AMHERST, N.Y. (WKBW) — As many families prepare to celebrate Mother’s Day weekend, one Buffalo organization is focused on supporting mothers carrying a different kind of emotion— grief.
Hearts in Bloom Buffalo, through its “A Mother’s Love” initiative, is delivering flower arrangements and gift bags to more than 150 mothers across Western New York who have lost a child.
More than 100 volunteers spent days preparing the deliveries, all to remind grieving mothers they are not forgotten.
WATCH: Hearts in Bloom Buffalo delivers flowers and support to grieving mothers ahead of Mother’s Day
For founder Catherine Szabad, the mission is deeply personal.
After losing her son, Eric, in 2022, Szabad says she experienced a loneliness that changed her perspective on grief and support. She founded Hearts in Bloom Buffalo to create moments of compassion for people navigating profound loss.
The organization first began by supporting widows and widowers through Valentine’s Day deliveries before expanding its outreach to grieving mothers.
“You don't really hear many people or organizations doing something to that effect, and I thought how special,” Szabad said. “I founded Hearts in Bloom Buffalo with the intention of starting out with our widows and widowers for Valentine's Day, knowing we were gonna expand to our moms.”
Now, what started as a small effort has grown significantly, with volunteers assembling more than 150 baskets this year.
Szabad says the deliveries are about recognition, remembrance, and making sure mothers know their child is still remembered.
“Grief is a life sentence, unfortunately,” Szabad said. “But I'm hoping that what we're delivering to them today will help them understand that someone is thinking of them, that they're not forgotten and especially that their child is not forgotten.”
Hearts in Bloom Buffalo says it is continuing to look for sponsors and community support to help expand both its Valentine’s Day outreach and “A Mother’s Love” initiative in the future.
