US2 min(s) read
Published 15:51 14 Feb 2022 GMT
Valentine's Day is always hard when you've lost your partner or spouse.
That's why one North Carolina woman has taken it upon herself to spread love to widows who are marking the day without their husbands.
Mom-of-four Ashley Manning will deliver flowers and gift bags to 400 widows across the city of Charlotte this February 14th.
With the help of a team of volunteers, Manning is bringing a touch of romance to what might otherwise be a difficult day for those women.
The project began after Manning - who left her job as a pharmaceutical sales rep to be a stay-at-home mom - found a love of flower arranging in her spare time. It wasn't long before her hobby became a fully-fledged business, and Pretty Things by A.E. Manning was born.
"When I started Pretty Things by A.E. Manning, I started thinking about Valentine's Day," the businesswoman told Good Morning America, adding: "I thought, I have a platform now to maybe involve more people."
Manning floated the idea of giving flowers to widows on her Instagram. The response was immediate and overwhelming. Within hours, she had received hundreds of dollars in donations and dozens of nominations for women who should receive a bouquet.
With the help of donors and volunteers, Manning was able to send surprise floral arrangements and gift bags to 121 women and two men last year. For Valentines Day 2022 she's gone one step further, delivering arrangements for 400 widows and overseeing a colossal operation that includes 300 volunteers, 13,000 stems, and fundraising $22,000.
Alongside a blooming bouquet, the women also received a gift bag of wine, gifts, and gift cards donated by local businesses.
"I wasn’t expecting it, and I was shocked and so surprised by such a sweet thing," said Jordan Meggs, who received a bouquet from Manning in 2021 when she marked her first Valentine's Day without her husband Daniel.
"Before, I never thought of what widows are doing on Valentine’s Day, but it’s just in Ashley to think of others all the time. It’s just who she is," Meggs added.
Despite the huge success of this years' project, Manning isn't done yet. Next year will be even bigger and better, as she plans to turn the 'Valentine's Day Widow Project' into a nonprofit organization.
