RESPONSE TO COVID-19
At BloomAgainBklyn, we're committed to helping the senior health care centers, home bound seniors, trauma and homeless survivors affected by COVID-19. Below are details on how we've re-directed our energies and resources from working with flowers to other ways of connecting with our community partners.
HOW WE'RE HELPING
With enthusiastic support from our loyal volunteers and through floral partnerships with Opalia Flowers and STEMS, BloomAgainBklyn is delivering much needed resources and support to the administrative staff and populations served by our various community partners including Cobble Hill Health Center, Congregational Nursing Home, Little Brothers, Heights and Hills, YWCA and Sisters with Purpose.
GIFT CARDS
MRS. FIELD'S
HERO BITES
LATEX GLOVES
FLORAL BOUQUETS
100% COTTON MASKS
FLORAL COLLAGES
200 beautiful floral collages printed by our dedicated volunteer, Jackie Shaldjian, were distributed to partner organizations, homebound seniors and to those in the community who were picking up bags at the food bank in East New York.
GREETING CARDS
Under the guidance of Julia Rassman, Minister to Children and Families at Plymouth Church, and BloomAgainBklyn volunteer Elaine Diaz, colorful cards were drawn, painted and artfully created by the children at Plymouth Church to help brighten up the windows and bring a little cheer to the seniors at Heights and Hills and Cobble Hill.
VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS
As part of the Zoom Connect planning sessions with our volunteers, BloomAgainBklyn tapped into our community resources and partners to create new ways to escape the self-isolation and explore the world through the beauty of flowers. Below are a few of our past and ongoing Zoom workshops.
European Floral Techniques
MONDAY
May 18, 2020
Lisa Oberholzer-Gee - A visit with the floral designers, Gregor Lersch and Gudrun Cottenir, showcasing floral techniques from Germany and Belgium.
Spring Flowers + Brooklyn Landscapes
WEDNESDAY
May 13, 2020
In partnership with Plymouth Care Initiative - A panel presentation for the Plymouth community, Bloom volunteers, our community partners, and beyond. BloomAgain invited Floral Designer Phoebe Burr from Opalia and Artist Ken Rush to lead a visual tour of “Spring Flowers + Brooklyn Landscapes.”
Floral Demonstration - Less is More
MONDAY
May 11, 2020
Lisa Oberholzer-Gee - A floral art demonstration with live flowers. The flower demo concept: “Less is more.”
Environmental Impact on Design
FRIDAY
May 8, 2020
Kelly Wang from Rue St. Paul - A talk on environmental and human impacts on design, sustainability and fair practice today, plus a Q & A with BloomAgainBklyn Team.
Floral Perspectives in Art
MONDAY
May 4, 2020
Ken Rush - Flowers in Decades of Painting: From Georgia O’Keeffe Onwards. Floral perspectives in art.
Floral Styles from Around the World
FRIDAY
May 1, 2020
Lisa Oberholzer-Gee, floral designer and professional lecturer who presents garden tours around the country presents a mini-series: Floral styles from other regions, near and far. This second installation to the series will take us to the Mami Floral School in Tokyo, Japan! The first in her series on April 27 whisked us away to from Brooklyn to Bangkok
LOOKING AHEAD
Here are more ways BloomAgainBklyn is working to protect and support our senior community:
MASK INITIATIVE
BloomAgainBklyn is partnering with Kelly Wang from Rue St. Paul to provide 150 non-surgical masks along with another 50 masks made by several BloomAgainBklyn volunteers to be distributed to our community partners including Little Brothers, Sisters with Purpose, YWCA Brooklyn and for volunteers who need them.
VIDEO & MUSIC PROJECT
BloomAgainBklyn is partnering with the kids in Lynn Manna’s P.S. 29 class to make fun and fanciful videos and musical numbers as well as e-cards filled with "short messages of cheer" for residents of CHHC which we hope to send to other community partners.
GROW NY FLOWER FARM PARTNERSHIP
BloomAgainBklyn will work with Governor’s Island’s GROW NY Flower Farm to deliver freshly grown flowers to both our homebound seniors and health care workers. Delivery will take the form of a socially distanced, curbside or doorstep drop off.
NATALIE HART MUSICAL MESSAGE
After a successful magical night of music and flowers over Valentine's Day this year, BloomAgainBklyn is planning another collaboration with musical artist Natalie Hart who will be recording a Zoom concert for residents of Cobble Hill Nursing Center and other nursing home partners served by BloomAgainBklyn. Stay tuned!
YOUR SUPPORT IS
MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER
BloomAgainBklyn thanks you for your support and we are grateful for our community that has come together during this unprecedented time. To help us continue to adapt and scale to meet the needs of our most vulnerable, please join our community of monthly donors. Your gift makes all the difference.