South Elgin nursing home residents love weekly flower donation

A weekly donation of flowers has brightened a South Elgin nursing home whose residents say they enjoy making the colorful arrangements that adorn common areas.

"I think it's amazing that we get these fresh, gorgeous, gorgeous flowers," said Sue Lamie, a resident of South Elgin Rehabilitation & Health Care Center. Tuesday, Lamie and others arranged assortments of roses, chrysanthemums, snapdragons and daffodils. "The florist, she's just fantastic."

"I don't know what I am doing," said resident Bonnie Clemenson, who carefully picked flowers one by one and placed them in individual vases, "but it's enjoyable."

Activity director Cindy Brandlein, who was hired about two months ago, said she's been trying to come up with new, creative ways to engage the residents without spending much money.

About two weeks into her new job, she walked into Debi's Designs in South Elgin and asked owner Debi McGlinn whether she'd be willing to donate flowers, she said.

McGlinn said she agreed immediately. She now donates flowers every week, sometimes twice a week.

"If I have extra flowers for the week that I feel is not going to last more than four or five days, I give them to them," McGlinn said. "I'm doing this as a service to the community."

Brandlein said she's also thinking of fundraising ideas for the activity department, such as possibly a car wash involving her son's church youth group.