Acw Presents the flower cart

On Monday March 20, Jeff Kelly, from The Flower Cart, spoke to a group of 25 people at St. John’s. Jeff gave an overview of the work this organization has been doing for 53 years. The Flower Cart supports people of varying abilities in vocational training. They focus on finding and supporting work opportunities. The clients build relationships within this community.

The Flower Cart is known for the Bakery Choice Fine Foods which supplies local businesses such as Joe’s and King’s Common. The Flower Cart blends spice mixtures, packages hot chocolate as well as many other well known products we all can find locally. (About 7 companies)

The Flower Cart has a social enterprise component (SES). They support workers in employment at places such as Walmart, Michelin. The organization helps the clients to find the right amount of work, the ability level of work and travel support, in order to get to work.

The Flower Cart has been creative in Rainbow Pride Bench building, washer toss games, reclaiming pallets from Divert Nova Scotia for crafts and beach clean-up.

In order to expand their facility’s abilities and to create space for community and better accessibility, the Flower Cart has undertaken building a new site. The budget has had to be reset due to the pandemic slow-downs and rising costs. A fundraising program is underway in order to prevent the new site from holding a mortgage. This new building is expected to be complete by the end of the summer.

Opportunity for a new enterprise in the new site, called Bloom, will provide space for the community to bring laptops into a co-working space. Event rental space will also be available. This enterprise provides invaluable support for those who are making contributions in this community.

Our thanks to Jeff for his overview and the work he and his team do.