LOUISVILLE, Colo. — A Louisville woman is giving back to her local food bank in a unique way, by exchanging bouquets of homegrown flowers and flower seeds for donations to Community Food Share.
Caitlin Hawksley lost her home in the Marshall Fire, but has found healing in a deeply personal way -- through her love of flowers and a commitment to giving back to the community that supported her in the aftermath of the fire.
Hawksley said her family was able to return home to their new house in March, shortly before growing season.
“This year was the first year I was able to really put down roots at our new house,” she said. “And my eyes were bigger than my garden plot.”
Hawksley started giving away bouquets from her garden cuttings to friends and family members who had helped them during the fire. That evolved into an online post offering bouquets in exchange for donations to Community Food Share.
“The garden inspires generosity and abundance, and I think that's sort of a mindset that we all need,” she said.
Hawksley’s campaign quickly took off, generating thousands of dollars in donations to the food bank, which provides assistance to people in Boulder and Broomfield counties.
“It was amazing,” Trevor Bosetti, Senior Markering Manager for Community Food Share, said. “I mean, this just felt like a storybook story or a storybook drive that she was putting together.”
Bosetti said the response to the drive was unlike anything they could have imagined.
“Flowers for food or flowers for donations is something that I think we wish we would have thought of here at some point,” he said.
Hawksley said it’s been powerful to realize how even a small gesture can have a big impact.
"I have the capacity to think about flowers and how I can give back because my basic needs are met at this time, but everyone needs to eat, and Community Food Share is making sure my neighbors have enough to eat and feed their families," Hawksley said.
Though the growing season has ended, Hawksley’s commitment to the cause continues. She is now giving away seeds from her flowers in exchange for further donations to the food bank.
"This is like deep soul work. It feels like just the beginning of something really good," she said, emphasizing the impact of even small contributions.
Her story is a reminder that, even after a tragedy like the Marshall Fire, communities can rebuild and grow — just like gardens.
“Everyone has a gift to share. No matter how small, it can make an impact,” Hawksley said. "Even a seed. Especially a seed."
You can find more information on Caitlin’s food drive here.