Seeds to second chances: Valley Rescue Mission’s fall flower sale in full bloom

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) — At first glance, the Valley Rescue Mission’s annual fall flower sale looks like any other seasonal fundraiser, rows of colorful mums, handmade planters, and friendly faces ready to help customers load their cars. But for the men behind those flowers, the sale represents something much deeper: a journey of redemption and recovery.

The blooms are cultivated year-round through the Mission’s Horticulture Program, part of the Crossroads Recovery Program for men battling addiction. The initiative combines work therapy with scripture-based lessons. This gives participants structure, skill-building, and helps to build a sustained sense of purpose.

“Twice a year we have flower sales where our guys are growing flowers in our greenhouses,” said Mike Gaymon, CEO of Valley Rescue Mission. “They fertilize them and water and then talk to them and pray over them and so forth to get those flowers to grow. And then we sell those flowers to the public.”

“When you come and buy your flowers from us, you get some beautiful flowers. But 100% of those dollars come right back into helping us support the mission.” Gaymon explained, “which is, feeding people who are hungry, giving clothing to people who need clothing, and giving them shelter, either in our men’s or women’s shelter and also in our addiction program.”

The work gives participants tangible skills and the pride of seeing something they nurtured go out into the community.

The Valley Rescue Mission also recently introduced a woodshop where clients repurpose reclaimed lumber into handcrafted planters to sell alongside the flowers.

Gaymon said the parallel between growth in the greenhouse and growth in recovery is intentional.

“Many of the men and women who come to us feel worthless,” he said. “It takes a lot of time for these little, teeny plants to grow into a beautiful mum. We tell the men and women, it takes a lot of time for you to grow into that person that we know you’re able to become, but it’s going to take time. It’s going to take effort, and it’s going to take some sweat equity as well. Just like you’ve got to do something to help yourself, we have to help these little, teeny flowers grow into beautiful flowers.”

For Jeremy, who’s five months into his stay at the Mission, that process has been life-changing.

“They gave me opportunities to, better myself in every way. It’s been a great opportunity to learn how to work with wood and it’s an opportunity to make a career out of this program also,” he said. “it’s an amazing thing. It really is just to see people come together in the community to buy things like that and support this place.”

Valley Rescue Mission has served west Georgia and east Alabama for 65 years, offering free residential recovery, family services, and shelter programs for men, women, and children. The organization accepts no tax funding, relying entirely on donors and community events like the flower sale to sustain its outreach.

The 2025 Fall Flower Sale continues through the end of October, with multiple locations across Muscogee and Harris counties, including sites in Columbus, Midland, Hamilton, and Pine Mountain. Proceeds support the Mission’s residential programs, which currently house 60 men and 20 women at no cost to participants.

“We tell our men and women the rearview mirror is small, but it’s important because you need to remember and see what’s coming. But the most important thing is the windshield, because the windshield really big,” Gaymon said. “We want them looking forward through the big, gigantic windshield of where they can be and what they can become.”

If you want to learn more about the Valley Rescue Mission’s programs, services, and flower sales, visit their website valleyrescuemission.org.