Valentine’s Day is all about feeling and showing love, including gestures of friendship and appreciation. After nearly a year of pandemic-related stress, associations nationwide are rallying with their communities to express appreciation, gratitude, and thanks for those making a difference.

Cards for healthcare workers. The Alabama Hospital Association knows that healthcare staff are working hard to care for patients during this pandemic and wants to brighten their day. The organization has been collecting Valentine’s Day cards for hospital workers, with plans to distribute them on February 14.

Also, the Del Ray Business Association in Alexandria, Va., has been collecting cards from the community to show hospital workers how much they are appreciated. “We’ve had schools involved, we’ve had the entire community coming out, writing these handwritten notes of thanks and gratitude,” Mara Benner, Del Ray Business Association board member, told WDVM. The association has also raised money to provide meals for hospital workers.

TLC for caregiving kids. For a lot of tweens and teens, their main concerns are schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and hanging out with friends. But there is a portion who have adult concerns on their minds, too. The American Association of Caregiving Youth serves the “vulnerable and hidden” population of children ages 8 to 18 who provide care for chronically ill or disabled relatives.

This year, AACY is collecting Valentine’s Day cards for these kids to show them some extra love. “Caregiving youth are at the heart of all that AACY does,” AACY President and Founder Connie Siskowski, RN, Ph.D., said in a news release. “Especially in this time of isolation for so many, reaching out to our community in support of our youth is mutually beneficial. People want to help others and feel needed in return.”

Big Apple love. In New York City, people feel proud to rep for their home boroughs. That’s why 44 neighborhood groups (including associations and chambers of commerce) representing the five boroughs have joined forces to show love to local businesses. They are asking residents to support businesses by leaving reviews, sending kind notes, or shopping (online or in person).

“Given that small businesses are the anchors of our economy and our neighborhoods, we will continue to work tirelessly to support them through creative initiatives like our Valentine’s Day promotion to encourage our neighbors to shop locally,” Jennifer Tausig, executive director of the Jerome Gun Hill Business Improvement District, told Norwood News.

(Zolotaosen/iStock/Getty Images Plus)