Whether you spent this Valentine’s Day showering your loved one with chocolate and flowers, gathering the courage to ask someone on a first date or lounging around in your pajamas and preaching singles awareness, one thing is certain: Valentine’s Day is what you make of it.
This year, a group of Elon University students decided that, rather than channeling their love towards their significant others, they would share the love with hundreds across the community with the Flower Project.
In the spirit of sharing love, the Flower Project is an initiative that strives to give women in difficult circumstances in Alamance County a reason to smile by providing them with flowers this Valentine’s season.
Freshman Chloe Allen, project pioneer, said a guest-speaker who visited her Winter Term human services class inspired the idea.
“A woman with a background in family abuse services came to talk to us about her experience working at the battered women’s shelter,” Allen said. “She really inspired us to make a difference, and so a few of us in the class knew we wanted to get involved.”
Allen and her classmate Natalie Betts left class that day with a growing idea.
“When we first thought about the Flower Project, we realized we weren’t going to be able to change lives and situations,” Betts said. “The idea behind it is that we hope the mere action of giving somebody a flower would plant a seed of happiness in somebody’s mind. And most importantly, the idea is that the seed will grow.”
Determined to brighten people’s lives, they decided to nourish their idea by taking immediate action.
“We went to the Kernodle Center with our idea, and we were told that we weren’t allowed to fundraise without being affiliated to a campus-approved organization,” Allen said. “So we realized we had to start it up on our own and got in touch with somebody who works for the Allied Churches (ACAC) and told them about our idea to provide flowers for all the amazing people in their care.”
Sara Werbowski, an Elon alumna who is directly involved with ACAC said the organization helps a variety of people in a plethora of circumstances.
ACAC offers shelter and meals to those in need in an attempt to improve their quality of life.
“Some are certainly victims of an oppressive society, which some folks may be hesitant to consider, but everything is intertwined — from the bad relationships, substance abuse, mental illness, lack of coping skills, upbringing as a child, lack of job opportunity, lack of education,” Werbowski said. These underlying systemic issues are being confronted by a dozen or so ACAC employees working to support 50 to 100 homeless community members per night.”
After they were given approval, Allen and Betts worked with a team of Elon students to create an online campaign on the website Fundly, gather donations, create hand-made cards and order flowers.
“I think what was really amazing about the whole experience was that everybody was so willing to get involved,” Allen said. “People in my hall would stop by and just ask me if they could do anything. We would all sit together and make the most intricate and personalized cards. It was a real group effort.”
Within a few days, people across the nation were donating to the cause. Only weeks after the campaign was launched, they exceeded their goal of raising $600 and ended up raising $718.
“Seeing how many people were willing to help just reminded us that every idea is supported by the community,” Betts said.
In order to make every bouquet and card personalized, each was custom-designed.
“We didn’t want to use ready-made cards or templates,” Betts said. “We decided to make the bouquets and individual cards so that every person will receive something that was made especially for them.”
According to Allen, the group went out of their way to do little things that would make people feel special.
“I think people are really focused on big projects and big organizations and changing the world, but there are definitely little things you can do,” she said. “As a student, I probably won’t be able to change one woman’s entire life. But on this day, I can definitely make her smile.”
Werbowski believes smiles aren’t the only thing the Flower Project will create.
“Chloe and her friends each gave a part of themselves to remind others how awesome they are, how loved they are,” she said. “When we are given the opportunity to be seen for what we are as members of a community, to be seen for our gifts, our talents, our strengths and contributions... sometimes it is that act of faith from others that gives us the confidence to become who we want to be.”
Allen says she believes it is significant to “share the love” through acts of kindness on Valentine’s Day.
“I think people focus a lot on Christmas and Thanksgiving. During those times, everyone is in the spirit of giving. Then, from February to September, it’s just like, ‘what now?’” she said. “Valentine’s Day is a day all about love, so why not share that with more than just your boyfriend?”
Allen said she believes every idea that could possibly make some sort of impact is definitely worth chasing.
“If you’re doing small simple things like the Flower Project, those small things might grow into bigger things, or they might stay smaller things,” she said. “Either way, you’re still making a difference in the world — in someone’s world.”