Louisville volunteers deliver 90,000 vases to local care facilities

Since 2006, a Louisville volunteer group known as the Flower Buds has delivered more than 90,000 vases of flowers to local care facilities. The organization operates out of Crescent Hill Baptist Church, where members gather weekly to arrange cut flowers sourced from community events and commercial partners.

The volunteers collect donated blooms from weddings, funerals, galas, banquets, and wholesalers. Retailers such as Kroger contribute overstocked flowers that would otherwise be discarded. The group cleans, cuts, and arranges these flowers into vases for distribution to nursing homes, the VA hospital, assisted living facilities, and shelters.

Jodie Raible, a Flower Buds volunteer, noted that retailers allow the group to pick up unsold inventory. "Amazingly gifted with so many flowers from places like Kroger who have overbought and can't sell them, and they allow us to pick them up and then bring them here," Raible said. The team then processes the flowers for immediate delivery to patients in need.

The group distributes approximately 100 vases each week. Stephanie Mullins, a volunteer for 18 years, specifically delivers arrangements to Up for Women and Children, a day homeless shelter for women. Clem Russell, a veteran and volunteer, focuses his efforts on the VA hospital. "We deliver to the hospice unit there at the VA and they love seeing them come in," Russell said. He added that families appreciate the fresh flowers arriving at their loved ones' bedside.

The organization has expanded from an initial six to eight members to a current roster of 40 volunteers. Mullins joined the group after retiring, citing her love of flowers as her motivation. "I love flowers and this is what I wanted to do when I retired," she said. The volunteers view their work as a way to save flowers from the garbage while brightening the end stages of life for patients.

Raible emphasized the emotional impact of the deliveries. "When you are in the end stages of your life you want to be cheered up," she said. The group continues to coordinate with local businesses and event planners to maintain its weekly delivery schedule to various medical and residential facilities in Louisville.

Mullins highlighted the efficiency of the system, noting that all the flowers collected would typically be thrown away. "All these flowers would be thrown in the garbage, so we put them to good use," she said. The Flower Buds continue to manage their volunteer shifts and delivery routes to sustain their long-term output.