DUNEDIN, Fla. — Janette Donoghue had a revelation while sitting alone in her hospital room following hernia surgery just before Easter. The woman who helped coordinate flower deliveries for the Tampa Bay chapter of Random Acts of Flowers wished she had some on her bedside table.
But, because coronavirus has changed visitation rules at most hospitals, those petals never came.
“It was lonely,” said Donoghue, the executive director of RAF Tampa Bay. “It made me realize how important my job is.”
Thursday, Donoghue and her (smaller than usual) team of volunteers made an interesting delivery with a twist. They took a bouquet of silk flowers and homemade cards to two different care facilities in Pinellas County. The first stop was Manor Care Dunedin followed by Mease Dunedin Hopsital.
It’s part of Random Acts of Flowers’ current, COVID-19-related mission they’re calling #StillBlooming.
“I think at the end of the day, just making people know that you’re thinking about them and letting them know that they are important and that they are not alone, I think it doesn’t matter if it’s silk or if it’s real,” said Donoghue. “I think it all makes the same impact. So, we’re just trying to do as much as we can in the community and like everybody is trying to make people happy and come together as one.”
Each basket delivery contains the silk arrangement, a flower card for each resident, color sheets and treats. Nearly 400 handmade cards were given to the project to go along with Chick-Fil-A gift cards. In all, it was a twist but still garnered the same results.
“I think more than ever, no matter what your age is or who you are, everybody can feel isolated. Everybody can feel lonely.”
Heartfire Wealth and Home Plate Café in Dunedin helped provide food for hospital workers as well. The #StillBlooming deliveries are a new idea but similar to the usual purpose. Random Acts of Flowers’ Tampa Bay chapter is nearing 100,000 donated bouquets given to people stuck in hospitals.
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