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Cans n’ Roses: ‘Caring Rose Week’ kicks off at Otto’s Oasis

  • Christopher Anthony at Otto's Oasis and the Rev. Deb Lincoln, pastor at Jordan River Church, who runs the Messiah’s Food Pantry in Charles City, are taking part in “Caring Rose Week” from today through Friday. (Press photo James Grob.)

  • Christopher Anthony at Otto's Oasis and the Rev. Deb Lincoln, pastor at Jordan River Church, who runs the Messiah’s Food Pantry in Charles City, are taking part in “Caring Rose Week” from today through Friday. (Press photo James Grob.)

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

It’s a win-win-win situation.

Impress that special someone with flowers, save yourself a little cash, and give some food to a hungry family.

It’s called “Caring Rose Week.” This week through Friday, florists across the nation are discounting bouquets of one dozen roses and accepting canned goods as partial payment. The canned goods collected are distributed to feed those within the community who cannot otherwise meet their nutritional needs.

In Charles City, Otto’s Oasis is taking part. Customers can bring in a donation of two cans of food and receive a dozen roses for $10.

“Every year Otto’s Oasis does this,” said the Rev. Deb Lincoln, pastor at Jordan River Church, who runs the Messiah’s Food Pantry in Charles City. “It provides income for the pantry to purchase foods out of the Northeast Iowa Food Bank.”

Now in its 20th year, “Caring Rose Week” has distributed more than one-half million pounds of food since its inception. Nearly 300 flower shops across the Great Plains are participating.

“It’s just a wonderful way to support what we do, and that’s feeding people,” Lincoln said. “We don’t like to think that there are people who have food-insecure homes, but it happens.”

Christopher Anthony at Otto’s Oasis said that any customer can simply grab two unopened cans of food from their cupboard, bring them in, add $10, and receive a bouquet of roses.

“This is their part to alleviate the hunger out there,” said Lincoln, who added that one in every five children goes to bed hungry. “It’s a beautiful program, that Otto’s Oasis does here, as well as the many other organizations in town.”

The food contributed by Caring Rose Week donors is significant, not only in quantity, but in quality. Food pantries get wholesome foods not available from their traditional sources, and it goes to work in the communities where it is gathered.

“In this community, everyone kind of takes their turn at providing for the food pantry,” Lincoln said. “We’re very well taken care of by individuals in Floyd County. It’s amazing for me to be able to sit up at the top of this and look at everything that’s done to keep us afloat. Floyd County is full of big-hearted people.”

Coming at the onset of seasonally cold weather, Caring Rose Week helps food-distribution programs at a time when families begin to experience the greatest financial pressure.

“People need to know that they are making a difference with the funds they give,” Lincoln said. “They provide a basic necessity for individuals who really struggle with this.”

This week, florists across the central United States will gather more than 20 tons of food for those in need.

“These people are really appreciative,” Lincoln said. “I hear so many ‘thank-yous,’ and I try to share with them all the different organizations and what they’re doing and where the money comes from, just to kind of keep them in the loop.”

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