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Guest Speaker Andrea Lutz. The guest speaker at our November 13th weekly luncheon meeting was Andrea Luts of Random Acts of Flowers Chicago. In July 2007, Random Acts of Flowers’ founder, Larsen Jay, was in a near-fatal accident. He credits the outpouring of support he received in the form of daily visitors and dozens of floral arrangements while in the hospital as a key to providing the emotional lift and encouragement that helped him persevere through the multiple surgeries and challenging recovery process he faced. When Larsen was capable of leaving his room, he noticed how many of his fellow patients did not have visitors or flowers – the very thing that helped him so much in those early and difficult days. The first “Random Act of Flowers” delivery was made moments later as Larsen repurposed his flowers and delivered them from his wheelchair. The memories of how a simple gesture touched his fellow patients compelled Larsen to form Random Acts of Flowers in 2008. Since then, Random Acts of Flowers has grown into a united family led by the team at its national headquarters in Knoxville, Tennessee. But it’s also a collection of independent branches in cities around the country that are committed to shared visions and values. ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE The national office establishes guidelines, raises funds nationally, provides legal and accounting support, develops strategies to expand reach and brand recognition, and establishes the overall direction for the organization. Random Acts of Flowers fosters a culture of compassion by recycling flowers into beautiful bouquets. Dedicated volunteer teams deliver these flowers and moments of kindness in health care facilities across the country. In December 2015, we delivered our 100,000th bouquet; and in October 2017, we delivered our 250,000th! Random Acts of Flowers improves the emotional health and well-being of individuals in health care facilities by delivering recycled flowers, encouragement and personal moments of kindness. |
