On Tuesday, January 10th, Random Acts of Flowers reached an amazing milestone…making its 10,000th delivery! It was a wonderful day and we’re thankful for all the volunteers, floral donors and support received from the community.
On Sunday, December 8th volunteers from Random Acts of Flowers manned a booth at the Knoxville Pink Bridal Show at the Knoxville Convention Center to introduce brides to RAF’s wedding flower recycling program.
Hundreds and hundreds took information on RAF with them while they continue to plan the details – and hopefully once everything is set for their special day, they’ll decide to sign up and donate all their wedding flowers to us so we can turn them into beautiful bouquets for patients in area healthcare facilities.
Not only did we make great connections with brides and their families, but we also formed some new partnerships with area bridal vendors who supply locations, flowers, catering and more!
And to top off this wonderful experience, all the exhibitors participating in the show donated their showcase flowers to RAF – filling our delivery van to the top and providing lots of materials for our Monday arranging volunteers. Thank you all!
We’re very excited for our next bridal show coming up on Sunday February 12th – the News Sentinel Bridal & Beyond show. Come by and see us!
For the third year, Random Acts of Flowers’ volunteers rallied together on Christmas Day to make deliveries to patients spending their holiday away from home.
Between Christmas Day and the week thereafter, over 400 deliveries were made to area patients. On Christmas Day, RAF volunteers visited the University of Tennessee Medical Center, Patricia Neal Rehabilitation Center, Tennova’s Physicians Regional Medical Center and Parkwest Hospital.
The holiday deliveries were generously supported by AAA of East Tennessee, WBIR TV-10, The Trust Co., Prompt Physical Theraphy, SmartBank and Elavon – thank you!
Special thanks also goes out to all our floral donation partners including Ellenburg’s Nursery, Stanley’s Greenhouse, Food City, Mayo Garden Centers and Tennessee Floral. We couldn’t do it without you!
Random Acts of Flowers volunteers gathered today at Cresent Bend on the shores of the Tennessee River to plant “pink ribbon bulbs” in honor of breast cancer awareness month.
With generous support of The Care Institute Group, the RAF team planted 4,500 pink tulips and hyacinths in the Crescent Bend gardens. The main installation is a giant pink ribbon on the east hillside made up of thousands of pink tulips and surrounded by brilliant white tulips. In the springtime, this will be an amazing visual for all visitors.
On April 1st, the Crescent Bend House will host its “Pretty in Pink” day, honoring breast cancer survivors and raising awareness for breast cancer awareness. All proceeds from the day benefit the Susan G. Komen For the Cure foundation. Random Acts of Flowers is thrilled to support and participate in this special day.
A HUGE thanks to all the great RAF volunteers who braved the cold and work some seriously hard labor to make this day happen!
MEDIA: Read the press release here. (RELEASE-RAF-BreastCancerBlooms-120611)
We had such a wonderful response to our 2011 workshop series that we have decided to continue this exciting event into the new year! Follow this link for details. This year’s theme is Decorating Your Entryway for the Seasons. For each class attendees will take home an item to hang on their door or place on their stoop to help announce the newly arrived season! Past participants have been known to comment on the item they take home as being worth more than the price they paid for the class AND they got to learn how to make it themselves. Don’t miss out on this fabulous series! The series, or a single class, is also a wonderful gift to share with a loved one for the holidays.
Check out our article about the series in the December print issue of Everything Knoxville and pick up a January issue for stories from past participants.
This series often sells out so call our office today, 865-633-9082, to reserve your tickets.
One of the things that we do not lack for around here are heartwarming stories. This one certainly fits the bill! What makes this story special is that Patti knew to thank everyone and everything that went into her delivery. For her bouquet to be delivered there had to be a floral donor, a vase donor, a volunteer to arrange the flowers, volunteers to transport both the donated flowers and the arranged bouquets, and a volunteer to walk that bouquet into the room of an unsuspecting stranger to brighten their day. There are MANY hands involved in each and every bouquet delivered. Thank you for recognizing that Patti!
I have been in the hospital 2 months and feeling sad and depressed then suddenly someone came in with a BEAUTIFUL flower arrangement, I told them they must have the wrong room it could not be for me BUT it had my name on it. I smiled, cried, and called everyone I knew to describe the wonderful gift sent to me. To everyone who donated a rose, vase, time, and energy thank you from the bottom of my heart, you are a blessed group. patti @ st. marys
Thank you to all of our volunteers, to our floral and vase donors, and the hospitals and healthcare facilities that allow us to deliver. Thank you to our donors who help us pay the bills. Thank you to our corporate sponsors and grant makers. Thank you to our Board of Directors who donate their time to help maintain and grow our mission. Thank you to each and everyone who is involved on SO many different levels in making this organization possible! And finally, thank you to Patti for taking the time to Share Your Story. :-)
We brightened the room and brought comfort and happiness! What more could we ask for?! 
