(Above: A note card created by the Sharon High Photography Club for sale in Hope in Bloom’s online store)
Hope in Bloom’swebsite
states: “Healing gardens have been proven to be therapeutic sanctuaries
offering both comfort and hope to meet the emotional and psychological
needs of patients and their families. The four words women fear most
—'you have breast cancer' are now being heard by one in seven of us.
This translates into a new diagnosis every two minutes.” The non-profit
Hope in Bloom, based out of Dedham, MA, supports those affected by
breast cancer by planting gardens at their homes.
“The
idea for Hope in Bloom was formed when my friend Beverly was diagnosed
with breast cancer, says Roberta Hershon, President and Founder of Hope
in Bloom. “Because she liked flowers, I thought it would be great to do
something. “When I brought her flowers and saw how she perked up I
wanted to start something. I started Hope in Bloom. We planted the
first garden in Sharon.”
Teens
are strongly encouraged to get involved with Hope in Bloom. “Teens want
to do something,” says Hershon. “Teens need to know that when you are
sick it is important to have something around you that is pretty.
Gardens have their own special brand of medicine. It’s all about
lipstick for the soul.”
Erica
Greenberg, a Sharon High School student, launched her own photography
club during her freshman year to raise money for Hope in Bloom by
selling landscape photography cards. Erica and her 13 photo club
members have already raised almost 2,000 dollars for Hope in Bloom
through card and candy sales. “I thought Hope in Bloom was a great
organization and I thought it was a great way to put photography and
gardening together,” says Greenberg. “We give Hope in Bloom the photo
cards and they sell them. Breast cancer is affecting many people. At
first it was tough because it was hard starting a club as freshmen.
There wasn’t too much paper work—we had to find an advisor and we
filled out some forms.”
Greenberg
realized through her own experience that forming a club is something
any teen is capable of doing. “Any teen can form a club like this, she
says. “It just takes determination." The
Sharon High School Photography Club sells note cards not only through
Hope in Bloom's online store, but also at Custom Art Framing in
Norwood, and at nursery's throughout Massachusetts. "I
did an event at the Kennedy Nursery in Cohassat and a dozen people came
up to me with personal stories," says Greenberg. "You can
really impact people by doing something so small.”
Susan
Farmer, a Jamaica Plain resident, social services worker, and breast
cancer survivor reflected on her experience of receiving a garden from
Hope in Bloom. “I had cancer for many years. I did chemo but the cancer
kept returning,” she says. “I was stuck in the house and it was really
dark and gray. I was in a crisis. A garden is not necessary—but I
needed something to make me feel alive. I looked on the internet and
came across Hope in Bloom. The minute I saw it I started crying.”
Susan
recalled the day she first saw her garden and appreciated the
volunteers and the way in which they tailored the garden to her tastes.
“They consider a lot of factors,” she says. “The day of the planting
came—I had a doctor’s appointment. I remember coming around the corner.
I was so used to being the one giving as a social worker. I pulled
around the corner and a zillion people were in my yard—people so
wonderful to me—an army of volunteers and teens and my older neighbor.”
Susan
described the garden she received which was full of flowers, trees, and
bushes as “out of this world” and “beyond gorgeous.” She was most
touched by the volunteers who came to plant.
“The
most beautiful thing was the volunteers. It was a boiling hot 12-hour
day. You are getting filthy. The love they gave me was so genuine. The
gift was so beautiful for us—but the gift was for them too. Now I have
this beautiful garden. I tend to it and I feel like I’m on vacation.”
If you’re interested in volunteering for Hope in Bloom, sign up forms are available at http://www.hopeinbloom.org/pages/volunteer.htm.
Teens can deliver Hope in Bloom literature, help plant gardens, write
articles, fundraise, decorate, and contact florists to donate flowers.
*If
you are a registered member of our online community and interested in
volunteering with Hope in Bloom, be sure to visit their TeenLife Boston Profile.
Natalie
Ornell is a former intern for TeenLife Boston. She is currently a
sophomore at Wellesley College interested in East Asian Studies,
Journalism, and English.
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