DUNEDIN, Fla. — There’s something about the vibrant and diverse colors of flowers that lifts a person’s spirit.

What You Need To Know

  • Random Acts of Flowers Tampa Bay is an organization out of Dunedin that delivers repurposed flowers to hospitals, hospice facilities, among other locations

  • The organization delivers about 250 personally crafted bouquets a week

  • They personally deliver bouquets to more than 220 facilities in the Bay area

It’s partially why Kathy Gaye spends time arranging them into beautiful bouquets.

“We often joke about it here and talk about it being our floral therapy, which is really true,” Gaye, a volunteer at Random Acts of Flowers Tampa Bay, said. “Who doesn’t like to be around fresh flowers?”

Gaye has been volunteering at Random Acts of Flowers for the last 10 years.

The organization, originally founded in Knoxville, Tenn. in 2007, opened a facility in Dunedin in 2013.

Soon after that, Gaye saw the work they were doing and wanted to be a part of it.

“This was really my first foray into kind of creative volunteer, you know, just being able to use kind of my interest in creativity differently,” she said.

She had volunteered with other organizations near her home in Safety Harbor, but this place was different.

“It is such a simple concept but is such a meaningful one and that’s kind of the beauty of it,” Gaye said.

Random Acts of Flowers gets all of its flowers from places like Publix and from weddings and funeral services, who would most likely throw out excess flowers.

The organization then repurposes them into brand new bouquets that are personally arranged by the volunteers.

After some personal touches are added, they eventually go to local hospitals, hospice care facilities or assisted living locations.

“The surprise and the meaning of that is really all about its joy, its encouragement, it’s reaching out and saying to people, ‘You matter,’” Gaye said.

Gaye says Random Acts of Flowers delivers upwards of 250 bouquets a week.

The deliveries, to Gaye, are her favorite part.

“They’re always happy,” she said. “They’re always happy to have fresh flowers.”

That is what was seen at Aravilla Clearwater Memory Care.

Gaye gets to personally bring flowers that she and the dozens of volunteers put together to facilities like this.

“The surprise and joy that that brings — it’s priceless,” she said.

Which shows this work is more than just floral therapy.

According to the nonprofit organization, they visit more than 220 facilities.

Next month, Random Acts of Flowers will be holding its annual Gasparilla on the Gulf event, which will take place on Jan. 27.