The Jones family would like to thank you so much for the flowers. The yellow roses and daisies honestly, brighten the room. It brought comfort and happiness into the room. For my grandfather and our family.
This is a wonderful organization you have.
Thank you again,
The Jones family
Thank you to the Jones Family for sharing their story! Do you have a story about how Random Acts of Flowers’ mission has touched your life? Share Your Story here.
Watch the video featuring Random Acts of Flowers – created by the BlueOut Knoxville contest – click here to watch!
This Spring Random Acts of Flowers partnered with Brownie Troop 21159 to make a delivery at one of our assisted living facilities. I must say it was one of the sweetest delivery experiences I have ever had! There is just nothing that compares to the joy of bringing the young together with the elderly. The residents at NHC Knoxville were so overjoyed to have the girls visit and the girls had a lot of fun handing out the beautiful bouquets of flowers. Many thanks goes out to the beautiful girls and their troop leader. Below are some photos from the delivery, a thank you card they sent, and some drawings they included with the thank you.
If you have a group of children that you think would benefit from participating in a delivery with Random Acts of Flowers please call our Director of Operations, Sage Morgan, at 865-633-9082 to discuss the possibilities.
Random Acts of Flowers started making deliveries on March 3rd, 2009. At that time we were delivering an average of 20 bouquets per delivery to one of four hospitals each Monday.
Fast forward to August of 2011. We now make deliveries twice a week into 7 hospitals, 26 nursing home/assisted living facilities, and 3 hospices and we average 40 bouquets per delivery (that is double the bouquets AND double the deliveries). We have delivered over 8000 bouquets, recycled thousands of vases, and re-purposed flowers from more than 500 events!
In 2009 we could not have known where we would be today. We had no concept of how completely the community would embrace our mission. What we did know was that there were people who needed to be reminded that there is reason for hope, whether it was a 24 year old man fighting cancer or a 107 year old woman living her last days in assisted living. There are, and always will be, people who need the cheer of a bouquet of flowers.
I am continually amazed by people’s response to our mission. Future brides who call and are excited to have somewhere to send their flowers after their special day. Funeral directors who talk about how much their clients love knowing that their memorial flowers are going to be used to brighten someone’s day. Potential volunteers who read an article in the paper (or see a clip on TV) that know instantly this is the way they want to give back to their community. Floral recipients who mail in financial contributions because they want to make sure someone else gets the pleasant surprise that they so appreciated. Supporters who give every year during our donation drive because they know that their $20 (or $50 or $500) makes a positive difference in our community. Community members who come out in support of our Fall Bulb Sale (or Art in the Garden or Samuel Franklin workshops) because they believe in what we do and want to make sure we keep doing it.
THANK YOU! To everyone in this wonderful community that has helped us to continue delivering smiles one bouquet at a time. Random Acts of Flowers has grown by leaps and bounds, has been able to touch the lives of over 8000 patients and elderly residents in this community because of your support. Please continue to think of us and the mission that we fulfill week after week. Remember to share our mission with your neighbor, with your dentist, with the server at your favorite restaurant because you never know who will become our next floral donor, bouquet recipient, dedicated volunteer, or financial supporter.
The 3rd workshop in our 2011 Flowers For All Seasons workshop series is quick approaching. On September 8th Sam will share with us how to welcome the Fall with themed decor, whether for a festive tailgate or a Halloween party. Attendees will create and take home a floral centerpiece. Attendees of the Spring workshop are encouraged to bring in their dogwood wreath for a Fall update. You can also join us on November 3rd to learn how to decorate your mantle for the holidays.
Check out the photos below for a snapshot of our Spring and Summer workshops. For a full size view of any of the snapshots just click on the picture.
Sam’s shop is stunning, words just do not suffice. Whether you are looking for a knick knack to fill a space in your own home or that perfect hostess gift Samuel Franklin Floral and Home is sure to have just the right thing. So… I made sure to capture a few vignettes during the Summer workshop. The best part? The scenery changes between every workshop! Can’t wait to see what Sam has in store for us for the Fall workshop!!
Also below are a few of the wreaths that we worked on in the Spring and some action shots from the Summer.
