Kati Mayfield: FloweRescue

Kati Mayfield, originally from the United States, moved to Finland to study entrepreneurship. But life had a different plan for her in Helsinki, where she took on the role of an entrepreneur. This journey led to the creation of FloweRescue, an extraordinary non-profit with a mission close to her heart. This is a heartwarming story of a brand that once started as a sustainability-driven vision that took a meaningful turn, one that rescues good-quality unwanted flowers that would go to waste but instead serve a special purpose, reusing them into gifts of joy for those in need, such as elderly care homes or other vulnerable communities. They address two key issues -  reducing floral waste in the industry and bringing smiles to people's faces by connecting them through the beauty and joy of flowers.

How It All Began

Having worked in a flower shop, Kati witnessed firsthand how many beautiful blooms never made it to customers, discarded due to aesthetics and minor imperfections, damage, or simply failing to meet commercial standards. Kati also noticed how, especially after holidays, festivals, and celebrations, a massive amount of floral waste was thrown away, many of which were still usable and very much alive. 

Instead of watching this cycle repeat, Kati took action. FloweRescue was born from the idea that no flower should go to waste before bringing joy to someone.

Watch Kati's story up close here behind her beautiful, powerful non-profit.

The Heart of FloweRescue

A Spirit-Lifting, Hope-Restoring, Community-Based, Sustainable Organization.

Their vision - No flower goes to waste before bringing joy to someone.

They collect unwanted surplus flowers from wholesalers, florists, and events. They clean flowers from florists and gather unsellable flowers from different flower markets. Volunteers enthusiastically participate in sorting these flowers, high-quality ones are picked for reuse, while the rest are composted instead of being wasted. The selected flowers are then arranged into colorful bouquets and delivered to elderly care homes, shelters, refugee centers, and similar organizations, brightening their day and spreading love through flowers. In 2022 alone, they donated over 2,000 bouquets.

One particularly interesting aspect of their volunteers is that they range in age from 4 to 80+ years old and how sweet is that? Everyone comes together with compassion to spread smiles through a sustainable initiative.

With no disparities across backgrounds, without boundaries, or barriers, just a belief that flowers should be accessible to everyone.

Kati Mayfield has expressed her desire to expand FloweRescue further, exploring upcycling not just stick to diverting flowers from landfills but repurposing them into something new. They aim to reuse floral waste into handmade paper, support designers in creating sustainable leather alternatives, and explore every possible avenue of upcycling and the circular economy.

Kati also organizes workshops to network and raise awareness, mainly focusing on floral waste. These workshops feature professional florists who teach participants how to clean, preserve, and refresh flowers to extend their lifespan.

They conduct Donation Bouquet Workshops which focus on:

- Learning to make flower bouquets
- Creating flower arrangements to be donated to residents at a local elder care home
- Understanding some of the sustainability challenges within the global floral industry

FloweRescue is all heart, built on love for people, for the planet, and for the fleeting beauty of flowers, and as founder Kati beautifully puts it, 'Flowers unite people.' Positivity, well-being, and sustainability come together in a beautiful and heartfelt way. This initiative is a sweet reminder that even small, thoughtful acts can create ripples of happiness for the environment and for the well-being of communities. Sustainability is met with kindness, and every bouquet tells a story of hope.

Because no flower should go to waste before making someone smile.