Volunteer Spotlight: Jeff Rondeau

Meet Jeff Rondeau, Hope Blooms Joymaker!

Volunteered since: July 2024

Katie, Program & Development Manager, shares “As a dedicated Petal it Forward volunteer, Jeff delivers flowers with a personal touch, taking the time to listen to each recipient’s story. His thoughtful approach not only brightens their day but also fosters meaningful connections in the community. ”

How do you spend your time with Hope Blooms?

I make bouquets, I process flower donations, I talk to flowers (out loud), I thank the flowers that don’t make it into a bouquet for trying their best to help others, I laugh, I make jokes, I pat myself on the back when I make a particularly great bouquet (!), I talk to everyone I know in the city about what we do ( a HB evangelist, you might say), I deliver flowers and I help with Flower Empower workshops….plus assorted tasks that I’m given (with the notable exception of shoveling snow).  And throughout all this, I spend my time smiling, because working with the HB team and visiting with/spending time with our flower recipients is pure happiness.

What do you love most about Hope Blooms?

The “energy” of the staff and volunteers, the genuineness of truly trying to bring sunshine into someone’s life and just getting to spend real quality time with people and hearing their stories.  I love that we’re encouraged to actually spend that time with people.  I actually love sometimes being the last one to leave a site after a delivery!  I love gently coaxing people who say “I don’t want flowers” into taking a bouquet and watching them smile, happy with their decision!  I love watching the contemplative expressions on people’s faces as they try and decide which bouquet they’d like best.  I love placing the selected bouquet in the location of their choosing and turning the vase around in a circle until they have just the perfect view that they like best.  I love hearing “for me?” which is never not special.  I make new pals at every stop we make.  The people I meet give me a gift that is incomparably soul and spirit lifting.  HB is the most impactful thing I do each week.  I feel like I’m truly making a difference in someone’s life and that’s my goal each day when I wake up (after I have my coffee, that is).  Yeah, I’m pretty into it!

What value do you see Hope Blooms bringing to our community?

It’s so hard to describe with words — you have to see it to really get it.  And you see it on people’s faces.  You hear it in their voices.  You witness it as they create wonderful flower masterpieces and the pride that shines through when they gaze upon what they’ve just made.  The flowers, beautiful as they are, are simply a wonderful vehicle that allows us into a stranger’s world so they can be seen and heard.  It’s a privilege just to be with them and share their life, even for 5 minutes.  In a world chock full of isolation and loneliness, HB comes equipped with flowers to remind people just how much they matter.  It is a pure, genuine and selfless mission that anyone — literally anyone — can get behind.