The Bloom Project receives $12,000 grant

The Bloom Project, a volunteer-driven nonprofit that provides fresh floral bouquets to hospice and palliative care patients, has received a $12,000 grant from the Oregon Community Foundation.

The grant supports additional staff for the non-profit as it provides donated bouquets to a growing number of hospice and palliative care facilities in Central Oregon.

“The generous assistance from OCF means more to us than we could ever express,” said The Bloom Project founder and president Heidi Berkman. “With these additional funds, The Bloom Project will have the opportunity to expand our reach as we continue to share the power of flowers.”

The OCF grant awarded to The Bloom Project is supported by the Robert W. Chandler Discretionary Subfund, Dorris Coombs Thomas Advised Fund and Ward Family Fund.

“We are pleased to award this grant to The Bloom Project,” said Max Williams, president and CEO of the Oregon Community Foundation. “It’s an honor to recognize the organization’s work with end-of-life patients and their families. This would not be possible without the generosity of OCF donors who care deeply about the people in their communities.”

Founded in 2007 by Heidi Berkman in Bend, Ore., The Bloom Project is a volunteer-run nonprofit that provides fresh floral bouquets to hospice and palliative care patients. Now with locations in Portland, Ore. and Sacramento, Calif., both of which opened in 2013, The Bloom Project receives each of its flowers from donations provided by floral distributors, local stores, community members and special events. The flowers are repurposed by volunteers into beautiful bouquets ready to deliver to local hospice and palliative care patients. Volunteers come from all different backgrounds; many are retired or have no floral experience. Members of the team with floral design experience host training sessions, teaching new volunteers how to: care for the flowers, identify which flowers to keep and properly arrange a bouquet Berkman and her team of volunteers are committed to sustainable business practices. Not only are they eco-friendly in their efforts to repurpose flowers from their partners, but also by composting floral waste. For more information, please visit: http://www.thebloomproject.org.