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2015 board of directors
random acts of flowers newsletter • silicon valley • volume 1 • fall 2015
www.RAFSiliconValley.orgsecurely at www.RAFSiliconValley.org
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MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAYOctober 24, 2015
FALL GROW! LUNCHEONNovember 10, 2015Menlo Circus Club
GIVING TUESDAYDecember 1, 2015
NATIONAL PHILANTHROPY DAYJanuary 24, 2016
NON PROFIT ORG.
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650-852-1450www.RAFSiliconValley.org
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you can help deliver a smile
Mail to: 3501 Edison Way • Menlo Park, CA 94025
Gillian Growdon, Board ChairDan Francis
Shena HurleyStephie JohnsonShana LaursenMichelle Mann
Sandy McNamaraCarol Read
save the dates
around menloFrom Sunnyvale to Burlingame and everywhere in between, Random Acts of Flowers Silicon Valley has recycled flowers, delivered smiles and shared moments of kindness to individuals in area healthcare facilities. In the 16 weeks since we officially opened our doors, RAF Silicon Valley has served 2,734 people with bouquets of flowers and recycled an astonishing 4,716 vases. We have done this with the help of a dedicated team of volunteers that have spent 2,537 hours picking up donations, deconstructing flowers and creating beautiful bouquets that have been hand delivered to individuals in over 25 senior care facilities and 4 hospitals. Our amazing team has also helped us put our unique design stamp on a facility we call home in the Edison
Park district. Random Acts of Flowers Silicon Valley has become a home away from home for many who are brought together by a desire to do something simple and good for people in our community. It is a place where on any given day you can hear music playing, voices chatting and the clink of vases as hundreds of stems of donated flowers are turned in to beautiful arrangements destined for unknowing recipients; and, in that process strangers become friends and friends
become family. Once the flowers leave the facility, destined to be delivered to recipients in partner healthcare facilities, the beauty of our mission truly takes hold. Twice a week
our delivery van pulls up to a local hospital or assisted living facility, and our team of volunteers begin making the rounds, room after room and floor after floor. While we are often greeted with shock and surprise, our volunteers always leave the recipients room with tears of happiness and a personal story or two! We receive testimonials each week from recipients and caregivers who share how meaningful the delivery was to them; how it turned an ordinary day into a day to be remembered, and how a truly random act of kindness by a complete stranger changed a life – even for just a moment!
What was, only a few short months ago, excited anticipation for bringing this organization to the Bay Area, is now a reality. Every day we receive phone calls and emails from people wanting to find out how they can get involved, where they can donate vases and how they can support us financially. It feels good knowing that what we do resonates with our community. RAF Silicon Valley is blooming! We continue to add to our family of recipients and benefit from new floral partners; and we are on track for steady growth in our smiles delivered in 2015! In the coming months we will welcome many more volunteers to our workshop and we will host larger groups from some of Silicon Valley’s most notable companies. We are also encouraged by the outpouring of support we get from our community -- those who commit time and resources to helping us change lives one bouquet at a time. Thank you to all of our amazing supporters and for more information on our mission, volunteer opportunities or how to support RAF financially, please contact us at 650-852-1450.
Sandy, a lifelong resident of the Bay Area, brings decades of
community leadership and experience as a former corporate CFO. Not only is she a founding board member, but also serves as the Treasurer of Random Acts of Flowers Silicon Valley.
Sandy has been a member of several key local non-profit
organizations, most notably the Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund, SV2, and 100 Women Charitable Foundation. She currently serves as
a Trustee at Sacred Heart Schools Atherton and on the Board of St. Francis of Assisi Youth Club in East Palo Alto.
Of her choice to join RAFSV, Sandy says, “I was drawn to the simplicity of the mission. Larsen and his team have the discipline it takes to manage limited resources, prevent mission creep, and maintain a high expectation for quality.”
She and her husband have raised two sons, and together they place a priority on building time for service into their lives in a natural way. Sandy highlights how volunteering with RAFSV stands out, saying, “A big surprise for me was the community we have built in the workshop. In our local culture of high achievement, coming into a simple place that smells beautiful with the mission of spreading joy for others is really powerful.”
Join Random Acts of Flowers on November 10th for an informative and fun luncheon featuring guest speaker, HGTV Landscape Designer John Giddings, of Curb Appeal and Curb Appeal the Block and Sunset Magazine Senior Garden Editor, Johanna Silver.
Do not delay: mark your calendars and purchase your tickets today! RAF is pleased to bring you an opportunity to learn more about floral and landscape design from some of the industry’s best. Guests will enjoy a lovely lunch at the Menlo Circus Club and an informative education session from both John and Johanna.
RAF Fall Grow! LuncheonMenlo Circus Club
190 Park Lane, AthertonNov. 10, 2015 | 11:00 am
All proceeds from this event will benefit Random Acts of Flowers’ charitable mission in the Silicon Valley community. Individual tickets are available for $100.00, and sponsorship opportunities begin at $500.00.
