Catholic Vancouver April 11, 2024
At age 30, Blooms into Rooms goes face to face again, and lonely seniors need it
By Terry O'Neill
Blooms into Rooms marked two significant events on Easter Weekend: the project’s 30th anniversary, and the return of face-to-face delivery of flowering plants after years of pandemic restrictions.
Upwards of 100 men, women, and children from Catholic parishes, schools, and faith groups visited 14 assisted- and independent-living seniors’ homes, two hospices, and a long-term care hospital throughout the north of Fraser region and in White Rock and north Surrey.
In its three-decade history, Blooms into Rooms has brought thousands of Lower Mainland seniors gifts of plants, greeting cards, posters, and precious personal contact, the last of which is, in some ways, the most important.
“It was such a wonderful experience,” St. Joseph’s Parish (Port Moody) volunteer Mary McKinnon said of her visit to Port Moody’s Eagle Ridge Manor, a long-term care facility. “We were like messengers of joy. You should have seen the smiles.”
While the project had the immediate effect of cheering seniors and warming the hearts of the volunteers, its deeper intent is to show support for the sick and the elderly in the face of the growing threat of medical assistance in dying.
“There has never been a more important time than now to support our seniors,” said longtime project benefactor Wim Vander Zalm. “So, if our volunteers can add a little light to their lives, it can make a world of difference.”
Father Larry Lynn, the archdiocese’s pro-life chaplain, said the elderly are in special need of society’s loving attention because of the long shadow of legalized euthanasia,
“More than ever, we need to connect with our elders, especially those in care,” said Father Lynn, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes parish in Coquitlam. “The culture teaches us that we shouldn’t want to trouble anyone, and we often hear our seniors say they don’t want to be a burden. When people start thinking like that, they become more vulnerable to assisted suicide.”
Projects like Blooms into Rooms are vital to counteracting the fatal influence of Canada’s MAiD juggernaut, Alex Schadenberg, executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, said in an interview.
“There are many people who are facing difficult health conditions who are also lonely, depressed, and feeling that their life lacks meaning, purpose and value,” Schadenberg said. “The fact that a group of people are visiting seniors and giving them a gift is essential to breaking through the loneliness, depression, and feeling of hopelessness.”
Blooms into Rooms has, for the past two years, been partially funded by the Life Compass Society, a north-of-Fraser pro-life group. In turn, Life Compass receives the bulk of its funds from the Archdiocese of Vancouver’s Pro-Life Sunday collection on Father’s Day weekend.
Earlier this year, the managing committee of Life Compass agreed to form an ongoing relationship with Blooms into Rooms and operate the project as a program of Life Compass.
Richard Whalen, president of Life Compass, said Blooms into Rooms animates his group’s life-affirming mission. “The elderly are now very vulnerable to MAiD,” Whalen said. “They’re being told that their care is too expensive, and they’re also becoming more and more isolated,” placing undue pressure on them. “So, anything we can do to help them realize they are appreciated and not a burden can only be a positive,” Whalen said. “It’s clear the Blooms project is a great service opportunity for us to put into action our reverence for every human life.”
Blooms into Rooms began in 1994 as a project of the pro-life committee at St. Joseph’s Parish in Port Moody. This year’s team also included volunteers from St. Luke’s and St. Patrick’s parishes, Maple Ridge; Archbishop Carney Regional Secondary and Our Lady of Assumption Parish and School, Port Coquitlam; St. Clare of Assisi Parish, All Saint’s Parish, Queen of All Saints Elementary School, and Our Lady of Fatima Parish and School, Coquitlam; Holy Cross Regional Secondary, Surrey; the Focolare Catholic youth group; and the Families for Christ Community.
Vander Zalm thanked Coquitlam Florists and Art’s Nursery, Garden & Home for their help in making Blooms 2024 a success.
B.C. Catholic contributor Terry O’Neill is co-founder and lead organizer of Blooms into Rooms
‘It was like party time for residents’
Blooms into Rooms volunteers ranged in age from under four to upwards of 80, but they all had one thing in common – a positive experience giving flowers and greeting cards to upwards of 1,500 seniors this year.
Giulia Levrini, of All Saints Parish in Coquitlam, said some team members were uneasy at the start of their visits because of the novelty of the project, but “the ice quickly melted, and smiles spread all around, with the joy of giving and receiving colourful flowers and messages but, most of all, of new encounters.”
Here’s what some other volunteers had to say:
“It was nice to see one of the residents get emotional when we were visiting, delivering flowers, and singing songs for them. I’ll probably come back and visit and I’m glad we met them today.”
Gabby, Holy Cross Regional Secondary School, who visited Elim Village in Surrey.
“One elderly lady we visited said she had been in long-term care for four years and had nobody left to visit her. She said her family, friends, and neighbours were all gone. It was sad to hear, but you could see she was grateful for the flowers and the few moments we spent with her.”
John, St. Joseph’s Parish, who visited Eagle Ridge Manor in Port Moody.
“The residents were amazed with the flowers. Some asked if they were for sale and were surprised to learn they were a gift. All in all, it was like party time for the residents.”
Martha Bonnett, St. Luke’s Parish, who visited Westbrooke retirement home in Pitt Meadows.
“We took nine grandkids plus 10 friends to help us deliver 234 gorgeous flowering plants to all the seniors. Twelve-year-old Gianna played about 10 popular songs on her guitar, and everyone sang along. Eleven-year-old Peter played several pieces on the trumpet. We had lots of fun. The seniors were thrilled with the plants and the singing. The staff said that we ‘made’ their whole weekend.”
Elizabeth Loch, St. Luke’s Parish, who visited Sunwood Retirement Residence and Chartwell Willow Retirement Community in Maple Ridge.
“After finishing Blooms into Rooms, our group talked about what the experience was like, and we said we enjoyed seeing the faces of the elderly who received the flowers. Since it was our first time, we weren’t sure how it was going to go, but we are all glad that we went and were able to be a part of bringing a smile to someone’s face.”
Felicity, a member of the Daughters of Mary and Jesus group at Archbishop Carney Regional Secondary School.