Published: May 12, 2008 08:49 am      

'Petal Pushers' brighten the lives of hospice clients

Some Home Hospice of Cooke County volunteers are hoping deliveries of fresh flowers will brighten the lives of many of the agency’s clients.

“Everybody likes to get flowers,” hospice volunteer Debbie Hildenbrand said.

Volunteer coordinator Kathi Kirby said she is always looking for ideas to bring happiness and comfort to those who are on service with the agency.

An associate at another home hospice agency gave Kirby the idea for the group she calls Petal Pushers.

Petal pushers are volunteers who plan to deliver fresh flower bouquets every second and fourth Thursday to the agency’s clients.

Thursday’s deliveries were something of a testing phase for the Petal Pushers.

“This is a new project for the majority of our patients. Next time, it will include all patients,” Kirby noted.

Volunteers Louise Bellows, Debbie Hildenbrand and Rhonda Beam bought armloads of flowers and got together Thursday to assemble bouquets of daisies, miniature carnations and greenery.

The Second Time Around thrift store donated dozens of bud vases, Kirby said.

The vases will be filled with fresh flowers every other week, delivered to clients and picked up later by volunteers who will return the bud vases filled with new flowers.

A small greeting card is attached to each vase.

Flower donors can add their names and personal well-wishes to the cards, Kirby said.

Volunteers Bellows, Hildebrand, Beam, Kathy Bauer, Pam Evans and Judy Neal are the heart of the Petal Pusher project.

The women all took part in volunteer training sessions before joining the group, Kirby said.

The sessions are a time for planning projects and learning new strategies for helping home hospice patients, the women explained.

Volunteers also planned to distribute Mother’s Day gift bags courtesy of Denton’s Bath and Body Works.

Kirby said the luxury bath product company sometimes donates gift items to agencies such as home hospice organizations.

“This year, Bath and Body Works chose us,” she explained.

Like all nonprofit organizations, Home Hospice can always use a helping hand. In addition to fresh flowers or monetary donations for the project, the agency would appreciate donations of clean bud vases, Kirby said.

Those who would like to find out how to donate flowers for Petal Pushers may contact Kathi Kirby at (940) 665-9891.

Home Hospice of Cooke County is located at 1001 E. Broadway in Gainesville and is a United Way agency.