We all know that Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate love, but 14 years ago, our church realized that there was one group of people in our community being left out of the celebration: service and retail workers. Waiters, cashiers, florists and other service workers were too busy helping others to be able to enjoy the day themselves.
That inspired our Hug Grand Rapids campaign. Our congregation filled 500 plastic baggies with Hershey’s Hugs chocolate candies, some confetti and a card that read, “You’ve Been Hugged!” Then our members handed out the baggies to the workers they encountered on Valentine’s Day, to remind them that they are appreciated.
Hugging our community has been so much fun for our members, and they love to share the heartfelt responses they get from the baggie recipients, who now number 2,000. Valentine’s Day is for everyone!
Learn more about Someone Cares greeting cards!
Did you enjoy this story? Subscribe to Guideposts magazine.