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LINDSAY MAST, HOST: Today is Wednesday, May 1st. Thank you for turning to WORLD Radio to help start your day. Good morning. I’m Lindsay Mast.

MARY REICHARD, HOST: And I’m Mary Reichard. Coming next on The World and Everything in It: providing joy and comfort with flowers.

Some enterprising women use leftover flowers to create beautiful arrangements for the elderly.

MAST: WJI mid-career graduate Jen Curtis visited with these women and brings us this story.

AUDIO: Here are the clippers, whoever needs them…

JEN CURTIS: Jeannie Blackwelder gathers with some of her lifelong friends at a park to make flower arrangements. A local florist just dropped off large black buckets of daisies, carnations and roses that would have otherwise been discarded. The group is ready to put them to good use.

Through an organization called Random Acts of Flowers, they collect leftover flowers from weddings and funerals. Then they create new designs in smaller vases to give to elderly patients in the area.

A year ago, some friends had seen the organization at work in another town. They couldn’t wait to tell Blackwelder how encouraging it was to see recycled flowers improve the outlook of people in care facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes.

BLACKWELDER: They took me out to lunch and I’m like sign me up. It’s a great idea. And I’ve been with them ever since.

Blackwelder is not wasting her retirement years. She uses her gift of bringing people together to do something good for her beloved town. Residents are involved in many different ways, from the elementary school collecting vases and a gas station on Main Street sponsoring fundraisers.

BLACKWELDER: Everybody loves to do the flower thing. It’s just joyful.

SOUND: [Arranging]

Six years ago, Blackwelder started a book club for her friend group. But it didn’t take long to realize they disagreed about book selections and used their meeting time discussing everything except books. Instead, they decided to meet together and do service projects. They started an Asheville chapter of Random Acts of Flowers a year ago. They had little more than enthusiasm and a good network of people willing to help.

BLACKWELDER: But we cut them, make vases, put water in them and we'll pack them in boxes to take to the nursing home.

SOUND: [Laughing and loading]

The group hosts workshops after big holidays like Valentine’s Day and Christmas when lots of floral “leftovers” are donated. But other times of the year they put together spur of the moment mini-workshops when donations come in, since flowers have a limited shelf life. Their retirement schedule makes flexibility possible.

Barbara Butcher and Belinda Gregory are two more of the women that add water to the vases and pack them in boxes. The flowers get loaded in Blackwelder’s van and it’s time for deliveries.

BUTCHER/GREGORY: I just can’t wait to see you get the water in there (laughter). I thought I’d let you do that (laughter).

A dedicated space would allow them to do more. They collect vases and clippers, but need somewhere to store these items. They meet at the park as they wait for a building to make the arrangements.

BUTCHER: So we've taken a lot of plants to a lot of different health places and distributed them. Now we're at the point now we're looking for a permanent place.

For now they transport in personal vehicles, but need a van to make deliveries simpler.

BLACKWELDER: We have vases scattered everywhere, and then, when we have workshops, where are the vases? We’ve gotta haul them, so when we get that spot, we’ll all be in one specific location.

Blackwelder and Butcher drop off today’s arrangements at an assisted care home. They’re for the residents who need the most encouragement.

BLACKWELDER: I think my favorite part is what we're going to do right now because, I mean I know the big hospitals need them but these people out here at this nursing home they go nuts.

AUDIO: [Chatter and unloading]

The beige halls are filled with medical equipment and the smell of sickness. The flowers stand out in such a drab space. The pleasant aroma of botanicals mingle with the smells of disinfectant and ailments.

One woman sits in a chair. Her wrinkled head wrapped in a large surgical bandage. Butcher carries flowers to her, and she tries to hold them, but she is so weak it takes too much effort. Her countenance changes as she realizes the flowers are for her. A smile slowly blooms.

BUTCHER: It’s unbelievable joy that you get from giving flowers to someone who doesn't even know who you are.

After all the deliveries are finished, Blackwelder takes the extra vases to a temporary storage area. They have big plans coming up for Mother’s Day. Although any day is a good day to give flowers, they prioritize making people feel less alone on holidays.

BUTCHER: When see the colors, I think He uses it to give us peace and to give us our hope and comfort.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Jen Curtis.

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