Flower Power Gives Discarded Bouquets a New Purpose in South Florida

Colorful bouquets filled the dining room at Atlantic Shore Retirement Residence in Fort Lauderdale during a Friday afternoon delivery from Flower Power. For residents receiving the arrangements, the visit brought a welcome gesture of kindness, and for some, their first gift of flowers in years.

The South Florida nonprofit, founded by Shayna Schon, collects bouquets from local florists and grocery stores that would otherwise discard them. The flowers are then rearranged and delivered to hospitals and retirement communities, giving the donated blooms another purpose while bringing enjoyment to the people who receive them.

Schon developed the idea after taking bouquets to a friend who was struggling. The experience led her to think about flowers as a way to express care when there seemed to be little else she could do. She decided to create a nonprofit focused on sharing that feeling with others, but paying for the flowers presented a major obstacle.

Her solution was to ask whether businesses could donate flowers they would otherwise throw away. Those partnerships made it possible to repurpose older bouquets for new recipients. At first, Schon handled the work with her husband and children. Although she enjoyed working alongside her family, preparing the flowers took considerable time, and she realized the organization needed more help.

That need led Flower Power to partner with the Foundation for Independent Living. The special needs program was seeking an activity for its participants that offered creativity, social interaction and a chance to do something meaningful. Flower Power began teaching flower arranging, creating a partnership that also helped the nonprofit prepare and deliver more bouquets.

Almost every Friday, participants sort through flower stems and assemble their own arrangements before boarding vans to deliver them to local hospitals and retirement communities. Participant Michael Bederman said he enjoys combining different colors and varieties of flowers, with the aim of making recipients happy and helping them feel peaceful. For Hallie Puttrich, seeing even one person smile makes the effort worthwhile.

At Atlantic Shore, recipients responded with appreciation. Maryann Franz admired the flowers, while Jeadine Smith described receiving them as a blessing. Asked when she had last been given flowers, Smith indicated that it had been a very long time and said she had not received them even for her birthday.

Schon said reactions like those reinforce her commitment to continuing the deliveries and sharing simple expressions of care. Flower Power hopes to expand its work to deliver flowers throughout Florida every day of the week. The organization is seeking donations and volunteers to help pursue that goal.