Blooms for Breast Cancer Patients

Written by Katrina Daniel Thursday, June 30 2011

Snapshot: Roberta Hershon
Everyone, it seems, has been touched by breast cancer. Whether it strikes a family member, beloved friend, or neighbor, breast cancer is all too common.

Roberta Hershon, Boston area chef and public relations executive, decided her mission in life was to make the lives of breast cancer patients happier, to bring sunlight and smiles into the lives of women undergoing treatment for breast cancer. So in 2007 Hershon founded Hope in Bloom, which plants gardens for patients.

Womenetics: Tell us about Hope in Bloom. What exactly does your organization do?
Roberta Hershon: Hope in Bloom provides a breath of fresh air and a ray of sunshine for people going through a very emotional and painful period in their lives. Hope in Bloom operates with a very simple format: Breast cancer patients apply for gardens and supply us with a note from their oncologist verifying that they are in active treatment.

Then volunteer landscape architects or designers meet with the recipients to determine the right kind of garden to fit the patient’s space and lifestyle. After that, the designer develops a garden plan. Hope in Bloom purchases the plants and materials, and a group of our 800 volunteers installs each garden. The requests we get far outweigh our funding. Currently there are 175 people on our waiting list. This is the only program in the world to provide indoor or in-ground container gardens free of charge at the homes of those with the disease. Womenetics: What inspired you to found Hope in Bloom? Hershon: The idea for Hope in Bloom was born during the 10 months my childhood friend, Beverly Eisenberg, was being treated for Stage IV breast cancer. I was bitten by the gardening bug when I bought my first house in my early 30s. About the same time, Beverly wanted to spruce up her place, too. We started slowly and learned together. Gradually our houses took on the look and feel we wanted. While Bev was sick, I made sure her garden looked great and that she always had fresh flowers in her house. I noticed how these simple gestures improved her outlook and helped her endure the harsh psychological side effects associated with cancer. We talked about what we could do to help other breast cancer patients cope. Bev was too ill to help develop the concept, but the idea to do something had been implanted in my brain. When Bev passed away, I did not know what to do with the grief. We had known each other from the time I was 7 and she was 8. Our birthdays were two days apart. We were inseparable for almost 50 years. Bev was the person we all want to be. She was kind to everyone. She had a healthy attitude and was the most optimistic person I have ever known. I truly hope everyone has a friend like Beverly. Founding Hope in Bloom was my way of honoring Bev’s memory and our desire to brighten the lives of other breast cancer patients. Womenetics: Hope in bloom is your avocation, not your day job. In fact, you’ve reinvented yourself several times and now own a public relations company. Tell me about that. Hershon: My PR/marketing firm, Blue Plate Communications, does not support Hope in Bloom, although my staff does pitch in to make the program run. I emerged from college to find work as a glorified administrative assistant. It was a role I loathed and was not cut out to follow. Women’s lib was at a fever pitch. I talked my way into a position where I had my own secretary. I vowed to teach this “sister” how to spread her wings and aim higher. I also vowed to change my career path, and I decided to perfect my culinary skills and enroll in professional classes. The first school was in Philadelphia with Julie Dannenbaum, then in Boston at Madeleine Kamman’s Modern Gourmet, and finally in Washington with the former White House pastry chef, Roland Mesnier. These credentials paved the way for me to cover food stories for the Boston Globe and national magazines. While I was freelancing and still working full-time in human resources, I launched my catering company, Culinary Creations. The day I began making more money catering than working for someone else, I quit my day job. Cooking for a living is hard. It’s physically demanding and can be hazardous to one’s waist. In my late 30s I was burned out. I sold the business and started a mail-order food catalog in the days before the internet. It was beginning to catch on when the recession of 1990 hit, and I was forced to close the business. I needed to quickly figure out what I was going to do next. I had been able to generate a lot of media attention for my catalog, so I figured I could do it for others. Blue Plate Communications was born on my dining room table with one short-term client and no business plan – not something I would recommend to anyone. I spent a scary and rocky first few years until the economy turned around and I was able to actually earn a living and bring on a staff. That was 21 years ago. Womenetics: What makes you get out of bed with a smile on your face every morning? What drives you? Hershon: For me, it’s a combination of things ranging from the chance to learn something new to helping a client achieve success, to planting a garden for someone in need of something to focus on other than their breast cancer. Womenetics: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten? Hershon: Slow down and relax. I am a Type A, who juggles many projects and wants them all done quickly and efficiently. Sometimes I move faster than necessary to clear my plate and move on to the next task. Womenetics: What’s the best piece of advice you have to give to others? Hershon: Set yourself up to succeed! If you make a mistake, own up to it. Focus on everything that’s good in your life and surround yourself with positive people. Give yourself permission to accomplish tasks at a pace that works for you. Laugh every day and remember that Superwoman exists only on television.

One Hope in Bloom project before Same project during installation And the finished garden Another Hope in Bloom 'before' picture And, during installation The finished garden Another view of the finished garden

Hope in Bloom is a finalist in the “Toyota 100 Cars For Good” contest. Basically, the contest was narrowed down from 5,000 charities that applied to win free Toyota trucks to 500, based on the merits of their projects. Supporters can vote for Hope in Bloom on July 27 by clicking on the charity in the Toyota 100 Cars for Good Program.

Katrina Daniel is an award-winning journalist and broadcast reporter/anchor. She has worked in Miami, Los Angeles, New York, and as a national correspondent for several networks. She commutes between Miami and the Carolinas, writing for magazines and news organizations. She lives with one horse, four dogs, and a cat.