Ashley Manning, a mom of four in Charlotte, North Carolina, started her floral arrangement business less than two years ago. Even though "Pretty Things by A.E. Manning" was just starting up last year, she posted to Instagram about her desire to donate flowers to those who wouldn't be receiving any for Valentine's Day due to the loss of a spouse.
Almost immediately, she received an overwhelming response from people nominating widows they knew who could use the sweet surprise, as well as people offering to donate money to make her dream a reality.
The result last year was 123 widows and widowers in the Charlotte area receiving a surprise gift and floral arrangement.
One of this year's volunteers, Jordan Meggs, was a recipient last year after spending her first Valentine's Day without her husband after he passed from colon cancer.
Meggs said of receiving the flowers,
I wasn't expecting it, and I was shocked and so surprised by such a sweet thing. Before, I never thought of what widows are doing on Valentine's Day, but it's just in Ashley to think of others all the time. It's just who she is.
This year, the number of recipients more than doubled to 400 widows – who will receive a gift bag filled with gifts and gift cards from local businesses, along with the floral arrangement.
That's $22,000 that was donated, 300 volunteers who made it happen, and over 13,000 individual flowers!
Manning said she is in the process of turning the project, which she calls the Valentine's Day Widow Project, into a nonprofit organization, so she can continue to expand and reach more women.
Absolutely awesome!
