“I believe the sharing of flowers brings joy and creates hope.” Dan Druffel, Druffel Gardens
Dan Druffel knows that the gift of fresh-cut flowers sparks joy. A retired landscaper, Dan turned his attention to doing just this through his non-profit, Druffel Gardens.
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| Dan Druffel and Paige Schlaack with his volunteers |
Each summer, Dan and his volunteers plant thousands of seeds with one goal in mind: to grow flowers that will bring joy to others. So far this summer, 1,600 filled vases have been sent to hospitals, adult care centers, and places like Giving Voice, a non-profit dedicated to improving the lives of older adults.
Because of Dan’s kindness and generosity, twenty vases of pure joy and beauty arrive at our Health Center each Thursday. Teri Thomas from the Health Center is familiar with Giving Voice, where once a month she and her mother attend floral arranging classes for people with dementia and their loved ones. Then, these vases of flowers arrive at the Health Center the following morning.
In addition, each Thursday a Live The Good volunteer stops at Dan’s garden to gather filled vases and deliver them to our Health Center. Once they are unloaded, Sheila Carter and Mary Hamilton from Activities take the precious cargo and distribute the vases throughout the Marian and Cuvilly Dining Rooms. Thanks to Sheila and Mary, vases from the previous week are cleaned and a Live The Good volunteer returns them to Dan in preparation for the next week’s delivery.
It takes a village to get the flowers from Dan’s garden to our dining halls, and our village is full of folks happy to help. Dan’s passion for flowers is like a seed that continues to sprout, bringing people together to make known God’s goodness and, in the process, spreads the beauty and joy of God’s creation.
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| Live The Good Volunteer Beth Bissmeyer with her puppy, Otis, and Sheila Carter | Mary Hamilton, Live The Good Volunteer Barbara Vollmer, and Sheila Carter |
Dan has also donated 300 pounds of produce to La Soupe, a local non-profit that works with communities across the Greater Cincinnati region to reduce food waste and food insecurity. (According to Dan, there would be more produce if not for a well-fed family of groundhogs!)