CHARLOTTE — A group of volunteers from Charlotte is turning trash into treasure and spreading smiles to seniors -- Flower the People isn’t your typical floral delivery.
“It’s more about people than flowers,” says Kristi Smith, a volunteer with the group.
Smith spends her Saturdays volunteering by cutting stems and organizing arrangements. Then other volunteers hand out the bouquets to people in senior living facilities.
“Sometimes they don’t have any visitors so for someone to walk in with a smile is amazing for them to have that just a few moments of joy,” Smith said.
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Smith’s son, Trevor Phillips, launched Flower the People in Nashville in 2022 after he saw a dumpster filled with flowers. He developed relationships with floral supply companies to donate flowers that would otherwise be trashed.
Trevor then expanded the program to Charlotte, his hometown, late last year. He hopes it brings joy to people in senior living homes.
“It means a lot to them, I think they receive so little attention that it has a really big impact,” Phillips said.
Volunteers hope the flowers in their hands will be able to touch many hearts.
“The flowers will fade, they will die, but the impact of looking someone in the eye and calling them by name and smiling and having a conversation where some of these people don’t have family -- that impact is lasting,” Smith said.
Flower the People is looking for more volunteers for its Charlotte program. If you’d like to donate supplies or your time, tap this link.
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