BoCo Month Two

Month two was our busiest yet: more flowers in, more bouquets out, and a full table of volunteers.

Thank you for sticking with us. Here is a look at what your donations and your hours turned into this past month, and where Bouquet Collective is going this fall.

Clear bins overflowing with wrapped sunflower, gerbera and lily bouquets in a driveway, mountains behind — Bins of finished bouquets lined up and ready to head out.

Month two by the numbers

286bouquets made, wrapped and delivered

100buckets of assorted flowers to facilities

12,200donated stems

22centerpieces from event flowers

15+volunteers at the table

5loaves of bread, devoured

Flowers out

Bouquets all over town

We made, wrapped and delivered 286 bouquets to individuals, teachers, the Cancer Center, and infusion centers around Santa Barbara. On top of that, 100 buckets of assorted flowers went to facilities to brighten lobbies, hallways and common rooms.

286 bouquets100 buckets to facilities

A smiling man in sunglasses holding two small jar arrangements in a nursing home lobby — A happy recipient at a local nursing home.

Five teen volunteers holding wrapped bouquets beside an open car trunk in a school parking lot — Our teen volunteers, ready to deliver bouquets to teachers at local high schools.

Flowers in

Flowers keep coming in

None of it happens without the flowers. This month our donors and growers gave us 12,200 stems. Every one found a home.

12,200 stemsFrom donors and growers

A long table covered in donated dahlias, gerberas, roses, lilies and purple asters, with full buckets behind — Donated flowers sorted and lined up, waiting for the build.

Our crew

Many hands at the table

More than 15 volunteers came out to help make bouquets, and fueled them with five loaves of bread along the way. Stripping, arranging, wrapping, laughing: the table keeps getting fuller, and we love it.

Bouquets wrapped in white paper with green satin ribbons and Bouquet Collective stickers, stacked on a table — Wrapped, ribboned and stickered: the finished product.

Event flowers

Our first event donation

We received flowers from our very first event, donated by BoHo Chic Dreams, and gave them a second life: 22 centerpieces for Garden Court. Nothing beautiful goes to waste.

22 centerpiecesUpcycled event flowers

A kitchen counter lined with jar centerpieces of toffee roses, green amaranth, cosmos and dark scabiosa, each with a Bouquet Collective label — The 22 centerpieces for Garden Court, made from upcycled event flowers.

Our board

Our first BoCo board meeting

We held our first Bouquet Collective board meeting, a real milestone as we put the structure in place to grow BoCo well beyond Santa Barbara.

Looking ahead to October

As we kick off October, a lot is blooming beyond Santa Barbara. We visited our partner organization in St. Louis, we have our first popup planned in Ann Arbor with flowers donated from local grocery stores, and we are working on locking in a new space here at home.

St. Louis visitAnn Arbor popupNew space in the works

Two months in, and we are still a little amazed at what a few buckets of flowers and a table full of people can do. Thank you for every stem, every hour, and every loaf of bread.

Want to join or refer a friend? Reach out to info@bouquetcollective.org

With gratitude,Bouquet Collective Santa BarbaraA 501(c)(3) nonprofit · EIN 42-3186092

✿ Bouquet Collective · Santa Barbara, CA