spreads unconventional love
Volunteers donate cards
to family service centers
in Burlington
Courtney Campbell
Lifestyle Editor
@courtcamps
The Flower Project
aims to provide
positive messages to
victims of domestic
or sexual abuse in the
Burlington area.
Throughout Winter Term and the
beginning of February, about 40 vol
unteers gathered with colorful scrap
book paper and mark
ers, creating personal,
handmade cards with
sayings such as “You
are so loved” and
“You are important.”
On Valentines
Day, these cards —
along with bouquets
of flowers — will be
delivered at the Family Justice Center
in Burlington, Allied Churches and
Crossroads Sexual Assault Resource
Center. They will be given as part of
The Flower Project.
The project was started by Elon
University senior Chloe Allei) her
freshman year to promote positivity
by reminding these women they are
loved.
“We were talking about ways we
could give back to the community, and
we were thinking about Winter Term
because usually it’s empty — there’s
not that much to do,” Allen said. “We
were thinking about prepping for
Valentine’s Day, and I volunteer for
Allied Churches, so I had the idea to
bring encouragement to them.”
Each person who comes to these
sessions brings their own unique ap
proach to the card-making.
“I’m not super creative with the
card-making, but what’s really cool is
you get to see everyone’s skills and tal
ents pour into the cards,” Allen said.
“Each card takes about 10 minutes. It’s
whatever people want to do.”
Since it was initially started. The
Flower Project has grown with more
volunteers, more money donated
through its website (theflowerproj-
ect2017.weebly.com) and a promo-
a.m., so she’s hoping to recruit more
volunteers, such as senior Ben Cha-
rette.
“It’s a great cause and it’s a cool
idea,” Charette said. “You’re spread
ing happiness. Chloe did a good job.”
While hand-delivering these cards
and bouquets, Allen has seen the im
pact the project has made.
Allen stopped one woman who
was about the leave the shelter with
out getting her bouquet or card. When
she approached her, the woman said,
“This made me feel so special.” And,
by chance, AUen pulled out a card with
I’M NOT SUPER CREATIVE WITH THE CARD
MAKING, BUT WHAT’S REALLY COOL IS YOU GET TO
SEE EVERYONE’S SKILLS AND TALENTS POUR INTO
THE CARDS,
CHLOE ALLEN
SENIOR, THE FLOWER PROJECT FOUNDER
tional video. Volunteers can now bring
about 250 bouquets to three locations.
Though Allen is the primary or
ganizer, she wouldn’t be able to do it
alone. Flowers are delivered to her two
days before Valentine’s Day, and she
needs all the help she can get to cut
the roses, take off the thorns and wrap
them in paper.
Last year, Allen and her team start
ed at 6 p.m. and didn’t finish until 1
the words, “You are so special,” bring
ing tears to the woman’s eyes.
Another time, a 14-year-old at the
Battered Women’s Shelter was given
all the cards and matched them up
with the other women at the shelter. It
gave her a small project that she had
fun with while feeling important, ac
cording to Allen.
“There are a lot of'thank yous’ and
people reading the cards as they walk
away,” Allen said. “You don’t really
know the impact you’re making. You
just got to have faith something will
come from it.”
The first year, Allen purchased the
flowers from BJ’s so she could buy
them in bulk. But after learning that
massive flower companies engage in
exploitative practices towards their
workers, she decided to switch to a fair
trade company, despite higher prices.
This year, after seeing The Flower
Project’s promotional video, the fair
trade company decided to donate
$250 worth of roses, bringing The
Flower Project to their goal almost im
mediately. Allen plans to donate the
extra money to the places they deliver
to.
As a senior, Allen will be passing
down the project to someone who’s
just as passionate about the mission.
“It’s a lot of work, a lot of plan
ning, just a lot of responsibility, so I
wouldn’t pass it down to someone
who didn’t want it,” she said. “I hav
en’t had anyone approach me yet to
say ‘I want to take this on.’”
But since Allen is going to be a
teacher in Charlotte as part of Teach
For America, she hopes to bring the
project there and have high school
students get involved and donate to
local shelters.
Though it may prove difficult, she
isn’t opposed to keeping the program
going at Elon University.
“I’m thinking I might just take it
with me but I don’t want to be selfish
about it, if someone else wants to do
it,” AUen said.
PHOTOS COURTESY Of
CHLOE ALLEN
Throughout
Winter Term and
the beginning
of February,
volunteers
make cards and
bouquets in
various
locations.
Each card is
handmade and
takes about
10 minutes to
create.