December 22, 2006

This is TJ with a handful of flowers near GM Place Stadium in Vancouver, BC.

One of the last Fridays in December '06, I was delivering TJ's flowers and sharing with him the goal of expanding this project to others in need. His first response was to ask if he could contribute (in whatever way) to making the project a success. It made me very happy to inform him that he is the reason the project started. It was watching him using park flowers to exchange for donations that inspired Flowers for Food.

Regardless, every week when I see him he is most humbly and sincerely grateful while recounting how he is now able to eat regularly. He has even bought a small tent for temporary shelter through the project's donations - your donations.

Thank you.

June 13, 2008

My Last Lesson

I pulled into the spot at Expo and Carral where TJ is always offering flowers to passers-by. He was not there. Instead, there was this guy, whom I had not seen until that morning (looking ragged and dischevelled) cleaning up garbage from the ground and nearby grass. I asked where TJ was, and he said he left for home. He went on to tell me that TJ was just ripped off (taken advantage of) again, and had all of his possessions (bike and clothes) stolen from him. I asked what he was doing and he told me y he was One of the last Fridays in December '06, I was delivering TJ's flowers and sharing with him the goal of expanding this project to others in need. His first response was to ask if he could contribute (in whatever way) to making the project a success. It made me very happy to inform him that he is the reason the project started. It was watching him using park flowers to exchange for donations that inspired Flowers for Food.

Regardless, every week when I see him he is most humbly and sincerely grateful while recounting how he is now able to eat regularly. He has even bought a small tent for temporary shelter through the project's donations - your donations.

Thank you.