Hello Blossom supporters,
We hope this finds you and your family healthy and safe as you deal with the disruptions that COVID-19 has brought to all of our lives. We’d like to provide you with an update on Blossom and Quest, Inc., our umbrella organization.
Blossom has been significantly impacted during this pandemic. Due to governmental recommendations and for the safety of our team, Quest has indefinitely closed the training center in Orlando where Blossom products are produced. Although we are able to fulfill orders from our available inventory, we are not currently creating new products.
This is heartbreaking for the individuals on the Blossom team as they are not receiving a paycheck during this time, hindering their road to independence. They are also missing out on the daily camaraderie and meaningful activity that came with crafting, packaging and shipping our products. One of our Blossom team members, Nathan, recently appeared in a Spectrum 13 news story explaining how he misses the team.
The COVID-19 crisis has also wreaked havoc on Quest's finances and operations as a whole. We have had to shutter six year-round services that brought in $5-6 million in annual revenue for the organization and we've furloughed over 100 of our staff. These closures included our training centers in Apopka and Tampa, where individuals learn meaningful work and life skills, as well as Quest Kids Therapy, which provides ABA therapy for children with autism and other developmental disabilities.
For ongoing updates on COVID-19 impacts to Quest operations, please visit our COVID-19 Updates page.
Remember, the sun always shines after a storm. We look forward to when our team can safely go back to crafting all our artisanal products and continue adding to the amazing skillset they started building. Thank you for your ongoing support that has brought so much opportunity and meaning to the lives of our team.
We will Blossom again.