What to Know
- The Melrose-based volunteer organization will distribute Valentine's cards, all to lift the spirits of hundreds of Southern Californians
- You can make cards at home or contribute "the food you love most" to the charity's food drive
- Both in-person and virtual happenings are available
Valentine's Day is often boiled down to a few classic components, the candy-sweet, petal-soft hallmarks we instantly associate with the famous February holiday.
But at its "heart," and we feel compelled to highlight the word because it is so central to the celebration, Valentine's is about connecting with other people.
True, that connection is often romantic, a bit ooey and rather gooey and all that adorable and important stuff, but treating our friends, and doing something special for members of our community, are also essential elements of the emotion-driven occasion.
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Big Sunday, the organization that offers a "... variety of opportunities and projects that unite people to improve lives, build community, and give everyone a sense of belonging," has long been a proponent of the Day o' Hearts, and how it can add some much-needed joy.
That joy, in 2022, will come courtesy of homemade Valentine's cards, greetings you can make at Big Sunday's annual Valentine-Making Party & Community Breakfast on Feb. 12.
The in-person event, which will happen at the organization's Melrose headquarters, is a centerpiece of the "Week of Love," which will feature several more give-back events and opportunities.
Some of those opportunities can happen from anywhere, if you wish to make some Valentine's cards from home.
There's also "The Food I Love Most" food drive, which definitely has a Valentine's-fun twist.
"As always, we’ll be feeding grateful and hungry people," writes the organization. "Go to your local market, pick out your personal favorite items (yes, they must be non-perishable; no, they don’t have to be healthy) (hey, it’s Valentine’s Day!) and bring them to our office on Melrose."
And if you can volunteer to drive, and deliver "... cards or gift bags to hospitals, shelters, group homes and other places folks could use a lift on Valentine's Day," that, too, is an uplifting option.
For more on Big Sunday's "Week of Love," including a raffle contest themed to the worst love songs ever, call upon the organization's site now and check out all of the help-others, make-someone-happy, connect-with-our-neighbors events going on through Valentine's Day 2022.