We hope you will consider joining us for the Fall and/or Winter workshops. For the Winter workshop on November 3rd Sam will show us how to turn our mantles into showpieces for the holiday season! Tickets are selling out quickly so give me a call at 865-633-9082 to reserve your spot!
Also check out my blog entry about the Holiday Decor Workshop from November of 2010 – http://randomactsofflowers.org/blog/news/samuel-franklin-holiday-decor-workshop-11-18-10/.
We received great coverage today on WBIR-Channel 10. We cannot say thank you enough to the station for always covering our big steps!
Follow this link to see the video. http://www.wbir.com/news/article/177028/8/Random-Acts-of-Flowers-blossoms-in-another-hospital
The following is from our recent delivery to Windsor Gardens off of Merchants and Central in North Knoxville.
“Thank you for the beautiful flowers delivered to my father at Windsor Gardens assisted living! The delivery brightened his day and he has enjoyed them very much.” – Becky
There weren’t many bouquets in that delivery but it sounds like we made a difference with the few that we had! Thanks for sharing Becky.
We delivered 52 arrangements at Blount Memorial Hospital yesterday. This email was waiting for me when I got in this morning! :)
Today my husband received one of your lovely bouquets at the hospital. The flowers are so beautiful and the thought behind them even more beautiful. Thank you so much for what you did. You are doing a wonderful thing with this. God bless all of you. – Linda
You are very welcome Linda! We are glad that we could have a positive influence on your husband’s stay at Blount Memorial.
Received this sweet note from a Random Acts of Flowers recipient at Parkwest Medical Center.
I just want to thank your group for the delivery of daisy mums during my stay at ParkWest. They did so much to brighten an otherwise clinical atmosphere. They made a difference. – Jane
Thank you for taking the time to write to us Jane! We are so happy to hear that our delivery made a difference during your hospital stay. :)
This one really brightened my day! Thank you for taking the time to write to us Debbie.
Last week I was hospitalized at ParkWest. With most of my family living out of state, I was quite lonely and depressed, not knowing what was wrong with me and not having someone to sit with me while there was something new to me. In the past, I always had one of my husbands with me (both have passed away and are in God’s hands now). My daughter had to work so she could only come in the evenings. I was so surprised when a lady walked into my room and presented me with a beautiful arrangement and told where they came from. I wanted to say thank you for such a beautiful experience, it made my day. They now sit in my bedroom for me to enjoy. I’ve been looking for a way to volunteer and give back. Random Acts of Flowers will be hearing from me about offering my services. Thank you again for making me smile and brighten up my day! – Debbie, recipient at Parkwest Medical Center
If you have a story about how our mission has touched you follow this link to Share Your Story.
April 29th, 2011 Random Acts of Flowers rolled out Knoxville’s first ever fresh flower float during the Dogwood Arts Festival Parade.
Many thanks go out to our committee co-chairs Mary Jane Keating and Melissa Smith who orchestrated this phenomenal task. With the assistance of 20 volunteers, working for a total of 161 hours in 5 days, and using an estimated ten thousand flower stems the committee made a splash on the downtown Knoxville scene. In addition to the flowers on the float, volunteers handed out over 300 single stem carnations along the route.
As a banner holder I was able to hear parade attendees upon their first glimpse of the float. I heard many, “oh wow”s and “coooool, do you see all the flowers” and “oh look, their handing out flowers!” Though the float was a challenge to assemble, all agree that it was a joy to share with the community. Will this become an annual tradition? Will we see another flower float in the 2012 parade? Tell us what you think! :-)
We would like to thank Tennessee Floral Supply, Flowers Direct, and Stanley’s Greenhouse for supplying the flowers and greenery, All Occasions Party Rentals for donating the gazebo rental, and Ray Varner Ford for sponsoring the event and providing/driving the truck that pulled the float. We would also like to recognize the sorority Alpha Omicron Pi for sending out members to assist in the building of the float. As usual, this event would not have been possible without Random Acts of Flowers volunteers giving their time to support our mission. Many thanks to everyone involved!
Below is a photographic chronicle of the event. Please note that full pictures can only be viewed by clicking on the thumbnails below.
Did you know that in just over two years, Random Acts of Flowers volunteers have made 6,920 floral deliveries! As we fast approach the 7,000 delivery milestone, I wonder when we’ll hit the 10,000 mark. That will be a wonderful day. Thank you all who help make this possible.