Space is limited; visit our website today for more information on sponsorships and to secure your tickets. www.RAFSiliconValley.org
RAF Silicon Valley is proud to feature Kitayama Brothers as a valued floral partner. Established in 1948, this well-known California grower has been a dedicated supporter of flowers each week. Kitayama Brothers is located in Monterey Bay, which offers ideal growing conditions for over 20 different varieties of beautiful flowers and cut greens. Robert Kitayama (President and CEO) lives just around the corner from RAF Silicon Valley in Menlo Park, and generously brings a carload of flowers with him each week including: Oriental and Asiatic Lilies, Gerberas, Gerrondo Gerberas, Mini Gerberas, Mini Calla Lilies, Snapdragons and Lisianthus with Fragrant Gardenias.
“Often we have flowers that we are not able to sell due to market conditions or other factors. We love sharing them with organizations like Random Acts of Flowers who can use these flowers for good. There’s a lot of work and effort that goes into growing these flowers and knowing they are benefiting others is much more satisfying then throwing them into the compost heap.”
We want to thank the entire team at Kitayama Brothers for their continued outpouring of generous support!
MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAYOctober 24, 2015Community Partners with Avenidas
GIVING TUESDAYDecember 1, 2015Choose RAF as your charity!
FALL GROW! LUNCHEONNovember 10, 2015Menlo Circus Club11:00 am
NATIONAL PHILANTHROPY DAYJanuary 24, 2016Partnering with National Charity League
RAF Silicon Valley Executive Director, Camille Kennedy (center) and members of the Board of Directors at the branch opening in April.
board profile supporter profile
grow! luncheon
Sandy McNamara
Kitayama Brothers
"My mother is elderly, living on her own, and I'm far away from her, so I would not be able to give
her flowers on a weekly basis. I volunteer at RAF because I would
want someone to do this for her." - Susan K., Volunteer
silicon valley • volume 1 • fall 2015
fulfillment
missionRandom Acts of Flowers recycles and repurposes flowers by engaging dedicated volunteer teams to deliver beautiful bouquets and moments of kindness to individuals in healthcare facilities across the country.
As a recycling “green” nonprofit organization, Random Acts of Flowers is committed to nourishing the health of the environment, individuals, and the community.
branch highlights
3501 Edison Way • Menlo Park, CA 94025 • 650-852-1450 • www.RAFSiliconValley.org
The below statistics represent the all-time mission fulfillment numbers for both Silicon Valley and RAF across the nation (as of 09/24/15).
SILICON VALLEY
NATIONWIDE
VOLUNTEER HOURS
2,53740,702
SILICON VALLEY
NATIONWIDE
VASES RECYCLED
4,716107,378
SILICON VALLEY
NATIONWIDE
BOUQUETS DELIVERED
2,73488,229
testimonials santa cruz block party
around the nation
volunteer profiletrinity school teambuildingThe teachers and staff from Trinity School joined us for a fun-filled teambuilding day! After learning some expert floral arranging techniques, they put their new knowledge into practice and created a collection of lovely bouquets. During lunch, the group learned more about RAF Silicon Valley. Following lunch, the group hand-delivered their bouquets to each of the residents of Nazareth Vista Senior Community in Belmont, CA.
"Trinity School's mission statement is all about giving everyone a voice so that no one is marginalized, and we incorporate this central concept into our lessons. [RAF] is in line with our philosophy of giving back." -Alex Williams (Second Grade Teacher at Trinity)
Contact RAF Silicon Valley at [email protected] today, and schedule your next FUN and REWARDING teambuilding day!
Faculty from Trinity School ready to deliver smiles!
"She was so happy and crying when I came to visit her. I really wanted to thank you. Thank you so much for the
beautiful flowers" - Cecilla C., Recipient Family
"We have a cart full of flowers everyday we throw away to the compost. Donating to RAF gets smiles from the patients instead of throwing them out. I love to see a picture of someone's face when they get flowers from Random
Acts of Flowers." - Steven W., Floral Donor
"Flower arrangements are not only about being pretty, it's also about improving people's quality of life. It really brightens their
day and has a healing impact on the recipient and their family."
- Michelle M., Volunteer
Share your story… [email protected]
In June RAF ventured out into our community to participate in the annual Santa Cruz Avenue Block Party in Menlo Park. Hosted by the Menlo Park Chamber of Commerce, RAF Silicon Valley was welcomed to the community with open arms! Our committed crew of volunteers joined us for an evening of al fresco flower arranging, and we even encouraged a few passers-by to join in the fun!
Throughout the evening our booth was visited by throngs of well-wishers, excited to welcome us to the community and hear what we do and even more excited to get involved! Board Members and staff alike walked away feeling excited to be part of such a wonderful community! Look for us again next year, this time with an even bigger booth!
Do you know someone interested in volunteering with RAF? Spread the joy and tell your friends about the exciting opportunities available in our community. Contact us at [email protected] for more information.
