Residential Aged Care
SwanCare residents had a ‘bloomin’ lovely day recently when they received unexpected floral gifts!
SwanCare residents had a ‘bloomin’ lovely day recently when they received unexpected floral gifts!
The stunning creations were from the Bloom it Forward floral-repurposing project, led by a wonderful lady called Kristen Soon. We spoke to Kristen to thank her for her kind generosity and ask her about the initiative.
“Bloom it Forward is from The REED (Resilience, Enable, Empower, Dream) Collective, a social-impact organisation,” explains Kristen. “I created it because of my work with the CaLD community - especially migrants, refugees and mothers rebuilding after domestic violence who felt unseen and unheard. At the same time, I saw seniors in aged-care homes experiencing that same quiet invisibility.
It works by women coming into our safe, creative space, where they learn to repurpose rescued flowers, and at the same time rebuild confidence, form friendships and slowly come out of isolation. Then they use their creations to bring joy to seniors who may also be feeling forgotten. It’s a simple exchange of kindness, but the impact is profound. Across 6 workshops this year, we diverted about 110 kilograms of flowers from landfill and transformed them into 643 posies and jar arrangements - giving these blooms a second life, or as we like to say, a chance to rebloom.”
Since September 2024, Kristen and her team have visited SwanCare Tandara, Kingia and Ningana, and says that each visit has been deeply moving.
“One of the most memorable moments was when a Japanese senior received her posy and immediately broke into song and dance,” said Kristen, “then joyfully joined us in hand-delivering flowers room to room, greeting residents in both English and Japanese. She lit up every hallway we walked through.
We also met an elderly woman who burst into tears when she received her posy. Another told us she couldn’t remember the last time anyone had given her flowers - ‘it’s been too many years.’ A gentleman clutched his posy close and shared stories of his beloved late wife, Rosemary, who adored flowers. He showed us her photo and said, ‘she would have loved these,’ with a smile full of memory.”
Kristen says her partnership with SwanCare feels completely natural because our values are strongly aligned. She also has a personal memory of SwanCare from when she was a Curtin University student many years ago. Her volunteer group sang carols to the seniors in SwanCare Tandara.
“I remember the residents’ smiles and how meaningful those moments were,” reflects Kristen. “Coming back now through Bloom it Forward feels beautifully full-circle. We always leave SwanCare with full hearts. The staff have been warm, welcoming and genuinely invested in sharing these moments. The women who created the flowers would be so proud to know the impact they made.”
The power of flowers is undeniable, symbolic in so many ways and a meaningful way of bringing positivity to the lives of others both through giving and receiving. Paired with a sustainable approach to gifting, Bloom it Forward is an incredible initiative, and we are truly grateful to the team for their thoughtful visits. Thank you!
The stunning creations were from the Bloom it Forward floral-repurposing project, led by a wonderful lady called Kristen Soon. We spoke to Kristen to thank her for her kind generosity and ask her about the initiative.
“Bloom it Forward is from The REED (Resilience, Enable, Empower, Dream) Collective, a social-impact organisation,” explains Kristen. “I created it because of my work with the CaLD community - especially migrants, refugees and mothers rebuilding after domestic violence who felt unseen and unheard. At the same time, I saw seniors in aged-care homes experiencing that same quiet invisibility.
It works by women coming into our safe, creative space, where they learn to repurpose rescued flowers, and at the same time rebuild confidence, form friendships and slowly come out of isolation. Then they use their creations to bring joy to seniors who may also be feeling forgotten. It’s a simple exchange of kindness, but the impact is profound. Across 6 workshops this year, we diverted about 110 kilograms of flowers from landfill and transformed them into 643 posies and jar arrangements - giving these blooms a second life, or as we like to say, a chance to rebloom.”
Since September 2024, Kristen and her team have visited SwanCare Tandara, Kingia and Ningana, and says that each visit has been deeply moving.
“One of the most memorable moments was when a Japanese senior received her posy and immediately broke into song and dance,” said Kristen, “then joyfully joined us in hand-delivering flowers room to room, greeting residents in both English and Japanese. She lit up every hallway we walked through.
We also met an elderly woman who burst into tears when she received her posy. Another told us she couldn’t remember the last time anyone had given her flowers - ‘it’s been too many years.’ A gentleman clutched his posy close and shared stories of his beloved late wife, Rosemary, who adored flowers. He showed us her photo and said, ‘she would have loved these,’ with a smile full of memory.”
Kristen says her partnership with SwanCare feels completely natural because our values are strongly aligned. She also has a personal memory of SwanCare from when she was a Curtin University student many years ago. Her volunteer group sang carols to the seniors in SwanCare Tandara.
“I remember the residents’ smiles and how meaningful those moments were,” reflects Kristen. “Coming back now through Bloom it Forward feels beautifully full-circle. We always leave SwanCare with full hearts. The staff have been warm, welcoming and genuinely invested in sharing these moments. The women who created the flowers would be so proud to know the impact they made.”
The power of flowers is undeniable, symbolic in so many ways and a meaningful way of bringing positivity to the lives of others both through giving and receiving. Paired with a sustainable approach to gifting, Bloom it Forward is an incredible initiative, and we are truly grateful to the team for their thoughtful visits. Thank you!