Larsen Jay
Founder / President, Random Acts of Flowers
Some of you may remember hearing about Random Acts of Flowers planting excess Fall Bulb Sale inventory earlier this year. The bulbs, whose costs were covered by a local supporter, were planted at Heritage Assisted Living on South Peters Road with the intention that they would be cut and delivered when they bloomed. Special thanks goes to Sara Hedstrom of Hedstrom Design for creating a plan and sourcing donated labor for the install.
I received a call from Mary Ellen, the facility administrator, at Heritage letting me know they were in bloom and ready to be cut. Nancy, a Random Acts of Flowers volunteer, and myself met Erin Donovan of WBIR on-site to shoot a piece about the process. Look for teasers about the story through the weekend and stay tuned to Live at 5 at 4 on Monday, April 18th for the full story.
Mary Ellen was nice enough to recruit two of her residents to help us. We all had a little chuckle because they were both named Nancy; along with our own volunteer we had THREE Nancys. It made for a few confusing moments but all-in-all it added to the festive atmosphere. What a fun time we had! The Heritage Nancys were so cute; I hope that WBIR shows some of their spunk in the final piece!
So the Nancys and I cut about one third of the blooming tulips and arranged them into 20 bud vases. Then our Nancy and I delivered the bouquets to Little Creek Sanitarium residents who were especially delighted to hear the story behind the delivery. Flowers cut and arranged by residents at an assisted living facility and then delivered to a healthcare center. It doesn’t get much sweeter than that!
Below are some pictures from our fun day. Enjoy! :-)
Follow this link to see the news coverage by WBIR Channel 10. Delivering smiles, one bulb at a time
The following is an email we received from the Mercy Hospice Volunteer Coordinator.
Beautiful vases of flowers arrived last weekend for each of our eighteen hospice patients and their families. Our front reception desk as well as staff members received a bouquet for their desk too. The acts of kindness LIFTED our SPIRITS for days and we appreciate this wonderful mission that is brought to us unexpectantly. You even picked up the empty vases! Thank-you Sage and all who made this possible! -Tere
You are very welcome Tere! We love to visit this beautiful facility in North Knoxville that has such gracious staff and residents. :-)
Follow this link to see our latest newsletter.
http://eepurl.com/cubgT
If you don’t currently receive our newsletter, scroll down on the right hand side of your screen to join our newsletter list.
“My 83 year old grandmother fell and broke her hip, which required surgery and therapy. While staying at a transitional therapy center in Blount County she was brought a beautiful vase of purple Irises. What a wonderful uplifting surprise! On my commute to work I drive by a giant billboard with a counter for Random Acts of [Flowers] but never fully felt it’s impact until today. Thank you so much for the work you do! God bless.”
If Random Acts of Flowers has touched your life, please share your story with us by following this link http://randomactsofflowers.org/get-involved/share-your-story/.
Thursday 11/18/10 was our 2nd Samuel Franklin workshop and what a fun time we had! Sam has such a great personality, he’s truly a pleasure to be around, and his shop is just mouth-wateringly fabulous! Below is a photographic journey of a wonderful evening.
Thank you to all the lovely ladies who attended the workshop! We hope you had as much fun as we did
And an extra special thank you goes to Sam for not only hosting this wonderful event but donating his time, his space, and the supplies so that 100% of the ticket price could be used by Random Acts of Flowers to spread cheer to healthcare patients in our community. It is through kind hearted community members like Sam, and the workshop’s attendees, that we are able to fulfill our mission of delivering smiles, one bouquet at a time. :)
Random Acts of Flowers is proud to announce the 2nd Annual Fall Bulb Sale!
No garden is complete without the beauty of blooming bulbs! Plan your spring flowers while helping support a local charity at the same time. Not only will you get fabulous bulbs from our great bulb companies, you’ll also be helping the charity bring smiles to patients in area hospitals, nursing homes and hospice care centers.
Come visit us during the month of October and purchase bulbs for your garden!
Can’t make it out to one of our locations or live outside the East Tennessee area? If so, you can still order wonderful bulbs and support our charity at the same time! Order online - click here – where 50% of every order benefits Random Acts of Flowers. There’s a great selection of bulbs and they’re shipped directly to you (nationwide) for one low cost.
