The news these days is often depressing at worst and frustrating at best. It’s easy to let it get us down. Never fear… The News Blender has you covered. Once a week we feature Something Good and, in return, all you have to do is tell us something good that has happened to you this week, something you are thankful for, a joke, a cute animal story, an inspiring tale of heroics, a Random Act of Kindness… SOMETHING good.
Today’s Something Good is turning trash into treasure.
Before medical school, Eleanor Love worked in a flower shop and volunteered with the National Health Corps. She found a way to combine her love of flowers and serving the underserved population.
Eleanor had heard of regifting wedding flowers and founded The Simple Sunflower as a medical student. The program takes wedding bouquets that would otherwise be thrown away and gives them to hospitalized patients.
Love points out that studies have shown that flowers improve healing and recovery from surgery, as well as lifting spirits and improving patients’ mental health. She told the Washington Post that being a medical student is a challenge because one is primarily a learner but also wants to positively impact one’s patients. The Simple Sunflower bridges that gap for her and gives her a creative outlet as well.
Volunteers at VCU Medical Center enjoy the program nearly as much as the patients. Amanda Landes, the director of VCU Health Volunteer Services, said that people seem to enjoy the idea behind The Simple Sunflower and making use of something that would go to waste. “Volunteers have been thrilled to be able to deliver to patients an unexpected gift that will brighten their day,” she said.
Once a couple has agreed to donate their flowers and the reception is over, volunteers pick through the bouquets and choose the best, prettiest flowers that will last the longest. They gather in a conference room and make bouquets which are delivered the next day.
Eleanor says the newlyweds and their families have told her how happy they are to have been able to donate their flowers for such a good use and patients are thrilled as well.
Flowers are something good all by themselves and when they are given a new life to be able to cheer up people in the hospital that is double the good.
Now it’s your turn… Tell me something good.
