You Deserve a Bouquet Today: Charlotte Keniston and Pigtown Food for Thought

Baltimore’s Open Society Institute (OSI) fellows are always inspiring. Charlotte Keniston is one of the 2014  fellows.  Her story caught our eye because of the amazing work she’s doing in the Pigtown neighborhood in Baltimore. A past Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala, Charlotte wanted to bring fresh, healthy food to her community in Pigtown.  Pigtown had long been a food dessert, devoid of opportunities to buy healthy food.

She helped start Pigtown Food for Thought in 2012 to bring food farming to her urban neighborhood. But Charlotte wasn’t just focused on food and farming. She and the folks at Pigtown Food For Thought also introduced eating and cooking together programs to bring their neighbors together around healthy food.

Food justice work in Baltimore with a concentration on community building is exciting and innovative and we wanted to say THANK YOU! Great work Charlotte! You Deserve a Bouquet Today!

You Deserve A Bouquet Today: #For3oMore

Cystic Fibrosis. If you asked me a month ago what this disease was all about, I wouldn’t be able to tell you too much. I didn’t know anyone with CF…until I met Katherine. Katherine was introduced to me by a past client and now friend, Renee Beck. Katherine is a beautiful young woman with a passion for life. She is committed to making a difference in the life of people living with CF. Her story inspired me and reminded me that each of us has the power to make a positive impact on our community. She was a perfect recipient for our You Deserve a Bouquet Today bouquet.

In Katherine’s own words:

“At 16 I was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, a life-threatening genetic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system.Even 13 years later I’m still a long way from fully dealing with what it means to have this disease and the implications it has on my future.

Right now, my life looks like many other 29 year olds?. I have a wonderful husband, fabulous family and friends, and a job that I love. But unlike most people my age, I have to do time-consuming daily treatments, spend countless hours at the hospital, and worry about what my future looks like.

When I was born in 1984, the life expectancy of someone with CF was just 25 – on September 26th I’ll turn 30! And I can’t wait to celebrate the many things this wonderful life has allowed me to do.”

In celebration of her upcoming 30th birthday, Katherine and her friends set out to raise $15,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation over 30 days in September.  #for3omore  has raised $8310 to date and there are still 18 days to go! The way it works: great prizes are donated by local businesses. You bid on the prizes like in a regular auction and try to win.  All the bids are donations to Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Local Color Flowers was thrilled to donate a $50 gift certificate for the first day of the auction. Check the site for new prizes this week!

There are still 18 days left. If you’d like to make a donation to Katherine’s fundraiser, check out the auction site. There are amazing prizes to win and you’ll be making a difference in the lives of people suffering from Cystic Fibrosis.

Keep up the amazing work Katherine!! We’re behind you all the way!

You Deserve A Bouquet Today: Water Wheel Trash Interceptor

By Carling Elder

You know how you often you hear a story of someone making a positive change to your city and think, “That’s awesome!” but never actually thank or acknowledge them because you assume someone else will?

Here at Local Color Flowers, we are making it our responsibility to thank the individuals who are making positive changes to Baltimore by re-launching our “You Deserve a Bouquet Today” giveway. We know the work these individuals are doing is never easy, and yet they carry on; their dedication affecting work and play in Baltimore in very meaningful ways.With our favorite medium - locally grown flowers, we hope to let these people know just how grateful we are for their contributions to our city, and to share some LoCoFlo love along the way!

Our first bouquet giveaway was to John Kellett, inventor of the Water Wheel Trash Interceptor. If you haven’t see this Water Wheel, get down to the Baltimore harbor! Floating in the water, the Water Wheel looks like a giant sea creature with a glistening white shell, and solar-panel bug eyes. It’s definitely eye-catching, and as John said, a major attraction for both tourists and Baltimoreans alike. Much cooler looking than a harbor full of trash! 

The Water Wheel works by pulling trash out of the water with a leaf rake. The trash then moves onto a conveyor belt, from which it is dropped into a dumpster. Best part is, the Water Wheel is powered by the renewable energy of the water current, and solar panels! For more information and videos, visit  Facebook (just make sure you have plenty of time - it’s fascinating!).

The best part of giving flowers to John, was actually meeting him, and hearing his story of the Water Wheel’s inception. When John met us at the Water Wheel, speeding up on his motor boat, he told us how the Wheel began. He told us that he worked down in the harbor for years, and each day would walk across the bridge connecting Pier 5 to Harbor East. John said that each day he felt disgusted by the amount of debris he saw floating the water. He stated that he would also hear tourists commenting on how gross the water looked, and said he often felt saddened that a harbor full of trash was often visitors’ first impression of Baltimore.

Something had to change, and John made it his mission to invent a solution to this trash problem. The Water Wheel has already received international press and recognition.

As we handed John his flowers, carefully reaching out over the water, we thought that there are few people more deserving of recognition than John! What this Water Wheel has done for the harbor already is amazing, and it’s only in the beginning of its journey!