Louisville volunteers deliver 90,000 vases

Volunteers in Louisville are turning leftover flowers into weekly gifts for patients and shelter residents.

The group, known as the Flower Buds, operates out of Crescent Hill Baptist Church. Members gather each week to arrange blooms that would otherwise be discarded.

The volunteers collect flowers from weddings, funerals, and community events. They also receive donations from wholesalers, supermarkets, and florists. Jodie Raible, a volunteer, noted that stores like Kroger sometimes overbuy flowers and allow the group to pick up the unsold stock.

Once collected, the volunteers cut and clean the stems. They arrange the blooms into vases and deliver them to local care facilities. Distribution sites include nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and shelters. Stephanie Mullins, another volunteer, specifically delivers to Up for Women and Children, a day shelter for homeless women.

The group sends out approximately 100 vases every week. Clem Russell, a veteran volunteer, focuses on deliveries to the VA hospital. He noted that the hospice unit staff and families appreciate the fresh flowers during difficult times. Raible added that residents in the end stages of life often enjoy being cheered up by the blooms.

The organization has grown from its early days of six to eight volunteers to a current membership of 40. Mullins has served in the group for 18 years, a role she described as her ideal retirement activity. The group marked a major milestone in 2026, having delivered more than 90,000 vases since starting in 2006.

Mullins emphasized that the flowers would typically be thrown in the garbage if not used. The volunteers view their work as a way to put these items to good use for those who need them most.