Royer’s Flowers & Gifts’ annual food drive collected more than 1,100 pounds of non-perishable items to benefit 11 food banks in the company’s seven-county market.
Royer’s Stems Hunger, as the food drive is known, ran June 27-July 4 at our 16 stores.
The recipient food banks were:
Helping Harvest in Berks County; New Hope Ministries and Salvation Army of Carlisle in Cumberland County; Hershey Food Bank and Manna Food Pantry at Pennbrook UCC in Dauphin County;
South Central Community Action Programs in Franklin County; Columbia Food Bank, Ephrata Area Social Services and Food Hub/Lancaster County Council of Churches in Lancaster County; Lebanon County Christian Ministries; St. Matthew Food Pantry in York County.
Food drive donors received a free carnation for each non-perishable food item they contributed, up to six per visit.
Royer’s Stems Hunger has topped 1,100 pounds in each of its 10 years for a total of nearly nine tons collected.
Category: Community involvement
Royer’s Kids Club seeking birthday card entries through July 15
They say that it’s better to give than to receive.
But you could do both if you win this year’s Royer’s Kids Club birthday card design contest.
The winning design will adorn the email birthday card that every kids club member receives on his or her special day. The winning artist will receive a free flower delivery on his or her birthday.
The contest is open to kids club members, ages 5 to 12. If you aren’t a kids club member yet, you can register for free at royers.com/kidsclub
To enter the contest, simply download the entry form here, create your design and drop it off at your nearest Royer’s store. The winner will be chosen in late July.
Good luck to everyone!
Royer’s Flowers’ annual food drive returns June 27-July 4
Summer already was a time of acute food shortages, especially for children who lose access to free and reduced-price meals through schools.
This year, the pandemic is compounding the problem, with millions of Americans seeking help from food banks for the first time.
Royer’s Flowers & Gifts is continuing to do its part to combat hunger with the return of its Royer’s Stems Hunger food drive, June 27-July 4, to benefit area food banks.
For each non-perishable food item, donors will receive a free carnation, up to a maximum of six carnations per visit. Donations may be dropped off at any Royer’s store during normal business hours.
Lebanon-based Royer’s (royers.com) operates 15 Royer’s stores in Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties. Sister company Stephenson’s Flowers & Gifts has one Harrisburg store.
Introducing a hopeful new coloring page for these uncertain times
The Royer’s Kids Club has offered coloring pages since its earliest days.
But we’ve never had one quite as poignant as the new one you see above. We created it in response to the fear and anxiety that children and even a lot of adults are experiencing in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
This new design shows a strong, vibrant iris rising out of a crack in a sidewalk and the powerful words of Corita Kent (1918-1986), an artist, educator and advocate for social justice.
Those words come from a longer quote: “Love the moment,” Kent said. “Flowers grow out of dark moments. Therefore, each moment is vital. It affects the whole. Life is a succession of such moments and to live each is to succeed.”
For many of us, these are dark moments because of the harm the pandemic has done to people’s health and to the economy. We are fearful for the safety and well-being of ourselves, of our family and friends, of our fellow human beings.
In another quote, Kent noted that there’s a “huge danger” in pretending that awful things don’t happen.
“But you need enough hope to keep going. Flowers grow out of darkness.”
The blue iris, for instance, is sometimes described as symbolizing “faith and hope.” And those are two qualities that will serve us well in the days, weeks and months to come as each of us plays a part in the fight against the pandemic.
For kids club members and their parents alike, we hope you’ll download our “Flowers Grow Out of Dark Moments” coloring page, make it completely your own by coloring it, and give it a place of prominence in your home: refrigerator, window, bedroom wall.
We’d love to see what you come up with and share pictures of your work on our social media pages. Photos can be emailed to marketing@royers.com.
As Corita Kent said, we need hope. Perhaps this simple coloring page, after you’ve brought it to life in your unique way, can be a beacon of hope to you and your family.
Dark moments don’t last. Hope endures.
Irish eyes were smiling at St. Patrick’s Day kids club event
It was the top o’ the morning and the afternoon at the March 14 Royer’s Kids Club event.
Children ages 5 to 12 had an opportunity, at 10 a.m. or 2 p.m., to make a special mum character in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. Thanks to everyone who joined us for what is one of our most popular yearly events.
This year’s remaining kids club events are scheduled for June 27, Aug. 15 and Nov. 7.
The best way to stay on top of kids club happenings is to become a kids club member. It’s free and includes a membership card and welcome kit; online activity pages; and our quarterly email newsletter, Buds.
Design your own bouquet at Jan. 11 Royer’s Kids Club event
A new year, a new Royer’s Kids Club event.
On Jan. 11, children ages 5 to 12 will have an opportunity to choose from a selection of flowers to create their own bouquets.
Time slots are available at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at all Royer’s stores. Registration is required by calling or visiting your nearest store.
This year’s other kids club events are March 14, June 27, Aug. 15 and Nov. 7.
Thank you for donating more than 1,000 holiday cards and coloring pages for veterans
In this season of giving, you sure did.
Our annual “Holidays for Heroes” event, which ran throughout November, collected more than 1,000 holiday cards and coloring pages for veterans.
We presented these cards and coloring pages to the American Red Cross, which this year is distributing holiday cards to more than 700 veterans in 30 locations in its Greater Pennsylvania Region.
One of those locations is Frey Village, a continuing care retirement community in Middletown, where the Red Cross and Royer’s hosted a holiday party for 18 veterans on Dec. 16.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to Holidays for Heroes and helped us celebrate our brave, selfless veterans.
Royer’s Flowers donates $1,000 to YWCA Greater Harrisburg
Royer’s Flowers & Gifts has donated $1,000 to the YWCA Greater Harrisburg.
The funds are earmarked for the YWCA’s emergency shelter, which provides housing to single women and women with children for up to 30 days.
Family-owned Royer’s donates $10 to women’s charities for every purchase of its “Admiration” arrangement.
Royer’s Flowers saluting veterans with free red, white and blue bouquets Nov. 11
Royer’s Flowers & Gifts will salute military veterans on Nov. 11 by giving them red, white and blue bouquets.
The offer is available in-store only at any of Royer’s 16 stores in Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon and York counties.
Non-veterans may purchase the bouquet for $3.99.
“Royer’s is grateful to the brave men and women who have served our country so that we may continue to enjoy freedom,” said Tom Royer, CEO of Royer’s Flowers & Gifts. “It’s our privilege to recognize our veterans in this small way.”
Royer’s Flowers offering free bouquet to donors at Nov. 9 blood drive in Camp Hill
Royer’s Flowers & Gifts is hosting a blood drive Nov. 9 at its Camp Hill store, 3015 Gettysburg Road.
The Central Pennsylvania Blood Bank bloodmobile will be at the store from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Anyone attempting to donate will receive a free bouquet.
Appointments are not needed, but donors should have ID, eat within four hours of giving blood, and stay well hydrated. Orange juice and snacks will be provided after donations.