When we think of Valentine’s Day, we often associate it with love, joy, and positivity. For some, however, the holiday brings up feelings of isolation and loneliness.  Knights Minds Matter of Ballou High School in Washington, D.C. wanted to combat the potential for feelings of isolation on Valentine’s Day. To share the love with their school community, they passed out handmade Valentine’s day kindness hearts to students and staff. 

Members of Knights Minds Matter walked the halls and passed out the Valentines –  and noticed  immediately how surprised students and staff were by this random act of kindness. 

But it was clear from the smiles and joyful reactions they got from members of the school community that these small moments of connection shifted the trajectory of how students and staff felt on Valentine’s Day. 

Knights Minds Matter has provided an excellent reminder that our actions, big and small, can create community and joy in the spaces we occupy.  This activity also connects strongly to our program outcome of social connectedness, which is recognized as a vital component to mental wellness and suicide prevention. 

We all need support from one another, especially as we struggle or navigate stressful times. Something as seemingly small as a Valentine’s day heart can actually help folks feel supported and cared for. 

Thank you to Knights Minds Matter for sharing the love, we can’t wait to see all that you achieve this spring!

We also want to express our gratitude to the funders in our community who support our work. Our DCPS program is thriving because of our strong base of individual donors, as well as supporters including Born This Way Foundation’s Kindness in Community Fund, the Hollister Confidence Fund, the Joseph E. and Marjorie B. Jones Foundation, the Kettering Family Foundation, Hattie M. Strong Foundation, if: a Foundation for Radical Possibility, the Risa Fund, the Philip Graham Fund, and the Harman Family Foundation. 💗