Mrs. Blooms Direct Founded the Petalz Program, a Flower Delivery Service for Senior Living That Also Benefits the Alzheimer’s Association
By Olivia Beaton | February 17, 2021
Oren Shaprio, Founder and CEO of Mrs. Blooms Direct, began his flower journey in search of more meaning while he was working as an attorney. Shapiro connected with a flower supplier in Ecuador who sent him samples, and soon Shapiro had customers calling about the beautiful flowers and wanting to place more orders. While on a lunch break at his day job, Mrs. Blooms Direct was born. Once Mrs. Blooms began to take off, Shapiro wanted to find a way to further give back, “it has been at the heart of everything I have done,” he says. And that is how the Petalz Program was born, Shapiro saw an opportunity to fulfill an unmet need within the Senior Living industry, while also giving back at the same time.
The goal of the Petalz Program is to provide fresh flowers on a regular basis to residents in senior living communities, and 10% of the proceeds are given back to the Alzheimer’s Association. The Alzheimer’s Association was thrilled at the idea of this partnership and loved being able to combine doing something to serve older adults while also contributing to all the work they do to fight Alzheimer’s. Shapiro says, “we set up a donation estimator on our website so people see how much will be donated from their order, the goal is to get the donation in the millions.”
Senior Living Communities have multiple options for the frequency of flower deliveries. Fresh flowers can be delivered weekly, bi-weekly, or on a monthly basis. The program is designed so that each resident can enjoy fresh flowers in their room on a regular basis, “it is meant to uplift and boost the residents’ spirits”, says Shapiro. He believes that especially during these challenging times, flowers are a way for residents to feel loved, supported, and engaged. Shapiro continues, “It won’t replace the connection of a family visit, but it is a small way to make a resident smile and give them something to look forward to.”
There are two different sized flower arrangements, the happy and happier bouquets differ in size and cost. Shapiro’s goal is to provide as many communities and residents with fresh flowers as possible in order to raise millions for the Alzheimer’s Association. Shapiro, like many others, has had firsthand experience with Alzheimer’s and being able to contribute to the fight against it is extremely rewarding for him.
Mrs. Blooms Direct’s next mission is creating a 365 fundraiser, so that anyone from anywhere who orders flowers from their site will be able to have the option to have a portion of their order donated to the Alzheimer’s Association. Shapiro hopes that by making the Alzheimer’s Association a permanent fixture on their site that it will raise even more money in combination with the Petalz Program.
