The mission of the Plantation
Garden Club on Hilton Head Island is about more than just
conservation and horticulture. It's about cultivating community.
For more than a year, members of the club have been preparing
a weekly flower arrangement for Hospice Care of the Lowcountry
to pass on to a patient in need of a boost.
Everybody loves flowers, so you can't go wrong with that,"
said Lynne Hummell, director of communications for the nonprofit.
"It means a lot to the patients to know that someone
other than their caregiver has given some gesture of care
and support."
Each Thursday afternoon, the arrangement is placed at the
center of the conference room table, where staff members
gather to discuss the status of patients and their families.
At the end of the meeting, Hummell said the staff decides
who will receive the special delivery from the club. Sometimes
it will go to a person who is celebrating a birthday or
Anniversary that week. Other times, it's just an obvious
choice.
"Someone will say, 'Mr. Jones could use a pick-me-up
today,' or 'Mrs. Smith loves daisies,'?" she said
"By the end, it's usually a unanimous decision. No
one ever argues about who should get it."
Plantation Garden Club member Willy Gleitsmann came up with
the idea, but Ann Grindstaff coordinates the project, now
that Gleitsmann is moving. She said that every member contributes
an arrangement at some point during the year.
The reward that you get is so much more than any effort
you expend to do it," Grindstaff said. "If you
can brighten somebody's day with flowers, it's a small price
to pay to give someone cheer."
Hospice staff member Syndi Nelson is often the first one
who gets to see the arrangement that is delivered to the
nonprofit on Wednesdays and said she enjoys the creative
designs the Club members come up with each week. Some past
arrangements have included a Christmas cactus, a Halloween-themed
bouquet and flowers from one member's own garden. A card
that says "Thinking of You" is included with each
creation.
When they first started, I though it was just going to be
fake flowers, but they're always fresh," Nelson said.
"If they miss one week, they'll bring two the next
week. It really helps to make a patient's week special and
reminds us there's somebody else who is with us in our mission
to support them."
According to Grindstaff, the Plantation Garden Club was
formed in 1979 and currently boasts an active membership
of 35. Over the years, the club has provided funding and
service to many organizations, including the Coastal Discovery
Museum, Habitat for Humanity, Carolina Fences and the Life
Care Center on Hilton Head Island.
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