It’s easier than ever to have a sustainable wedding, to lower your carbon footprint, and to recycle your wedding flowers to bring smiles to those in our community who are struggling to find happiness. In this blog post, we discuss where you can donate your wedding flowers to brighten the dining room of a non-profit which feeds the hungry, to a women’s shelter, and to a local hospice. Read on to find out more!
Hey, Christie!
I’d like to donate my wedding flowers after my October wedding at Ainsworth House & Gardens. Do you know of any local non-profits that are willing to pick up my flowers and then rearrange them into smaller bouquets for those at a soup kitchen, a hospice, or a women’s shelter nearby?
Thanks!
–Linda in Tualatin
Hey, Linda!
That’s a great question! Let me share with you what I’ve learned.
In the U.S., there is a strong “green” movement for weddings. One aspect of that is disrupting the single-use, straight-to-the-landfill pipeline to create a flawless recycling service that has positive social impact by infusing sustainable best practices into wedding event planning.
While there are national organizations which accept flower donations and then repurpose the blowers into smaller arrangememts, why not start locally?
These organizations which accept flower donations make certain that the flowers end up in the hands and the hearts of those in our community who need them the most.
To start locally, contact:
- The Father’s Heart Street Ministry
Oregon City, Oregon
(503) 722-9780
Kelly answers the phone.
Call 2 weeks before your wedding.
Since The Father’s Heart provides three meals per day for those in our community, they accept donations of:
- Flowers which are repurposed for the dining tables, offices, and other facilities;
- Food which is repurposed into the meals they serve; and
- Any place settings, flat ware, or other serving pieces.
- If you have a sustainable registry, you can ask your guests to donate to The Father’s Heart in your honor and in lieu of you getting another gravy boat. 🙂
- You could donate in honor of your guests instead of giving your guests wedding favors. Who needs another set of coasters, right?
2. Clackamas Women’s Services
(Domestic Violence Shelter)
Oregon City, Oregon
Call Katherine, (971) 404-8767
This women’s shelter would love to have any wedding flowers you wish to donate!
3. Eden Hospice
Oregon City, Oregon
Call Mich, Executive Director (360) 839-6440
Call 2 weeks in advance. They will come pick up your wedding flowers and repurpose them into bedside table bouquets for these impressive people who are cherishing their last days.
4. Tualatin School House Food Pantry
(503) 783-0721
Schoolhousepantry.org
This food bank is one of the most successful in the area. Call 2 weeks before your wedding to arrange your flower donation.
There are many organizations eager to have your flowers which the organization’s staff will then repurpose your flowers into smaller, bright, colorful bedside bouquets to bring joy and beauty to the recipients and their families when they visit. Yes! There are lots of smiles!
If you ask, the organization might send you a photo of the arrangements they made from all your amazing, beautiful flowers!
Here is a concise list of entities which might accept flower donations:
- Children’s hospitals
- Independent living facilities
- Assisted living facilities
- Cancer treatment centers.
My suggestion is that you reach out to a few organizations in this area. Ascertain if you support their mission. Then, ask if you can donate your flowers.
The staff or a team of volunteers from the organization would rearrange the flowers and give bedside table bouquets to the residents to brighten up their rooms.
If you wish, take a tour of the location.
Can you imagine your wedding flowers bringing smiles to so many people?
The benefits for you are that you start your married life by doing an act of good in this community. How sweet is that?
Plus, your flowers might be tax deductible depending on the organization to which you give your flowers.
If you have further questions, please reach out to me.
Your friend in the wedding business,
Christie Shyne
Images courtesy of Unsplash.com and Pixabay.com.
Heart and hands logo is a trademark of The Father’s Heart Street Ministries.
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