Staff photo by Fritz Busch Tammy Kieper of Springfield looks at some of the 128 flower bouquets she sent to St. John Home campus residents this week.

SPRINGFIELD — A civic-minded Springfield woman made a big, positive difference in the lives of many local residents this week.

Tammy Kieper bought 128 flower bouquets at Springfield Floral and asked that they be delivered to residents at the St. John Lutheran Home campus.

Kieper’s order kept Springfield Floral employees busy putting the bouquets together on Thursday and Friday. Meanwhile, the delivery guy, Kevin Schwartz was busy delivering the bouquets to St. John Home campus residents both days.

A card that read “I hope to brighten your day. Tammy Kieper.” was included with each bouquet.

“I did this to brighten the day of people at St. John Home and to support a local business,” Kieper said. “It’s important for people support their local, small businesses now and to help keep residents thinking positively. This isn’t the only way to brighten people’s days. You can write letters, call them and do other things like emailing resident’s families.”

“This is a big change for all of us,” said St. John Home Administrator Tom Goeritz. “I tha

nk the public for its support and understanding. Not long ago, some of our volunteers made face masks.”

Goeritz asked that anybody with an idea about a way to positively impact residents and their families should call the nursing home first. “A group of people wanted to give little baskets to residents but we had to turn the offer down because we weren’t sure where they came from,” Goeritz said.

Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nujournal.com.