Friendly Flowers is growing as a local weekly floral delivery service, focused on creating fulfilling work opportunities for individuals with disabilities in the community.
A small business enterprise in the Supportive Community Options program at The Arc of Opportunity in Fitchburg, Friendly Flowers allows individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities to learn valuable vocational skills, perform rewarding work to earn income, and meaningfully engage in the community.
Receiving seasonal fresh flowers in bulk, the skilled Friendly Flowers workforce performs the careful task of creating unique and decorative floral arrangements, and then makes personal friendly deliveries to customers throughout Fitchburg, Leominster, Lunenburg and the surrounding areas.
Customers love the personalized local service. Family Federal Savings, a customer and supporter for years, says that Friendly Flowers “always provides reliable, friendly service, and the flowers are beautiful! Our employees and customers love to see the new flowers each week.”
One seasonal session of eight weekly deliveries, priced at $55.00, comes to a total of less than $7.00 per locally delivered arrangement. “All proceeds from orders go back into supporting the business,” says Mary Camacho, Program Director, who has been overseeing the flower business for years. “The more orders we get, the more individuals we can involve in this businesses for the better.”
This flower business stems from The Arc of Opportunity’s mission to create and support lifetime opportunities in the community for individuals with disabilities and their families to reach their fullest potential by providing advocacy, education, employment, residential and recreational services to enhance quality of life. Friendly Flowers is an integral part of The Arc’s ongoing commitment to promote more community integrated employment opportunities for individuals we serve.
After a successful first half of the 2014 delivery season, the busiest yet, Friendly Flowers looks to continue its growth and community engagement with the upcoming Hot-and-Sunny seasonal session, running from July 22nd through September 9th.
Friendly Flowers offers quick and easy online ordering through its new website at FriendlyFlowers.org. Special discounts are currently being offered for orders throughout the remainder of this year’s delivery sessions.
Frank Seright, working in the flower business at The Arc of Opportunity, says that his work with Friendly Flowers “is important so that I can make money,” and “it makes me feel happy.” Frank enjoys both the meaningful work he does and the income it earns him. “I’m saving for a trip to California, to see the TV stars,” Frank says with a smile.