Curbside Chronicle Selling Flower Bouquets To Help Combat Homelessness In OKC

People in the Oklahoma City area will be able to purchase bouquets for their significant others, while also helping those working their way out of homelessness.

Tuesday, February 12th 2019, 6:32 pm

By: News 9

Curbside Chronicle Selling Flower Bouquets To Help Combat Homelessness In OKC

People in the Oklahoma City area will be able to purchase bouquets for their significant others, while also helping those working their way out of homelessness.

The Curbside Chronicle, which is a program of the Homeless Alliance, will be selling flower arrangements Wednesday, February 13 through February 16.

The bouquets are made and sold by vendors who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness.

“At the end of the day, you can see what you've produced. You start with one flower and you end up with a bouquet. And people really like it. All of my customers buy them. They love it,” said Rhonda Ezell, a Curbside Chronicle vendor.

Curbside Chronicle is a way to provide employment to Oklahoma City's homeless population. Typically, they sell their local magazines, but this is the third year they've included bouquet sales during specific holidays.

“We're always looking for additional ways to help our vendors earn income, and so we just thought that this could be a really fun, special way to include them in the holidays,” Ranya Forgotson, Director of Curbside Chronicle at the Homeless Alliance, said.

Vendors wearing green Curbside Chronicle vests will be selling the small bouquets on sidewalks, intersections, and public spaces in OKC. There will also be pop-up booths located at DNA Galleries in the Plaza District, Leadership Square downtown, and Stella Nova just off of north Western Avenue.

“I’m so grateful for the Curbside. And I'm so grateful for the opportunity to do the flowers and sell the magazines. Because, I'm 61 and it makes me feel productive and be able to do that,” Ezell said.

Some additional news, as of last month, Curbside Chronicle won a grant from the Oklahoma City Community Foundation to help fund a brick-and-mortar flower shop that will employ men and women transitioning out of homelessness.

Curbside will be taking additional donations to finalize the facility but hopes to open the flower shop by 2020.

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