Photo: Ashley Manning via GMA
Experiencing Valentine's Day after the loss of a partner or spouse is universally difficult. In North Carolina, U.S., one woman and her team of volunteers spent the holiday delivering flowers and gift bags to hundreds of widows across their city. Ashley Manning, a mom of four, began the effort in 2021, after she shared the idea on social media. Within hours, she received dozens of nominations for widows to receive a bouquet, and hundreds of dollars in donations for the effort. In 2021, over 100 widows were surprised with the floral gifts on Valentine's Day. Among the recipients was Jordan Meggs, whose husband died of cancer at age 29 the year before, when she was 37 weeks pregnant with their first child. "I was shocked and so surprised by such a sweet thing," she told Good Morning America (GMA). The goodwill sailed on in 2022, when 300 volunteers assembled 13K+ flower stems to gift to over 400 widows. "The most important thing that I've learned through this whole outreach is that when you feel that tug on your heart for whatever it is ... actually listen to it," Manning told GMA. "The joy that giving gives your heart is just incredible."
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