5 Ways to Give Back on Valentine's Day
Valentine’s Day is one of those days…
…where the focus is so much about romance and couples and fancy dinner dates that you almost forget what the point of the holiday actually is- LOVE. Loving friends and family, spreading love and kindness, loving and being confident in yourself. Trust me, you don’t need to go out for some bland pre-fixed over-priced dinner, you don’t need 5 dozen roses delivered from a secret admirer, and you certainly don’t need to be in a relationship to show love and kindness on Valentine’s day (and really any day, if we’re being honest). Whether you’re in a relationship or not, Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to spread a little extra love, especially to those who might otherwise be alone, sick or struggling. Below, I’m sharing more about 5 ways to give back on Valentine’s Day.
5 WAYS TO SPREAD EXTRA LOVE THIS HOLIDAY
1// SEND A CARD
I think outside of roses and chocolate, cards are the thing most synonymous with Valentine’s Day. I know for me, as a kid, my favorite thing was making my Valentine’s mailbox (aka a shoebox covered in all the pink, heart stickers and gold glitter I could find), then exchanging cards with kids in my class. However, for some, like kids in a hospital, or the homebound, or the elderly, getting Valentine’s Day Cards isn’t always as easy. Consider making some, or buying some, whichever you prefer, to either hand out at a local hospital or nursing home, or send out to those who could use a little extra love in their mailbox. There are even virtual options that are so easy to do, you basically have no excuse not to do them. Both the Children’s Hospital in LA as well as St. Jude’s have programs, but you can also peek at whole list of hospitals that have similar projects here. Check with local Meals on Wheels chapters as many of them accept Valentine’s Day Cards for their seniors. If you’re in NYC, Citymeals accepts cards for their seniors. Sometimes local libraries have card making opportunities, so that’s another great spot to check. Another easy way to find local opportunities us to simply Google things like “Valentine’s Day Cards for seniors + the name of your town” or “Valentine’s Day Cards for homebound + the name of your town”.
2// Adopt a pet
Instead of spending money on a dinner date, or another piece of jewelry, adopt a pet from a local shelter as either a gift to yourself or a gift for your significant other.
3// Volunteer Date
If you can’t adopt a pet, you can always volunteer at a shelter…or a soup kitchen…or a children’s hospital or for a beach clean-up or a myriad of other spots. Even better, you don’t need a significant other to go on this date. You can go with a friend, or even on your own. Don’t know where to volunteer? Start by searching a site like this to match you with an opportunity that is right for you.
4// Hand out roses at a nursing home
It’s fun to get flowers, but it’s even more fun to give them, especially to elderly individuals that may not be able to get out much or may not longer have anyone in their life to give them a Valentine. Just grab a few bouquets of roses, call ahead to a local nursing home and coordinate a time to come by, maybe grab a few friends and go spread some love. You can also check and see if there is a Cupid Crew in your local area (or maybe start one if there isn’t??!) and join them in handing out roses (and if you can’t make it out to volunteer, there’s also an option to donate). It’s amazing to see the joy that even a single flower can bring to someone’s day.
5// Give a gift that gives back
If you are going to give a gift, consider one that gives back- something made from repurposed material, jewelry that supports a community of female artisans in Africa, a donation to the recipient’s favorite organization, etc. I few of my favorites include this jewelry, loungewear and robes from this brand, candles from this company, these vases would make a great gift, this is another great shop to check out for jewelry options and choclate that gives back I love either this brand or this one. You can also check out this post for even more ideas.
