Two-minute impact
Inspired by memories of her grandparents, White's mission began in 2022 to bloom joy in elderly residents. This year, she was able to make nearly 300 flowers that are being delivered throughout the week of Valentine's Day.
Zooming in
"It hit home with me being that I have no living grandparents, and I deeply miss and admire the feeling of being in the presence of someone who has stories to tell," White said. "My mother has worked in home health and cared for the elderly since before I was born, so I grew up around it. Most of the time, they had no family, or even if they did have family, the family didn't visit them. It was sad and bothered me because if I had my grandparents I would visit them every chance I could."
With that in mind, White—who owns Rustic Floral Designs by Makayla—began making as many handcrafted flowers as she could afford; however, donors have started learning about the project and are now helping with the effort.
"I try to just get enough money to cover the base supplies to help with the cost," White said. "I spend quite a bit of my own to make sure I can reach as many people as possible. Each flower is handmade, hand-painted and then put together by hand with love."
Zooming out
With the help of her daughter, Paisley, and a few other local residents, Flowers for Seniors was able to cover three facilities in Bastrop County, including the Bastrop Senior Center, Windsor Nursing Home and Towers Nursing Home, as well as a nonprofit hospice facility in Austin.
"We passed out the flowers at the senior center and Windsor earlier this week," White said. "On Valentine's Day, we are surprising Towers Nursing Home during their annual Valentine's Day party. On Thursday, I am heading to the hospice house in Austin."
Looking ahead
White said her goal in 2025 is to cover every senior facility in Bastrop County.
"With help from the community, I think we can definitely achieve this next year," White said. "A lot of people are not aware of this mission since I am such a small business still trying to make it out here."
White said she usually begins preparing Flowers for Seniors at the end of each year. Those who would like to help in 2025 can reach out to White online.
Notable quote
"Being able to do this and seeing the smiles and love from the elderly residents really brings me such joy," White said. "Knowing that, even if just for that moment, their worries and health issues disappear and seeing their happiness makes it so worth it."
