By Jackie Amsden/Special to The News
For many local seniors, last Christmas was a pretty lonely one thanks to COVID-19 restrictions.
This holiday season, one volunteer group is hoping to change that through the power of flowers.
Bouquets for Baba provides flower bouquets to seniors living in long-term, palliative or hospice care to remind them that they are not alone and they are not forgotten.
“The flowers just brightened my day,” said Willow Retirement Home resident Beverly Brown. “I have been living here for ten years but these reminded me of the garden I used to have before that.”
Each bouquet costs $30 plus tax and comes with a complementary holiday card, which can be given with the gift.
Donors who purchase three bouquets or more will also receive a wooden Christmas tree ornament donated by Maple Ridge artist April Lacheur.
“As a former nurse I know how isolating the holidays can be for seniors in care and I was delighted to contribute my art to this project,” noted Lacheur.
The giving initiative was launched in March, 2021 by Treena Innes and has since delivered more than 900 bouquets to Maple Ridge seniors.
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“We are already hearing that our delivery day has become known as ‘flower day’ and residents at the different care homes eagerly anticipate it each week. Our hope is that we can raise funds for 200 more bouquets this holiday season to make sure that the magic of ‘flower day’ happens for as many seniors as possible,” added Innes.
Innes’s role in founding Bouquets for Baba was recognized with a nomination for the Chamber of Commerce’s 2021 Community Spirit of the Year Award.
Bouquets can be purchased at Maple Ridge Florist in person over the phone at 604-467-3456.
For more information, visit Bouquets for Baba on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/bouquetsforbaba.
- Jackie Amsden is the communications manager with the Ridge Meadows Division of Family Practice
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