A San Jose, CA woman took matters into her own hands when a local nonprofit was forced to pack its bags and close its Bay Area chapter.
Vicki Rasmussen was a volunteer at Random Acts of Flowers, a nonprofit that delivers recycled flowers and words of encouragement to health care facilities as a way to uplift those going through difficult times. Unfortunately, Random Acts of Flowers had to shut down their Bay Area location due to lack of funds, but luckily their mission continued to live on with Vicki.
Using her own garage, Vicki started Flowers Of Comfort to continue making flower arrangements for those struggling with illness and aging. Needing vases to put the arrangements in, Vicki turned to Nextdoor to ask her neighbors if they had any they would be willing to donate. Much to her surprise, Vicki got more than just offers of vases: within three hours of posting, dozens of neighbors offered to volunteer their time to arrange and deliver the flowers. According to NBC Bay Area, Vicki received nearly 100 arrangements from a local Whole Foods, flower wholesalers, and a newly married couple with extra arrangements from their wedding. From Nextdoor, she also gained 20 new volunteers to help her.
With the support of the community, Vicki and her volunteers are able to continue offering compassion and encouragement to those who need it most.
If you are interested in donating, you can check out Vicki’s GoFundMe page.
I want to volunteer. I have a succulent-flower background