Joy Blossoms Across Chicago with Bloom 'N Toss

Bloom 'N Toss Repurposes Discarded Yet Still Beautiful Flowers Spreading Joy To Deserving People

Over this past year, I became connected with an amazing organization through the world of Instagram -- Bloom 'N Toss! Bloom 'N Toss repurposes flowers discarded by area florists, stores, and other businesses by sharing them with deserving people throughout Chicago and the suburbs. The Bloom 'N Toss journey began in the Fall of 2004 when Catherine Costello and her daughter Alex observed store employees tossing expired -- but still beautiful -- flowers into garbage bins. Catherine asked if she could take some of the discarded flowers to spread joy at a local nursing home. From this simple gesture of kindness, Bloom 'N Toss was born. Bloom 'N Toss' mission is just so simply beautiful and I am thrilled to share more about this incredible organization with you.

Catherine Costello and volunteers gather gorgeous bouquets to spread joy.
Image credit Bloom 'N Toss.

Bloom 'N Toss connects a network of people throughout the Chicago area through joy including businesses, event planners, volunteers, and deserving recipients. If you follow Bloom 'N Toss on Instagram, you will see how this network just blossoms throughout our region. Bloom 'N Toss volunteers collect unwanted flowers from flower wholesalers, event planners, grocery floral departments, and florists and then repurpose them by delivering still gorgeous blooms to deserving individuals all over Chicago. The blooms brighten the days of thousands throughout the region including the disabled, elderly, cancer patients, and first responders. 

“I have always been passionate about giving to others and including everyone at all stages of their lives, spreading joy and love with every donation.”

       — CATHERINE A. COSTELLO   

Recently, I spoke to co-founder Catherine Costello about Bloom 'N Toss and have interesting details to share with you. Since we have been connecting on Instagram for a while, I feel like Catherine is a friend and she definitely is a kindred spirit in finding ways to spread the good. Please take a moment to learn what Catherine has to share with us about Bloom 'N Toss:

Bloom 'N Toss volunteers are passionate about spreading the joy! Every day they uplift deserving individuals in the Chicago area with the beauty of flowers! Image credit Bloom 'N Toss.

What type of impact has Bloom 'N Toss had? 

I would like to think that I am considered a networker for good. We make connections that count and connections that make a difference period. Inspiration lies within the ability to see the joy and the happiness that flowers bring to everyone no matter what stage or phase of life they are in. People that are in food lines preferred to take flowers over food because they are considered a luxury item and most of these people cannot afford flowers. We also find that when we work with seniors and memory care centers, flowers bring back a lot of memories after all so many people were gardeners at one time. I cannot begin to tell you the power that flowers have. Time and time again we witness the happiness and the joy. The recipients are just so happy to be thought of.

For deserving recipients, a bouquet of brilliant blooms brings back so many good memories and ignites happiness and joy. Image credit Bloom N' Toss.

Is there a special story you would like to share?

At one point in time, we were donating to a facility that had people that were blind. We became friends with a woman who knew plants better than me. I had several plants that I brought her. With her eyes sealed shut, she used her fingers and identified each plant for me. It was a very touching moment.

Can you share a little about the recipients of Bloom 'N Toss bouquets?

We donate flowers all across the city of Chicago and neighboring suburbs. We are involved in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life where we donate flowers to survivors. Little City also partners with us for this event and they help us make beautiful arrangements. We donate to memory care centers all across the city, nursing homes all across the city, first responders, seniors, the disabled, people that are in hospice, the visually impaired, the sick, cognitive and physically disabled, and many other groups spreading joy and elevating the spirits of thousands of deserving people.

A bouquet of flowers elevates the spirit and spreads so much joy!
 Image credit Bloom 'N Toss.

What areas does Bloom 'N Toss cover?

Wherever there are flowers to be donated, we make it a point to get there. From Shorewood, Illinois to Lake Bluff and any other suburb you can think of, we never say no.

How can the community get involved?

Anyone can get involved. All they have to do is contact me at bloomntoss@gmail.com.

What are your goals for 2023?

My goals for 2023 are to get more stores involved, more event planners to pay it forward, and to get everyone to think twice before tossing. It is also to bring joy to more communities and more populations of people out there that are so deserving. Where there is love, there is a smile. We want to see more smiles!

Thank you, Catherine, for sharing about Bloom 'N Toss! We appreciate everything you and your volunteers have done to uplift the community. I look forward to our connection in doing good in 2023!