Spreading Kindness like Confetti: Hope Blooms

Hope Blooms began like many other well-intentioned hobbies: in a basement, with a small amount of space for a larger-than-life dream. Founder Kelly Krenzel wanted to find a way to honor those in the community who can sometimes be overlooked: residents of nursing homes, patients in hospitals, and those in-need at shelters. Thus, Hope Blooms was planted and has grown to service 70+ organizations in the FM area and beyond.

This nonprofit is almost entirely volunteer-driven, and it thrives when the community comes together to help those needing a colorful pick-me-up. The Shirts from Fargo team had the pleasure of volunteering with Hope Blooms earlier this month, and we immediately knew we had to feature this amazing storefront as quickly as possible.

Throughout November, all Hope Blooms apparel and merchandise will be 25% off! Discount applied at checkout.

Q&A with Hope Blooms founder Kelly Krenzel

You can only use three types of flowers to make a bouquet. Which three are you choosing?

Zinnias, ranunculus and Queen Anne's lace!

Do you have any special stories from delivering your repurposed bouquets that still stick with you to this day?

We have countless stories that exemplify how special people have felt receiving an unexpected act of kindness.

One of our favorites is a man who received a bouquet of all yellow roses at a local assisted living facility. He had never received flowers before and yellow roses happened to be the same flowers he used to buy for his wife when she was living. He was brought to tears when he got the only bouquet made of yellow roses that day. He was touched by receiving the bouquet and doubly grateful they reminded him of his beloved wife.

We truly believe our bouquets go to exactly who they are supposed to when they are delivered.

What's something you want potential volunteers to know about your organization before they sign up to help out?

We really want people to understand the true impact and value we bring to the community. The flowers are our way of making one-on-one connections with those who may feel forgotten, isolated, lonely or disenfranchised. The bouquets are the beautiful tangible gifts, and the connections are the true magic!

We also want people to know are mission is largely volunteer driven, and we're 100 percent fundraised. When you support our organization, you are helping bring meaning and emotional healing to someone in need. Thank you to our community for all the love!

What's your favorite way to spread joy outside of Hope Blooms?

I'm a hugger through and through, so I love to spread joy by hugging and also making people laugh. There's nothing like a deep belly laugh to soothe the soul.

Hope Blooms is... blooming! Do you have any plans to expand past flowers at this time?

We have so many plans for the future! One significant plan we have is to reach the more rural areas and bedroom communities around the metro FM area. We'd love to spread joy to those who need it in those communities, as well.

We know there is less access to resources in a smaller community, and we want to ensure we can make individuals living in those areas feel loved too. We're always looking for volunteers who are driving back and forth from Fargo to the other communities to help with deliveries.