2015 has been a significant growth year for Random Acts of Flowers. After a 2014 filled with planning, events, scouting and prep we were excited to launch RAF Chicago (Evanston, IL) in late January, the first branch in our Midwest region. Throughout the successful launch in Chicago, the national team continued work establishing our west coast presence in Silicon Valley, CA, which opened in late April. Establishing both of these new branches were a result of over a year of efforts, propelled by the RAF national staff and board of directors, to begin bringing the mission to different areas of the country.
In addition to establishing new Random Acts of Flowers branches, this year’s focus has been on further developing our national operations team. Located in Knoxville, the RAF National team serves as the “back-office” support for all branches handling everything from finance, compliance, insurance, human
resources, marketing and operational support. As the number of branches and their needs have grown, so has the team. Three new staff members were added this year bringing the total to six professionals who are dedicated to the success of each RAF location.
Due to the ever-increasing demand for the Random Acts of Flowers’ mission around the country, the RAF national team and national board of directors are finalizing a strategic plan. This initiative will outline the growth strategy in the years to come and focus the organization’s efforts to helping people in healthcare facilities across the country.
This fall, RAF will revel in making its 100,000th floral delivery to a person in a healthcare facility across the country. Just last month, we also celebrated our 100,000th vase recycled! While these are certainly significant milestones to commemorate, everyone at Random Acts of Flowers is focused on the individual impact our mission has on our community members. It all comes down to the moment when a RAF volunteer greets the recipient with a smile, offer of flowers and that moment of kindness. As RAF continues to evolve as a national service organization, our goal and vision remains the same: to improve the emotional health of communities with flowers. The future of Random Acts of Flowers is exciting and we’re proud of all that’s been accomplished in the name of innovative healthcare and offer our appreciation to those who’ve helped make it possible.
Linda has been one of our most dedicated volunteers at the Silicon Valley branch. She has been with us since the very start of RAF Silicon Valley. Since attending our Volunteer Orientation in April, Linda has donated nearly 80 hours of her time.
Linda helps with everything from floral deconstruction and arranging to workshop organization. She’s always the first to lead the charge on clean-up, and makes sure to leave the workshop sparkling every week. We are so fortunate to have a volunteer with her infectious positivity and willingness to welcome new faces.
"It's important that people know that other people care about them even though they don't know them, that people are thinking about them and wish them well, even if they are not personally acquainted.” - Linda Reid (RAF Volunteer)
Are you looking for a way to get involved and give back to your community?
Become a volunteer today! Learn more at www.RAFSiliconValley.org Linda Reid
RAF was welcomed to the Menlo neighborhood!
Just a sampling of the beautiful flowers received from CFS
RAF Silicon Valley volunteers prepare for a delivery.
Chicago, IllinoisRAF Chicago launched on January 27th, 2015 at Northwestern Medicine. Located just north of Chicago in Evanston, IL, RAF Chicago has received tremendous community support and recently moved into a bigger facility to support the growing volunteer base.
As of September 1st, 2015, this branch has delivered beautiful bouquets to over 9,000 individuals in the Chicagoland area at 8 hospitals and over 40 long-term care facilities. Learn more at www.RAFChicago.org
Pinellas Co., FloridaRAF Pinellas launched in November 2013 as the first expansion branch for the now nationwide non-profit organization. In just under two years of operation, RAF Pinellas has served over 18,000 patients and repurposed over 23,000 vases. RAF Pinellas has volunteers from many community organizations, including deliveries by professional baseball players from the Tampa Bay Rays. Learn more at www.RAFPinellas.org
Knoxville, Tennessee RAF Knoxville is bursting at the seams and recently expanded into a new facility, combining RAF’s National Headquarters in the front offices and RAF’s Knoxville branch in the back warehouse. This move nearly triples RAF Knoxville’s workspace and doubles its cold room, making room for more volunteers, corporate team building events, and more floral donations which means more smiles delivered to those who need them most.
RAF Knoxville also celebrates another incredible milestone this month; its 50,000th delivery! In just the last three years, RAF Knoxville has gone from 4,400 deliveries annually in 2011 to more than 12,000 deliveries in 2014. We are currently on track to exceed our 2014 delivery total of 12,000! This would not be possible without the tremendous support of the community and people like you.
Learn more at www.RAFKnoxville.org
supporter profileCalifornia Flower Shippers, Inc. was our very first floral donor partner in Silicon Valley. LeRoy Franzoia has been a loyal supporter since our initial fundraiser in the fall of 2014. He generously donates a wonderful collection of blooms every Monday morning.
This family-owned business is the longest established wholesale flower shipper in Northern California, and their inventory consists of over 300 varieties of floral products available throughout the year. For more information on California Flower Shippers, visit their website at www.californiaflowershippersinc.com.
We at RAF are thrilled that CFS has taken such an interest in our efforts to bring second life to beautiful flowers and provide smiles to those most in need. Our initial success is owed in part to CFS’s generosity and their belief in our mission. Contact [email protected] if you are interested in becoming a floral donor partner.
