By Kate Atwood
It’s February, which means Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. While some celebrate this special day with exuberance and others loathe its existence, one thing remains true: Valentine’s Day is a great reminder of the importance of sharing love with others, including those around us who need it most. This year, especially in the wake of the Arizona tragedy, a month filled with love is just what our country and our communities need.
Here are some fun and creative ways to give love away this Valentine’s Day, and fill your own heart in return as well. From a concert to crafts, these ideas are fun and easy, and most importantly carry a lasting impact.
The African Children’s Choir
I haven’t been this excited about a concert in years! The African Children’s Choir will be performing live at the Tabernacle on Thursday, Feb. 10, at 8 p.m. If you have ever wanted to witness how music directly changes the lives of our world’s most vulnerable children, you will want to join me for this spectacular event. The African Children’s Choir is made up of some of the neediest children of various African countries, most of whom have lost one or both parents to poverty or disease. The choir helps these children break away from the everyday cycle of poverty and hopelessness, and your ticket purchase helps in this effort. The choir has performed with Paul McCartney, Alicia Keys, Josh Groban, and Bono, and even has appeared at the White House. For tickets, visit hopeandmusic.org.
Wear Red
February is also National Heart Month, a way to promote awareness and heart-healthy activities. Heart disease is actually the number one cause of death in our country, so it’s important to recognize this month and work towards improving our eating and exercise habits. Other than learning more about the risk factors for heart disease, a fun way to participate in this month is to wear red. Wear red on Fridays at the office and make it a fundraiser-lottery. Have everyone pitch in $5 who wears red, select a winner who gets half the pot of cash, and donate the other half to the American Heart Association.
Valentines for Others
A great activity for groups, from classrooms to book clubs, is to come together to make Valentine’s for those who may otherwise not receive them. You can deliver your cards to a senior assisted living home, Hospice Atlanta or a women’s shelter in Atlanta. It is certain to make their day and to extend a unique type of support they certainly need all throughout the year.
Donate Blood
Just like love, we all need blood to live. If you are eligible to donate blood, choose to do so this month. The American Red Cross has made an extra effort to recruit blood donors due to the severe weather in Atlanta this past January. With an unusual frequency of cancellations thus far this year, the American Red Cross needs to make-up for the lost units of blood. To set up an appointment, visit redcrossatlanta.org.
From the words of our President who graciously addressed our nation late month from Tucson, “what matters is not wealth, or status, or power, or fame, but rather how well we have loved, and what small part we have played in bettering the lives of others.”
