There’s a family in Wolseley that is using a flower-garden harvest to help make sure more people have enough to eat. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * There’s a family in Wolseley that is using a flower-garden harvest to help make sure more people have enough to eat. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? There’s a family in Wolseley that is using a flower-garden harvest to help make sure more people have enough to eat.
With young Ellianna Allen at the centre of the vision, supported by her mother and grandmother, and with help from her father and brother, she operates pop-ups from which she sells flowers from her oma’s garden, beautifully displayed in an array of vases big and small. When Ellianna was three years old she decided she wanted to sell Oma’s flowers and use the money for an important cause. With full family support, especially from Oma Erika Neumann’s gardening expertise, Ellianna’s idea quickly began to bloom, with her grandmother’s blessing and guidance.
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS From left: Monika Allen, Oma Erika Neumann and grandchildren Ellianna and Theo employ their love of flowers to spread beauty and raise money for Harvest Manitoba. Now seven, the Grade 2 student — who likes math, story time, noodles and cottage cheese pancakes — dedicates considerable time to helping organize a twice-yearly flower fundraiser with all money raised going to Harvest Manitoba. The non-profit organization distributes food to more than 380 food banks and agencies in every region of the province and feeds 20,000 households per month, making food-insecure Manitobans feel better cared for, less afraid and more secure.
Oma Neumann, a retired nurse, loves puttering around her yard and caring for the abundance of flowers she tends to every day. She also knows the value of gifting and sharing them with others. Many ask Neumann, as she presents them with a floral arrangement, “I’m not sick or dead, why do you bring me flowers?” But for the flower lady at what’s come to be known in Wolseley as the Happy House, the focus is on spreading flower power.
Word at the Horticultural Institute in Denver has it that flowers lower stress levels and anxiety. A study by Rutgers and La Salle University researchers noted that flowers have immediate and long-term effects on emotional reactions, mood, social behaviours and even memory. Additional research found that patients exposed to flowers have better health outcomes following medical procedures and report lower sensations of pain, anxiety and fatigue.
A bouquet of flowers can bring comfort, convey appreciation and beautify any room, so it’s to everyone’s benefit to find out how to incorporate more flowers into everyday life. As a former health-care professional, Neumann is familiar with these effects, which is why she has never hesitated to share her passion for horticulture. What began as a family appreciation for flowers has turned into a mission that has quickly spread into the neighbourhood and beyond.
Remembering the challenges of growing up in poverty in Paraguay, Neumann — the youngest of 10 children — recalls that back then a treat was having a papaya or melon to share with her siblings. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Erika Neumann’s flower arrangements — and her granddaughter Ellianna’s fundraising vision — have raised thousands for Harvest Manitoba. “I want to teach them to give back,” she said about her grandchildren, who are learning the value of being giving and kind to others.
Neumann’s daughter Monika Allen, her granddaughter Ellianna, grandson Theo and other family members, have been making quite an impact in their community. There’s a good chance that when Ellianna’s not studying Oma’s native German language, playing violin or taking piano lessons in her family’s nearby Wolseley home, she’s out watering plants at Oma’s Happy House and thinking about her next event. Ellianna’s mother said it all started quite small.
“Maybe $60 raised, then a couple of hundred, then $2,100,” Monika Allen said, adding the family continues to feel inspired by the generosity of the community. Though Neumann will make regular stops at second-hand stores to purchase more vases for upcoming fundraisers, residents have made a point of donating vases so she and her granddaughter can continue planning and arranging bouquets. “It’s the little things that count.
It’s not always about making money,” said Neumann as she referenced the many shades of her popular zinnias blooming in the backyard oasis. “Take what you like and give what you like. Take a flower home and brighten someone’s day.
Enjoy the flowers. It’s a joy to share. It makes me smile and it’s a joy just to give to somebody as a surprise.
” Weekly A weekly look at what’s happening in Winnipeg’s arts and entertainment scene. Ellianna said it makes her feel happy to be able to both contribute to Harvest Manitoba and see the joyful faces of those taking flowers home. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Erika Neumann is happy her love of gardening is helping her grandchildren learn the value of kindness and community.
“I help with watering, putting flowers in vases. I choose flowers and help others to choose. Even when the petals fall off, you can take that one out and you still have lots left,” she said.
The final pop-up fundraiser this year was held earlier this month. The festive scene included live music courtesy of a local piano player. Neighbours and family visited, assisting by tying bouquets and setting up tables and signage.
With dogs peeking in to check out what was going on, and children coming around to pitch in, it was a community-based team effort. “The kids have surpassed their goal of raising as much as last year for Harvest,” said Monika Allen, expressing her family’s gratitude for the community’s involvement and enthusiasm. “Last year the total was $2,000; this year is $2,131 so far, but there is more from the QR code that has yet to be accounted for.
“I want to teach the kids generosity and resourcefulness. Everyone at every age is contributing. We hope that it inspires people to listen to little kids’ ideas, and to know that a little bit can go a long way.
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