Our beloved Jess Falk has been going through an incredibly difficult stretch with ulcerative colitis. After a severe flare and several weeks away from work, Jess recently underwent major surgery to remove their colon and is now adjusting to life with an ileostomy. While we're incredibly relieved to have Jess home and recovering, this is just the beginning of a long healing process. Their recovery may include two additional surgeries in the months ahead, along with plenty of rest, adjustment, appointments, and time away from work. If you know Jess, you probably know two things about them: they are extraordinarily thoughtful and generous when it comes to showing up for other people, and they are strong, stubborn, and not particularly fond of asking for help themselves. So we're doing a little of the asking for them. This page is a way for the many people who love Jess to show up for them in some of the same ways they've shown up for us. There are lots of ways to help, whether that's giving a few hours of your time, walking Oliver, pulling some weeds, making a simple meal, helping keep the flower farm moving, or contributing financially while Jess is unable to work. You don't have to do something big for it to matter. Pick whatever feels doable for you. And if you're someone who knows Jess through the studio, flowers, friends, or community but doesn't consider yourself part of their "inner circle," please know that you are absolutely welcome to sign up. Many hands really do make lighter work. Thank you for helping us take care of someone who spends so much of their life taking care of others. 💛 💐 Flower Farm Help Thursday mornings | Approximately 4 volunteers Come lend a hand with Thursday morning flower harvesting and bouquet making for the Maple Street Flower Stand. Jess & Jenny will lead the harvest, and we're looking for around four volunteers who are comfortable taking some direction and interested in helping harvest flowers and create market-ready arrangements. No flower-arranging expertise required! Just bring some willing hands and be ready to learn. Keeping the flower stand going is an especially meaningful way to help Jess maintain something they love while their ability to physically work is limited. 🌱 Yardwork Help There are always weeds to pull and grass to mow! In particular, we are currently engaged in a deep and ongoing battle with a vine that has been haunting the yard, and reinforcements would be very welcome. Come hunt it down, pull some weeds, mow the grass, or generally help keep things from getting too wild while Jess recovers. About 90% of the plants are on a drip system, but there are also a few things that need hand-watering. No need to tackle everything. An hour of help is still an hour Jess and their family don't have to spend doing it. 🐕 Take Oliver for a Walk Oliver loves a short walk around the neighborhood, and he currently has a few openings in his very busy social calendar. Oliver is blind and deaf but is a real delight to take on a stroll. His leash and harness are hanging by the back door, and he will happily clear his schedule to go with you. A short neighborhood walk gives Oliver an adventure and takes one small daily responsibility off the family's plate. 🧺 Household Help Sometimes the least glamorous help is the most helpful. Come by and tackle whatever feels manageable. Possibilities include: Moving laundry along Sweeping or vacuuming Doing dishes Taking out trash, recycling, and compost Tidying the kitchen Cleaning the bathroom Giving the living room a little attention Tidying or cleaning Jess' recovery room Cleaning supplies, including gloves, are available under the kitchen sink. 🚗 Errands & Pickups Recovery comes with a surprising number of little errands. From time to time, help may be needed with things like: Grocery runs Pharmacy or prescription pickups Picking up household supplies Dropping off or picking something up around town Other miscellaneous errands We'll add specific needs to the calendar as they come up. If you're someone who is frequently out and about and doesn't mind adding an extra stop, this is an easy way to help. 🚙 Rides & Appointments Jess may have follow-up appointments and other places they need to get to during recovery. When rides are needed, we'll add them to the calendar. Depending on the appointment, this might mean simply providing transportation or occasionally being available to wait and bring Jess home afterward. 🍲 Meal Help Jess is still very early in recovery from ileostomy surgery, so their digestive system needs a little extra kindness right now. For the next few weeks, food needs to be simple, soft, and low-fiber. And an important update for anyone who has cooked for Jess before: Jess is no longer gluten-free! Please don't worry about making anything fancy. Small portions of simple foods are perfect. Please avoid for now: Raw fruits or vegetables. Everything should be peeled and cooked very soft. Whole grains, nuts, seeds, corn, and popcorn. Heavy spices, onions, garlic, beans, and broccoli. Some easy ideas: Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with plain white toast, or plain oatmeal with a ripe banana. Lunch: A simple turkey sandwich on white bread without lettuce or tomato, or chicken noodle soup. Dinner: Plain baked chicken or fish with white rice, mashed potatoes without skins, or very well-cooked carrots or zucchini without skins or seeds. Snacks: Saltine crackers, applesauce, plain yogurt, or even marshmallows, which happen to be a Jess-approved recovery snack! When in doubt, simple and bland is better than elaborate. 💵 Help With Lost Income & Recovery Expenses One of the hardest parts of a major medical event isn't something you can fix with a casserole. Jess has already been unable to work for several weeks, and we don't yet know exactly how long their recovery will keep them away from their normal work. With the possibility of additional surgeries ahead, there may be more stretches of recovery and lost income to come. Financial contributions will help give Jess and their family some breathing room for lost wages, everyday living expenses, medical and recovery-related costs, groceries, and all of the unexpected expenses that come with a major health crisis. If giving your time isn't possible right now but you'd still like to show up for Jess, contributing financially is an enormously helpful way to do that. No amount is too small. A whole community pitching in a little can add up to something really meaningful. 🛒 Gift Cards & Flexible Help Sometimes the most useful thing is simply having the flexibility to get what's needed that particular day. Gift cards for grocery stores, meal or grocery delivery, gas, or other everyday necessities can help fill the gaps between scheduled meals and volunteer visits. They also give Jess and their family the freedom to say, "This is what would actually make today easier," without having to ask someone directly. 💌 Cards, Notes & Little Bits of Love Practical help is wonderful, but encouragement matters too. If you want to send Jess a card, note, drawing, funny story, or little reminder that you're thinking about them, those are very welcome too. Please don't feel like Jess needs to respond. Part of the goal here is to surround them with love without creating another list of things they feel obligated to do. Drop off your love, figuratively or literally, and let them focus on getting better.
Please avoid for now: Raw fruits or vegetables. Everything should be peeled and cooked very soft. Whole grains, nuts, seeds, corn, and popcorn. Heavy spices, onions, garlic, beans, and broccoli. When in doubt, simple and bland is better than elaborate.