By: Catherine Ingbar
It felt like a happy coincidence on July 9th, 2021, when we Lily and I read the same Washington Post article about a medical student in Virginia who repurposed flowers from weddings and brought them to patients at the community hospital.
After reading this story, we knew we wanted to do something similar; it felt like such a creative, beautiful way to connect to the communities we encounter through our medical training. So, after scouring wedding-planning websites for responsive event planners and a few dozen emails to hospitals and community organizations willing to take donations, we finally connected the dots. On November 21st, 2021, we arrived at our first event, Home Depot buckets in tow, clippers in hand, ready for whatever flowers may come our way.
And it was a BLAST! We met generous florists, kindhearted wedding guests, a grateful bride, incredibly helpful event staff, and were overwhelmed by the beauty of the tropical-modern (somehow that’s possible when you’re a super talented florist) centerpieces, accent florals, and greenery filling the event space.
We spent an entire afternoon the next day marveling at the beautiful flowers, hunting TikTok for flower arranging tips, and texting plant-loving friends to please identify the lovely flower we were looking at.
Things got even better when we went to donate our bouquets. We were met with “Ooo’s” and “Ahhs” by residents and staff of the Women’s Center. Our first donation site is UMOM New Day Center in downtown Phoenix. This center is a safe place for women and families who are escaping domestic violence and need shelter, warmth, and comfort. Being able to bring just a little extra color and light to these women has been such a driving factor for us at Rebloom. The amount of gratitude we have received has really amplified the idea that the little beauties in life can really make a world of difference. Seeing the smiling faces of staff and residents on that first day and each day since has been the biggest blessing and marker of success for our organization.