WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. — In the time leading up to Valentine's Day, a team is hard at work inside the Wheat Ridge Regional Center (WRRC), making not a typical bouquet, but instead one that is super sweet.
WRRC is a collection of 15 group homes that support people with intellectual or developmental disabilities. The center helps residents build independence, learn life skills, and receive medically coordinated care.
For over three decades, Carla Juarez has worked at WRRC and seen "a lot of changes, a lot of positive things." Her most recent role is serving as the day program coordinator and overseeing Blooming Sweets. This bouquet program employs individuals at WRRC to help assemble candy bouquets for certain holidays or special occasions.
"We are able to teach people different skills, basic skills, whether it's vocational, or learning how to take turns working cooperatively with other people," Juarez said. "With the candy bouquets, it actually is following instructions, attention to detail, sharing the tools and equipment, customer service, money management."
Four years ago, around Valentine's Day, marked the beginning of the sweet baskets. While there has been some trial and error, Juarez could not be prouder of how far the program has come.
"I think this is something that they can take with them, anywhere in the job that they're going to," Juarez said. "Creativity, putting things together, money management, safety. I think community awareness, social interactions with people — that's something that they can definitely take with them when they leave."
Julia Shorma lives at WRRC and is involved in the Blooming Sweets program. Having a learning disability, she explained, can make finding employment a challenge, but creating these bouquets allows her creativity to shine and fills her with immense pride.
"It's giving me a second chance to kind of regroup and learn a lot more," Shorma said.
From picking out the colors to coordinating what items go where, Shorma is paid for her hard work and has learned greater life skills.
"I would say patience because I would get frustrated like years ago, because I have a hard time with that, and I have learned to be patient with yourself and what you do because it's just more just being creative," Shorma said.
This Valentine's Day season, Juarez shared that the team assembled over 70 arrangements, including a delivery for the Broomfield Council on the Arts and Humanities (BCAH), a nonprofit that supports arts, cultural, and science programs.
Keri Dillingham, BCAH executive director, explained a "wonderful anonymous donor" believes in both WRRC and BCAH and wanted to support both causes at the same time. The bouquets that were delivered are then used for fundraising efforts, and several of the Valentine's arrangements are still available with free delivery.
"I would say you could certainly go to the store and buy something, but these are made with love," Dillingham said. "When you share them with your friends, your family, and your neighbors, and even maybe some of your favorite businesses, you are also supporting what Carla and Julia are doing."
While Valentine's Day may be their most popular holiday, Juarez explained they do other arrangements around Mother's Day and Halloween, along with special occasions. For those interested in supporting Blooming Sweets, you can email carla.juarez@state.co.us or call 303-463-2572.
