Westerlay Orchids celebrates its final 1,000 orchid donation in the “100,000 Orchids Challenge,” in Partnership with Santa Barbara based Dream Foundation. Last Wednesday, September 16, the Westerlay team completed their mission to uplift and inspire with a generous donation to the elderly residents of Garden Court and The Gardens on Hope.
Last Wednesday, Carpinteria-based Westerlay Orchids celebrated the successful completion of their latest creative endeavor: bringing hope and encouragement to thousands of first-responders and at-risk community members along the West Coast during the COVID-19 crisis. The very same week that the Gardens on Hope reached its own milestone of 100% occupancy.
At the start of the COVID-19 safety measures, with businesses forced to close, the elderly quarantined in isolation, and first-responders thrust to the forefront of the crisis, the Westerlay team jumped into action. Dedicated to an ambitious “100,000 Orchids Challenge,” the company issued a public invitation to join in a mission to show gratitude and appreciation for those most affected by the pandemic. Countless community members, organizations, and businesses across California, Nevada, Oregon, and Arizona answered the call. This week - just five months after the project began - Westerlay partners with Santa Barbara based Dream Foundation’s Flower Empower program, in delivering the last remaining 1,000 orchid plants to 10 local retirement communities in Santa Barbara County, these include Gardens on Hope, Garden Court, GranVida, Heritage House, Maravilla, Serenity House, Sarah House, Villa SB, and The Towbes Foundation’s Shepherd Place and Rancho Francisco.
Recognized as the only national dream-granting organization in the US, Dream Foundation fulfills end-of-life Dreams that provide inspiration, comfort, and closure to terminally-ill adults and their families. For more than eight years, the foundation’s Flower Empower program has connected local Santa Barbara growers with Garden Court, providing fresh blooms for them to arrange for delivery to VNA’s Serenity House. This initiative helps to bring fulfillment and meaning to the lives of Garden Court residents.
Through their “100,000 Orchids Challenge,” Westerlay made it possible for each of Garden Court’s 97 low-income residents to enjoy the special gift of a beautiful living orchid during summer holidays such as Mother’s Day, Fourth of July, and more - a simple “thank you” that proved deeply touching to the building’s inhabitants, many of whom do not have family nearby for support. In addition, Westerlay contributed an orchid to each resident at the newly-built Gardens on Hope, many of whom were moving into their first apartment after years of homelessness. Now, the low-income Independent Living senior community joins in celebrating the culmination of Westerlay’s “100,000 Orchids Challenge” the very same week that the establishment reaches its own milestone of 100% occupancy.
Learn more about the initiative at BoxOfOrchids.com, and discover Westerlay Orchids’ premium selection of captivating blooms at WesterlayOrchids.com.
For more information:
Westerlay Orchids
3504 Via Real, Carpinteria, California
T: 805.684.5411
F: 805.684.5414
www.westerlayorchids.com