Petals for Patients

During the growing season, Heartlinks receives six bouquets of fresh, Yakima-grown flowers weekly to give to its hospice and palliative care patients.

Canyon Blooms’ Petals for Patients program began in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the help of volunteers, they plant, harvest, prepare and deliver 70 to 100 vases of fresh flowers to people in the community afflicted with hardship.

Half the flowers grown at Canyon Blooms are donated, while the other 50% are sold at community pop-up events to help fundraise for these donations.

Several Heartlinks employees deliver the donated flowers to patients’ homes.

“I believe flowers can help patients by giving the gift that someone thought of them at the end of their life’s journey,” says Mariah. “Flowers also bring color, freshness and joy into a space where people might need it most.”

This joy is spread to Heartlinks patients in Yakima, Sunnyside, Grandview, Prosser and even into the Tri-Cities.

“We are trying to share the joy that these flowers bring and spread the love that Canyon Blooms is giving out so freely,” says Mariah. “Every person I’ve delivered flowers to has been extremely grateful for the kind gesture.”

Canyon Blooms’ Volunteer Donation Coordinator currently works with 15 local organizations to guide their flowers to those who can most benefit from this gesture of love. The number of vases donated to each organization varies based on need and weekly flower harvest.

“Volunteers are truly the backbone of our organization,” says Gloria Rogers, fundraising coordinator. “Without their generosity, we would not be able to do what we do.” Canyon Blooms is open to volunteers on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays from 10 am. to 2 p.m. They also accept donations of flower vases. To find out where flowers are sold, follow Canyon Blooms on Facebook or Instagram. For more information, email canyonblooms@outlook.com.