Our first in-person playdate with The Flower Children
A little over a year ago, we announced our partnership with The Flower Children. As part of our Grown to Last promise, we wanted to work with industry and community members to bring the joy of flowers to others, especially those that do not get the chance to enjoy them regularly.
As we hosted several playdates, we grew a bond with Sukii, founder of The Flower Children, and the girls that are part of this wonderful program. Sukii has created a safe space for the girls to freely express themselves, learn about self-love and care through different tools, and explore mindfulness and empathy.
It has been a privilege to get to know these girls via Zoom. So, after a year of virtual playdates and careful planning, we organized our first in-person field trip. We wanted to give the girls a hands-on experience, so we partnered with our friends at the local Flour & Weirdoughs bakery for a dessert-making class.
With the help of Chef Renata, they mixed the ingredients to make chocolate and marble cupcakes and got ready to decorate cookies. The girls decorated their baked goods with different sprinkles and colored frosting. We were in awe at the amount of dedication and creativity we saw throughout the afternoon.
“That’s my little brother!”
“This is my interpretation of a volcano.”
“I wanted to draw the bakery’s logo on one of the cookies!”
We could go on and on with different descriptions and interpretations the girls created, but you get the point. Whether it’s jewelry, flowers, poetry, or cookies, these kids use various tools to express themselves, how they’re feeling, and what they want to showcase to the world.
At the end of the playdate, each girl received a bouquet specifically designed for this occasion. We made sure to have extra for the parents and volunteers. We chose fun summer colors, like orange, pink, and purple. We added a touch of green and yellow with a few stems of Solidago and Ruscus. We wanted to create a floral design that spoke to both the children and adults.
We don’t know if they were more excited about taking the flowers home for themselves or being able to gift a bouquet to a loved one. Sometimes, working in this industry, we become desensitized to the feelings that are attached to flowers. While we will always enjoy having flowers for ourselves, these girls showed us that it’s important to share the power of flowers with others.
In working directly with our community we have learned some valuable lessons. These girls, who are 5 to 12 years old, reminded us that the desire to share flowers with our loved ones comes from within. They taught us that it’s never too early or late to explore avenues in which we can express our individuality. Most importantly, they continuously remind us to have fun. Yes, our jobs can sometimes be stressful, unpredictable, and even chaotic. However, we get to work with products that bring a smile to a stranger’s face every single day. So, while we do this for the community, especially the children, we always walk away feeling blessed and grateful to have partnered with The Flower Children and similar initiatives throughout Miami. We also thank you, our flower fam, our customers, for your continued business. It’s because of you that we can do what we do.
We hope these stories motivate and inspire you. We’ll continue to update you on all of our local outreach programs. If you want to learn more about The Flower Children, click here. If you’re looking for more information about how to get your efforts started, contact us!