In January of 2022 we were still restricted to our buildings because of COVID. Stacy Dunn our Volunteer Coordinator was able to get us Trader Joes donation of free flowers every Saturday and Sunday in the beginning in 2021.

As May Day approached in 2022, Barb Herrmann noticed there were rolls of donated wallpaper in Studio K. She remembered when she was growing up making May baskets from wallpaper books to put on the doorknobs of neighbors on May 1. She convinced Stacy that the flower group from the Terrace, Midway Point and the Gardens should do this for those in the nursing homes. Thus started a huge project to make 250 May baskets filled with flowers. What neither Stacy or Barb knew was there would not be any flowers the first two weeks in May. All of Trader Joes donated flowers went to another non-profit. Stacy was able to retrieve two boxes for us. Then with the help of Jenna Kilawee who used her contacts to obtain flowers that did not sell. We received donated flowers from a local florist A Johnson & Sons on Grand Avenue in St. Paul. With the help of many hands the baskets were made and filled in the second floor gathering room. On Saturday they were delivered to all those in assisted living and nursing homes in the complex. That was the only time we did this as we now know we will not receive any flowers the first two weeks of May.