Saturday, October 2
Earthfare Supermarket (Bearden) / 10:00a – 2:00p
Earthfare Supermarket (Turkey Creek) / 10:00a – 2:00p
Market Square (Downtown) / 10:00a – 2:00p
Friday, October 8
U.T. Gardens – Fall Plant Sale (UT Ag Campus) / 4:00p – 6:00p
Saturday, October 9
Earthfare Supermarket (Bearden) / 10:00a – 2:00p
Earthfare Supermarket (Turkey Creek) / 10:00a – 2:00p
Market Square (Downtown) / 10:00a – 2:00p
U.T. Gardens – Fall Plant Sale (UT Ag Campus) / 9:00a – 2:00p
Clinton Fall Festival (outside Sam Franklin Florists) / 9:00a – 3:00p
Saturday, October 16
Earthfare Supermarket (Bearden) / 10:00a – 2:00p
Earthfare Supermarket (Turkey Creek) / 10:00a – 2:00p
Market Square (Downtown) / 10:00a – 2:00p
Friday, October 22
Clinton Fall Festival (outside Sam Franklin Florists) / 10:00a – 3:00p
Saturday, October 23
Earthfare Supermarket (Bearden) / 10:00a – 2:00p
Earthfare Supermarket (Turkey Creek) / 10:00a – 2:00p
Market Square (Downtown) / 10:00a – 2:00p
Clinton Fall Festival (outside Sam Franklin Florists) / 10:00a – 3:00p
Saturday, October 30
Earthfare Supermarket (Bearden) / 10:00a – 2:00p
Earthfare Supermarket (Turkey Creek) / 10:00a – 2:00p
Market Square (Downtown) / 10:00a – 2:00p
Thank you for supporting RAF and enjoy your flowers in the spring!
Art in the Garden posters will blanket the town starting today. Keep a look out for these promotional posters and encourage art/charity supporters to attend what will surely be a great event!
Posters to promote the Art in the Garden special event – Kids Day in the Garden – hit the town today! Keep on the lookout for these colorful posters and encourage people to bring their kids to a fun-filled event in Knoxville’s “secret garden!”
Saturday, August 21st / 9:00a-1:00p @ Knoxville Botanical Gardens
Share charity with your children during a fun-filled day of activities! On Saturday, August 21st, the Knoxville Botanical Garden comes alive with free fun for children of all ages including a Create-A-Craft area, Yoga for Kids demonstration, StoryTime with the Imagination Library, Kids-Art exhibition, HABIT dogs, bounce-house, food, and much more!
All proceeds from Kids Day in the Garden benefit Random Acts of Flowers, a local charity dedicated to uplifting a person’s spirit. Our volunteers repurpose flowers and make botanical deliveries to needy patients in area hospitals, nursing homes and hospice care centers.
Price = FREE!!!
Friday, August 20th / 7:00p @ Knoxville Botanical Gardens
Have you ever wondered what goes into creating a piece of art? Attend the 2nd annual Art in the Garden and find out! Enjoy a sultry summer evening in Knoxville’s “Secret Garden” and experience art like never before, all to support a great charity. Guests will be treated to live art demonstrations from renowned and talented artists – all creating a piece of art right before your eyes!
The evening will be filled with spectacular art from local and regional artists, available to guests through a silent and live auction. Drinks, food and liv
e music will accompany this special event in one of the most spectacular gardens in Knoxville.
All proceeds from Art in the Garden benefit Random Acts of Flowers, a local charity dedicated to uplifting a person’s spirit. Our volunteers repurpose flowers and make botanical deliveries to needy patients in area hospitals, nursing homes and hospice care centers.
Price = $50.00 / Purchase tickets by calling (865) 633-9082
For over a year, “Random Acts of Flowers” has been delivering flowers to hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and hospices.
But Tuesday, a very special bouquet was delivered to St. Mary’s Medical Center. A delivery that didn’t just bring a smile to the patients face, but to the volunteers who have far exceeded their goals.
It’s a delivery unlike any other.
“We’re with random acts of flowers and this is actually our 3,000th delivery”.
Pink roses to brighten Edith Whaley’s day.
“I was laying here thinking that this day was going to be a long one and here comes these volunteers with flowers, beautiful flowers, and I’m so thankful,” says Edith Whaley, a patient at St. Mary’s Medical Center.
In just over a year, 3,000 bouquets of flowers have been delivered through the non-profit organization, “Random Acts of Flowers.”
“To spread a little cheer. Our target patients are those who don’t have many visitors while they’re here at the hospital, maybe they’ve had bad news or have been in the hospital for an extended period of time,” says Sage Morgan, a volunteer with the organization.
The program has far surpassed its goals. They thought they would deliver 20 to 30 bouquets a week. But they’re actually delivering 50 to 200 a week, thanks to donations made by community members.
“Demonstrates that even a small gift, a small contribution can make a big difference in our community.”
And a big difference in Edith’s day.
“It makes me feel better. I’ll have better day, a much better day. It makes people feel like they’re not forgotten,” says Edith.
see more from Volunteer TV
