Testimonials

It is great to hear feedback from people who have been effect by Petals class. It makes what we do worth it! Here are some wonderful comments from people who have seen and loved our flowers.

1  Dear Arc of Orange County,
I am writing to thank you for the beautiful flower arrangements that are decorating the tables at Foster's.  They are gorgeous.  I love the creativity that went into each of the vases and the flower combinations and arrangements.  You clearly have talented and skills artisans creating these flower arrangements. Thank you for brightening my day.  I think I am going to take one home with me so thank you for your random act of kindness! With gratitude, Debbie Horwitz

Hi! I was just at Fosters and saw the beautiful flowers you all had out and wanted to say thank you for making my day! I hit a low point today and your flowers totally cheered me up! You guys are wonderful! - “J”

How touched my mother and family was to receive the very beautiful and thoughtful flower arrangement today. They are filled with white roses, white star lillies and have already filled the house with fragrance. - Anonymous

We're so happy you enjoyed the flowers! 

Thank you PNC!

The ARC would like to send a big thank you to all the folks at PNC bank! Not only do the graciously let us use their space for Petals class, they also made us a lovely book shelf for us to keep our supplies. We literally couldn't hold Petals class with you. Thank you for all that you do!

The participants of Petals along with some PNC bank representatives. Thank you so much! 

Volunteer Spotlight: An interview with Panna

Our fearless leader, Panna, is in charge of Petals class. We would be lost without her guidance!

How long have you volunteered at the ARC?: "I started volunteering several years ago, and have been at Petals specifically for about a year and half now."

Why did you become interested in the ARC?: "I have a daughter with special needs, and she has been receiving services from the ARC for about three years. I knew it was a great organization."

What is your favorite part about Petals class?: "I am an interior designer, so I really love arranging flowers and making everything look nice. Petals class gives me an artistic outlet. It gives everyone a sense of purpose, and I love the interactions that go in class."

Do you think Petals class makes a difference?: "It makes a difference for everyone involved, and we also can make a difference in the community. For example, we have branched out by doing arrangements for weddings and different dinners. It's great to see Petals expand."

What are some of your other hobbies?: "Traveling, cooking."

What is your favorite flower?: "Everything. I like them all!"

A Typical Day in Petals Class

It's important to have a strong routine in Petals in order for the class to run smoothly and efficiently. We all work together as a team to make the process easy and fun!

First, we have to set up! We put newspaper down on the tables so we don't make a mess. It's important to keep the space cleaner than we found it. 

Saif is very excited to start working on the vases after he helped set up!

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We also have to prepare the beautiful flowers. We take them out of their wrapping so they're ready to be placed in the vases. We got very lucky this week as the flowers smelled exquisite!

We have to stay very organized in Petals so we know where our flowers are going! The bins and the signs tell us where our flowers are getting delivered and how many vases they need. We are so lucky to spread kindness and joy to so many different places in our community!

We also have to set up all the other materials used for the vases. This includes the twigs, ribbons, twine, and any other material used to decorate the vases. Everyone is so creative when they come up with their own vase design!

One of our awesome volunteers, Rebecca, using her artistic skill to create a beautiful vase! We're lucky to have so many volunteers and participants that strive for beauty and perfection.

Susan, our volunteer coordinator at the ARC, demonstrates how to make a twig vase. Instead of decorating a glass bottle, Susan places twigs around an empty tin can. The result is a perfect centerpiece!

Once the vases are ready, it is Beth's job to put a "Petals With a Purpose" label on the bottle. That way, everyone will know where the beautiful flowers are coming from and can find out more information about the great work the ARC is doing!

Beth putting the labels around the finished product. How beautiful!

All the hard work is paid off when you see how beautiful the vases are! From the twine to the flower arranging to labeling,  everything is done with care. It's amazing to see how all the baby steps add to up such wonderful products!

And they're ready for delivery! Everything comes together in the need, and it is such a great feeling of accomplishment to see all of the vases ready.

As you can see, Petals class takes a lot of work. But it also is very rewarding and fun too! Knowing that we're making a difference is an extraordinary feeling :)

Participant Spotlight: Brandon

Name: Brandon

How long have you attended Petals class? "About one year"

Why do you go to Petals class? "I like going to Petals because it helps me get out of the house an socialize with my friends."

What is your favorite flower? "Sunflower"

What are some of your other hobbies? "I like to go bowling and to go to the movies. My favorite movie is "The Three Stooges."'

Do you have any pets? "I have five cats."

What are you thankful for? "My family."

Participant Spotlight: Ewan

This week's participant is always smiling and is friendly to everyone around him. Meet Ewan!

Name: Ewan

How long have you been coming to Petals? "At least one year"

Favorite flower: Indigo flowers

Hobbies: "I like building and playing with model trains, going to Cooking class, I especially like to cook Philly cheesesteaks, cycling and watching game shows, Jeopardy in particular."

Birthday: July 20

Favorite holiday: Thanksgiving

What are you thankful for this year? "All of my friends at Petals class."

Pets: "I have a black cat named Maxie."

Ewan working on the vase tags. 

Participant Spotlight: Beth

This week's participant spotlight has been involved in Arc activities and has worked for The Arc for a little more than eight years. She has a wonderful spunky attitude, and is a great Petals class member!

Beth at Petals class.

Name: Beth

Birthday: November 19th

How long have you been involved with The Arc? "Eight years"

Favorite flower: "I like all of them, but the purple ones are especially my favorite."

Why do you like working and participating in programs at The Arc? "I like working at The Arc because of the people there; they are the nicest people."

What else do you do at The Arc? "I also participate in Cooking class, take picture of classes and events and help in the office sometimes. I also make some of the twig vases for Petals class."

What are your other hobbies? "Swimming at the pool, bowling and walking"

Do you have any pets? "I have a dog named Pepper. He's all black and very cute, but sometimes he can be a nut."

One of the twig vases Beth created!