On a recent Friday afternoon, residents of Atlantic Shore Retirement Residence in Fort Lauderdale gathered in the dining room to receive colorful bouquets from Flower Power, a South Florida nonprofit that gives discarded flowers a second life.
The group was founded by Shayna Schon after she delivered flowers to a struggling friend and wanted to do more for people facing hard times. Her biggest challenge was cost. Her solution was to ask florists and grocery stores for bouquets that would otherwise be thrown away. Flower Power now works with those local partners to rescue the flowers.
The effort started as a family project, but Schon soon needed help. She partnered with the Foundation for Independent Living, whose special needs program was looking for activities for its participants. Participants now learn flower arranging, sort the stems and assemble their own bouquets, usually on Fridays.
The finished bouquets go out in vans to local hospitals and retirement communities. Some recipients said they had not received flowers in years. One resident said it had been since high school.
Flower Power aims to deliver flowers across the state every day of the week. The group says it needs donations and volunteers. Details are available on its website.
