesprit Magazine for September. We look forward to hearing from you in the very near future!
Candice Potter, Co host Bellesprit Radio Show
“Miss Flower Lady, your flowers are a Godsend.”
Nursing home is getting flowers on a regular basis now
This nursing home in North Wales is now receiving the bounty of flowers from Trader Joe’s a couple of days a week.
Hi Trisha,
The residents are loving that we have flowers to use for flower arranging. Thanks Again. Have a great weekend.
Mona
Bob, my flower-ing volunteer – announced our visits with harmonica tunes!
It was Bob’s idea last August.
Trisha, I wonder if I can help you with the flower deliveries. (He was 90 years old!)
On our first foray out to deliver the flowers, he had a thought.
Trisha, I used to play the harmonica. What do you think of this idea? I could get it out and start practicing some patriotic tunes. Then, as we carry the flowers into the nursing home, I can “announce” the visit by playing Yankee Doodle Dandy, God Bless America, America the Beautiful, Battle Hymn of the Republic, God Bless America, Halls of Montezuma, The Stars and Stripes Forever and The Star-Spangled Banner. I am a little rusty on those songs but if I practice, I should be able to do that within a few weeks. I might need to buy another harmonica because this one does not seem to be quite right.
Please give me your opinion – give out pies or flowers
Patricia,
Pies are nice and I’m sure they would be very well received by the residents, however many seniors, especially those in long term nursing facilities are on regulated diets. Not just the diabetics, but also those that are on CHO, carb control, renal, npo, puree…etc.. would not be able to enjoy the treats…..Your flowers bring joy to many, MANY, residents with very few exclusions . You are “the flower lady”….
D. M.
Patricia,
Flowers, because a lot of the residents are on ground and puree diets! Thanks, Terry
Patricia,
Seniors always seem to like sweet treats. Mary Jane
Patricia,
As for my vote, I’d say that the flowers would be easiest to continue with as the main project, with the occasional pie / yummy being the alternative. I agree that it often feels like everyone has some food-restriction (Gluten-free / lactose-intolerant / diabetes / allergies / etc), and food gifts have been more difficult for me to give to teachers / friends as a result. I would hate to see you do all of that work of collecting the food, only to be turned away. You could, however, be the ‘concierge’ of pies…if a facility wanted to throw a little shindig for the residents, you might be the one to procure the refreshments and the table decorations of flowers…maybe something like that? I know that bagel places (chains, like Einstein, and even little mom & pop shops) have to throw out their unsold inventory each day…my MOPS group used to offer to pick them up and share them with an outreach mission / soup kitchen in Norristown, saving them from the trash and saving the shelter precious budget-dollars. (Panera’s does something similar, sharing their leftover bread products with local shelters) Not sure that you want to be the “Bagel Lady”, but it’s an option if you do decide to change over to food gifts!
Whatever random acts of love you end up pursuing, I know it’ll be awesome! Blessings!
Kristen
Dear Friends,
Please give me your vote? Should I continue with the “Random acts of flowers” or switch to “Random acts of pies” for residents and staff? Quite accidentally, I stumbled upon a new project. Just wondering what you think.
Please click the link below for pictures and explanation.
https://storiesforseniors.wordpress.com/2014/08/06/random-acts-of-pies-to-give-away-no-flowers-that-day/
“Random acts of pies” to give away – no flowers that day
Two of my Trader Joe’s locations did not have flowers to donate to me – oh no! 30 ladies were waiting expectantly for flowers at a nursing home in Philadelphia. The sales associate sensed my disappointment and said,”We have 30 pies that were pulled off the shelf. They are a day before expiration. Would you like them? We had them set aside for a food pantry that usually picks them up but I think this is a good will ambassador kind of emergency donation.”
Wow – sounds like an “As easy as pie” idea to me!
So I put the box of pies, cakes, brownies, pineapple juice in cans and a variety of treats on the seat of my car and went on my way.
The toll collector on the PA turnpike commented, “Wow, you have a lot of pies!”
What kind would you like? Cherry or rhubarb? She was shocked and selected the rhubarb pie.
And then the random acts of pie-ing began for me.
First pie to the toll collector, six pies to the men working at a construction site, one to the editor of the local newspaper where I stopped to buy a newspaper…….and lots of treats to the ladies at the Philadelphia nursing home in Philadelphia. The kitchen manager said he would cut them up for a snack for all of the residents.
Maybe I have a new calling to be the Pie Lady rather than the Flower Lady. What do you think?
Response to newspaper article
Tricia,
I’m so sorry for your loss. How wonderful that your mother and friend still found the energy to serve other so late in life (and much credit to you because it probably would have been easier to deliver the flowers yourself – like doing things with young children that takes twice as long as doing it by yourself).
May happy memories of your mother and Bob bring you peace.
Carol
Tribute to Bob – my flowering partner – Written by Edie
Edie Weinstein wrote this article after attending Bob’s memorial service today. She mentioned the Happy Flower Day Project and posted a picture of her and Bob holding the flowers…….we met for lunch ……and then Bob and I continued along on our flowering way. RIP, dear Bob.
http://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/blissblog/2014/08/keep-your-fork.html
I would love to combine my love of being the Flower Lady with this paid position!
Letter that I sent after my interview for the Volunteer Hospice Coordinator position. My dream would be to somehow make the delivery of flowers an integral part of visiting the seniors who are enrolled in Meals on Wheels programs and at home or in nursing home comfort/hospice care. What if I could start a national campaign and bring this project to a level that it would serve thousands of people on a daily basis? Prayers, dear friends, for God’s will to manifest in my life for His vision for how to serve Him. My religious upbringing taught us to ask God to know Him, to love Him and to serve Him in this world. Some things you just never forget from first grade Catechism lessons.
Good Morning, Teri
As I thought about the position of Volunteer Coordinator for Grane Hospice, I reflected upon what a privilege that it would be to a part of your hospice team. I know from personal experience that things change quickly when a loved one is under the care of a home hospice team. I appreciated so much the peace of mind that I felt when the hospice team came to evaluate my mother’s situation and set things in motion for volunteers and caregivers to tend to her needs.
You need someone who is flexible and understanding. I bring a unique set of skills and experience. I have worked both in the behavioral healthcare and senior living care field, had both of my parents in the Doylestown Hospice system and have a spiritual connection to this type of work. I would work very well with your Hospice Chaplain to augment his mission.
I know that detail-oriented documentation is required to log volunteer hours. I have offered in-service training for employees in a variety of settings. I understand the importance of interviewing families about their needs, volunteer training for accident prevention and the discipline of in-service training to ensure quality volunteers.
As the Director of the Stories for Seniors Project, the Happy Flower Day Project and the Team of Angels Outreach Program, I have been responsible for planning, recruiting, coordinating, assessing and management of volunteer activities. And have implemented volunteer recognition programs.
As a business woman, I worked in tandem with hundreds of volunteers, directors of senior living communities as well as administrators and staff.
I understand the importance of social media and have knowledge of a variety of software programs. I have contacts with local service organizations. I am comfortable speaking in front of groups to share information about Grane Hospice. I know that diplomacy, tact and interpersonal skills are an integral component when handling highly confidential and sensitive information.
Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to sharing ideas with you.
,
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