Downingtown-Based Nonprofit Recycles Flowers to Make Days Brighter for Lonely Seniors
A Downingtown-based nonprofit is making the days brighter for lonely seniors with free bouquets recycled from beautiful blooms from weddings, funerals, and other occasions, writes Kevin Riordan for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Volunteers at Petals Please pick up donated flowers and use them to create teacup bouquets and other small arrangements for delivery to local senior citizens.
“Petals Please brings so much happiness to us old folks living alone,” said 101-year-old May Hiltebeitel, a resident of the Simpson Meadows Retirement Community in Downingtown. “In fact, it’s the next best thing to your grandchildren coming to visit.”
Petals Please was created two years ago and has since created and delivered around 8,000 floral gifts throughout Chester County. The majority of recipients live in nursing homes and hospice care or are Meals on Wheels clients. Some of them have few visitors and are often anxiously awaiting the arrival of a volunteer with a bouquet.
The organization also has a program that provides elementary school students with bouquets that they can gift to family or friends.
“It’s such a little gesture,” said Petals Please founder Beth Adams. “But it’s so uplifting.”
Read more about Petals Please in The Philadelphia Inquirer here.
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