This mom from North Carolina has gone above and beyond to make Valentine’s Day unique for 400 widows.
The woman is Ashley Manning and together with her volunteering team, has delivered 400 flower arrangements and gift bags to widows all over Charlotte.
Manning arranged flowers as a hobby and also made bouquets for her friends and teachers who were having a rough time. Her hobby bloomed into Pretty Things by A.E. Manning and she thought it would be beneficial to reach more people.
Woman Delivers Flowers to Widows on Valentine’s Day
In 2021, Manning came up with the idea to send flowers to women who lost their partner or spouse.
She shared her thoughts on her Instagram and plenty of donations started coming in, as well as women who were nominated to get flowers.
Manning said it all kind of snowballed, but it’s really nice to see a good thing snowballing and though people say that misery loves company, happiness seems to like it as well, Manning believes.
Last Valentine’s Day, she surprised 121 women and two men with her stunning floral arrangements. This year, she managed to raise $22,000 and had 300 volunteers who helped her with the arrangements and the delivery of more than 13,000 flowers to 400 widows.
The recipients also got a gift bag that included a bottle of wine and gift cards from local businesses.
Manning Says She’s Learned Very Important Lessons from this Initiative
According to Manning, this outreach taught her that when you feel a tug in your heart because our world is full of sad and difficult things, to actually listen to it. There are people who’re in pain every single day.
She wants to turn this annual gift day Valentine’s Day Widow Project into a non-profit and to reach more women. The joy of giving, she explains, makes you feel amazing.
We love the idea, for sure! All women deserve love and kindness.
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