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The Bloom Project: Growing Hope for Central Oregon Patients
Flowers have special meaning throughout life. A wish made as a child, a gift from a first love, a bouquet held down the wedding aisle, and a fresh pop of color in a hospice room. For these and every moment in between, flowers can make a simple moment significant. The Bloom Project is helping to brighten the lives of those in hospice and palliative care––one bouquet at a time.
The Bloom Project Story
The non-profit began in Portland with a simple premise. Over the last 10 years, it evolved into the well-meaning it is today. Heidi Berkman founded the Bloom Project to bring joy to those nearing the end of their lives. The program’s volunteers take recycled and donated flowers and rearrange them into gorgeous bouquets. Then, they deliver to local hospice and palliative care locations.
Since 2009, they have “donated more than 271,396 bouquets” with volunteers contributing well beyond 130,000 hours. Recently, they expanded to the drier side of the mountains to grow the program. Lucky for us, their Central Oregon location is right in the CVSC.
Getting involved
For Bend residents looking to get involved, you can help The Bloom Project in several ways. The non-profit is always looking for volunteers to drive the bouquets to affiliates or to process and arrange the flowers. Their two affiliates in Bend are St. Charles Hospice and Touchmark Mount Bachelor Village.
The Wish List on their website is also a great way to get involved and make sure The Bloom Project is fully stocked with all the supplies they need. And for anyone without the time or ability to volunteer, they could always use donations to help them “effectively budget [their] funding throughout the year so [they] can better serve hospice and palliative care patients and families.”
A place to call home
The CVSC is proud to donate The Bloom Project’s Bend location to the dedicated staff and volunteers who run this non-profit. Located next to El Rancho Grande and across the street from Conscious Ink, the Bloom Project has room to house their many volunteers and floral donations. Although they foster a welcoming environment, keep in mind that their storefront is by appointment only.
Brightening lives
There are many times when a flower can touch a person’s heart. But perhaps not so deeply as when someone is nearing the end of their life. For the patients and families of those in hospice and palliative care, the bouquets provided by The Bloom Project can make all the difference.