Call me Cupid
- Alayna Dutcher
- May 1
- 5 min read
Valentine's Day is probably one of the most hated Holidays in the United States. A little ironic, given that it is supposed to be a day of love. But Hey, hate is just love that has crossed too many boundaries.
I love Valentine's Day. Not because I have had partners who went all out, but because since I was little, my mom has poured into me on Valentine's Day and taught me that every single day (February 14th included) is another opportunity to pour into yourself and spread love.
Four years ago, during the pandemic, I was seeking ways to create a more inclusive community at work. We had just hosted a virtual Holiday party. Few showed up, and everyone felt so distant in the Hollywood squares of a zoom screen. I had an idea to give Valentine's Day gifts to my colleagues, showing appreciation for their continued efforts despite the challenging times.
When I brought the idea to our division EDI group, everyone loved it. I had no idea what I was doing or how I was going to pull it off, but I was determined to run with the vision.
After some thought, we devised a plan to handwrite notes on behalf of our colleagues and deliver them to our division. The money we collected would be allocated to various charities or reinvested in our EDI group to support the costs of keynote speakers and other projects we undertake throughout the year.
The idea existed, but when it came to logistics - I was winging it. I created a Google form and sent it out in an email to the division, explaining the fundraiser, and waited in anticipation. Honestly, I didn't think I would get more than 10 card orders, but, much to my surprise, I had over 400 orders. I was shocked. I looked at the pack of cards I purchased from Target and laughed- half wishing I was dreaming & half amazed. I quickly ordered bulk cards from Amazon and got to work.
I'm not sure if you've ever written more than ten cards by hand, but if you haven't, it takes a considerable amount of time. Hours I did not have. I was in the middle of my master's program, working full-time and trying to survive.
Long story short.. my entire family was stuffing candy bags and writing handwritten notes on my brother's living room floor the night of the 13th. To make matters better, my mom and I aimlessly walked around the hospital for six hours, trying to find people's mailboxes. I want to think I have learned a lot in the last four years, but every year I do this, I question just how much I have learned.
This year (2025), we had just under 1900 Palentines! The growth in this initiative is something I do not take lightly. I am incredibly proud of my team, our division, and myself for persevering year after year. The joy that we see on people's faces when they receive their notes never gets old, and truly, this small token of appreciation isn't enough for what they should be receiving all the time.
Some people post them up on their desks, others take them home, but year after year, the orders continue to grow, and so does the joy, even if for a short period of time.
I want everyone to have the opportunity to host their own Palentine FUNdraiser at work, too. I will outline how we currently do it and the changes we will make to this initiative for next year. If you are interested in pursuing this opportunity, please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions you may have.
First, you will need to establish a team. I say this because this has been the most critical step in the entire process for me. So much goes into this project, and you need people you can rely on to pull it off successfully & without too much stress.
Create a Google form. I will create a generic one to help initiate some thought processes we went through when creating ours.
Because our division is so large, we build out group orders, which allows people to bulk order for specific groups. Everyone from within that group receives the same Palentine note.
Group examples: In-patient nursing, fellows, research admin, John Doe Lab, Outpatient mental health, etc.
If people are interested in individual orders, they can place them simultaneously as part of the group order.
I do not accept orders by any method other than this form. It helps to build out the rest of your Excel sheet for tracking.
I say all this to say that I hope this system changes this year —and if it does, you will know!
Create the template for your Palentine.
I always come up with a theme and then build on that. This year was a monster! Pictures below! This can be as fun or silly as you want it! I use Canva and create four separate templates that are set up in the template, so it's easier just to input the message.
Collect orders!
Google Forms are great because they create their own Google Sheets, which help you track orders.
To help out my team. I add every single person's name under a group order. This helps me keep track of how many cards I need and helps keep track of who has received a card for the people who are stuffing.
Order supplies!
I will link each of the supplies in a separate post for help.
Confirmation!
Before printing, I would email a confirmation with the order and verify if they had paid, if not I would use it as a friedly reminder to venmo me- and go from there! This is an extra step, but it has been helpful in finding errors before wasting supplies.
Start printing!
As orders come in, start building out the Palentines in Canva for printing. What I like to do is create a Word document for each order that includes the order information (message, recipient, and sender). This allows whoever is assembling to reference and cross off items as they go. Trust me, when you have a team assembling- this step is crucial!!
Distribute!
After all of the cards are printed and assembled as you wish, it is time to distribute! Personally- I like to alphabetize and group each person, bound by a rubber band.
You can either have people come to you or distribute Valentine's to their desks or mailboxes. This largely depends on the office/ remote/hybrid work situation and the capacity of your team.
Reflect!
Every year, we have taken time to reflect and get it to what it currently is. This year, we are going through a large transformation process and will hopefully be making big changes in the upcoming season! Stay tuned for more updates!
List of supplies!
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