Hilltop Florist start Hope in Bloom program for nonprofits

MANKATO — Customers of Hilltop Florist and Greenhouse can brighten their homes next month and at the same time support the BackPack Food Program.

Deb and Kevin Newman, the new owners of the longtime business, have started a “Hope in Bloom” program to help local nonprofits.

“We wanted to start a program aimed at raising both awareness and financial benefit for area nonprofit organizations,” Deb Newman said.

Newman knows the needs of nonprofits having previously worked at Partners for Affordable Housing and then the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota. She said a different floral arrangement and a different benefiting nonprofit will be featured each month.

Trisha Sizer and Callie Sieberg, longtime employees at Hilltop who are also teachers, designed the September arrangement that will raise funds for Feeding our Community Partners, which runs the BackPack program that provides food for school children.

The September arrangement is $50 with 20% going to BackPack.

Holly Dodge, of Feeding our Community Partners, said the group doesn’t get state or federal funding and relies entirely on donations and grants.

“We’re just thrilled,” she said. “It’s cool that teachers made the first arrangement.”

The BackPack program is ramping up for the new school year and enrolling students.

“We added seven locations and now serve 28 schools in five districts,” Dodge said. The group is also for the first time serving parochial schools.

They served 900 youths last year and expect to serve 1,200 this year.

Parents can enroll their children in the program by getting a form at the school or online. “Enrollment is free and families only have to recognize themselves as food insecure,” she said.

She said some people may assume the need is less at parochial schools but said many of the students attending are on scholarships.

BackPack is in the Lake Crystal, Mankato, Maple River, St. Clair and Nicollet school districts.