This is a beautiful, simple, and profoundly effective gesture: bringing flowers to those you care about. Everyone loves a fresh flower, or even a handmade paper one. Either way, the intention, to give and spend time with those you care about is one which resonates with so many. That is exactly what high school students in British Columbia did as a response to the call to support those most vulnerable in their community.
A great article was featured last week in the BC Catholic, “Bouquets of love: offering the lonely blooms instead of tombs” which shared about a group of students from two local Catholic high schools who took the initiative to support the sick and the elderly. What did they do? They brought flowers to seniors at a local residence and spent time with them. Today, with the increase in those who are left alone, isolated, depressed, and vulnerable, seniors are often left desperate, and sadly, many choose “Medical Assistance in Dying”, which is euthanasia in Canada. This is why visiting and being with our elderly is more important, now more than ever.
Projects like Blooms into Rooms, by visiting and being with others is the solution.
The idea for Blooms into Rooms was simple: a few volunteers from St. Joseph’s would visit a single care centre on Holy Saturday and give patients a flowering plant, a homemade greeting card and, most important of all, some companionship. With the virus of euthanasia infecting all too many, especially those who are sick and elderly, projects like Blooms into Rooms are the needed response and counter action. Through visiting, caring, and compassionate people spending time with those most vulnerable, people do not opt for MAID or death, they live better and well until they die, naturally.
This article, makes a point to address the ongoing important work of Alex Schadenberg, and Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, and as Alex recently presented in BC, he encouraged churches to establish outreach programs aimed at supporting the sick and elderly. Along with educational free seminars co-hosted with Compassionate Community Care, the article mentions how becoming visitors and volunteering in your community makes this difference. CCC’s Being With Visitor Training Program and Patient Advocacy Training accomplishes this valiant work. We provide a comprehensive, practical, and effective approach on how to become a visitor, get active, and become involved in your local community programs or start your own Compassionate Community Care chapter.
Anyone can start to visit: children, teenagers, and the elderly, can make an impact, and today. Mothers with children, even babies, got together recently at a local independent senior residence in Peel to visit and make Easter Lillies with the residents and staff. It was a lovely experience and enjoyed thoroughly by all. We at CCC, ask you to follow suit in this same spirit: fostering compassionate, community care work and creating these vital groups in your neighbourhoods. It shows you care, and more importantly, it shows you know how to help others when they need it most; by being with them.
Article referenced in this blog post was written by Terry O’Neill, published in the Catholic Vancouver on March 29th, 2023 entitled, Bouquets of love: offering the lonely blooms instead of tombs. To read it please click here: https://bccatholic.ca/news/catholic-van/bouquets-of-love-offering-the-lonely-blooms-instead-of-tombs Compassionate Community Care thanks Terry O’Neill for including CCC in the article and his work.