Staff Picks: NPO & Valentine's Day Around the World

Red roses. Gushy cards. Too much chocolate. These are but a few of the hallmark (no pun intended) elements of the world-renowned day celebrating love that we call Valentine's Day. While some love it, some hate it and some just don’t care about it, there can be a little fun in joining in on the lovestruck hype that keeps Cupid employed.

As one of only a handful of globally celebrated days, the LenovoPRO Community team wanted to put together a few little things we all do to celebrate this treat-filled day that began as a fighting ode to love by St. Valentine. In addition, we threw in a splash of our most beloved organizations spreading goodness around the world.

So, without further ado, let’s see how your star-studded LenovoPRO Community line-up celebrates Valentine’s Day around the globe!

Diana Löchli, DE

“So how do we celebrate Valentine's Day in Germany? Well, it's very different. On the one hand we have those who call this day a consumer-driven marketing *** and who are annoyed by it every year again and then there are those who celebrate this day excessively and float on a pink cloud. Well, I would say - me and my boyfriend are in between here. We don't give the day too much importance and don't need to shower each other with overpriced chocolates and loads of roses, but we do give each other a few little things or go out to dinner or a movie together. Something that makes the day a little bit more special than the ordinary. And one thing you can not disagree with me: About a small rose, every woman is happy, even if she says it does not matter to her.

One organization that I think spreads love is "To Good To Go," Save Food - Help The Planet | Too Good To Go as it counteracts food waste by having restaurants, supermarkets, bakers, etc. give away their leftover food cheaply in the evening via an app so it doesn't get thrown away. It's that simple to do something about climate change. Love our world!”

Diana Löchli, LenovoPRO Community Manager, Germany

Beth Knittel, US

“Valentine’s Day brings me back to chilly February mornings before heading out to the bus stop. My mother always did little things to celebrate these types of days and Valentine’s Day was no different: the milk was dyed light pink, candies and paper hearts graced the dining table and breakfast was usually pink as well – be it oatmeal or eggs! These days, my husband and I use it as an excuse to order some take out, exchange little tokens of love, and split a box of toffee chocolates while chuckling along to one of our cheesy favorite movies, “Valentine’s Day”.

On other notes of celebration and admiration, one organization I love is called “First Descents: Out Living It!”. They’re a non-profit organization who provide outdoor adventure excursions, free of cost, to individuals fighting and overcoming cancer. If anyone is spreading love and support well, it’s them. Happy Valentine’s Day!”

Beth Knittel, LenovoPRO Community Manager, US

Sylvia Tran, AU

“My partner and I love eating good food (who doesn’t). We also both happen to be terrible planners. The final product for Valentine’s Day? A nice dinner somewhere, usually a couple of days after Valentine’s day (con of looking into reservations the night before). For us, it’s an excuse to splurge a little – order that nicer cut of steak, have that extra cocktail, and add on that third dessert we were eyeing but definitely knew we wouldn’t be able to finish.

Similar to Diana’s pick, My shoutout will have to go to OzHarvest, an amazing organization taking perishable foods and excess/wasted produce from the likes of supermarkets and restaurants, and essentially “spreading the love” by redirecting these to charities to be delivered to those in need. OzHarvest recently hit a milestone with their 200 millionth meal, a jaw-dropping feat. A fantastic organization helping address food wastage and supporting those who need a helping hand.

Sylvia Tran, LenovoPRO Community Manager, Australia

Mari Babikova, JP

When I heard about this project, I immediately thought of how I used to wait by the entrance of the department store in my twenties and until the store opened so I could jump into the special Valentine's Day section first. I would go out in the morning with plenty of time, and when I arrived at a well-selected chocolate brand showcase, I looked at them to order with glittering eyes. It was as if I was choosing a treat for myself. Is there any other food that makes you so happy? I can only think, "Valentine's Day = Chocolate" in my head. Until COVID times, I distributed the chocolates little by little to the people I worked with, regardless of gender. Isn't it a good relationship building gift? ^^ Valentine's Day is "A day to convey feelings to loved ones". I look forward to it every year because it makes me happy too.

“Imperfect”, which has a shop in Omotesando, Tokyo is a company that sells well food and drinks that tackle social issues. Products that combine ingredients such as nuts / spices / cacao / coffee produced through efforts with high social and environmental value are not only "delicious" but also sustainable products that lead to someone's "joy".

One of their projects is to create an environment where bees can live in good health in the cashew nut forest of Côte d'Ivoire, with the theme of "Let's prepare a growing environment for bees that help pollination!" Unfortunately, honeybees, which play an important role in pollinating plants, are on the decline worldwide. Pollination by honeybees has the advantage of being less human-friendly, improving farmers' productivity and thus increasing yields.

Why don't you spend a sustainable Valentine’s day this year? 😊

Mari Babikova, LenovoPRO Community Manager, Japan

Morgan Ammons, US

My husband and I love using Valentine’s Day as an excuse to eat something extra delicious. We are both huge foodies so splurging on a nice restaurant that we’ve both been dying to try is our go to. When selecting a restaurant the dessert menu plays a huge role ( I have a huge sweet tooth lol). Anything with a warm cookie or cake ice-cream combination sign me up! After dinner we also might go check out a movie if anything good is out! This Valentine’s day our plan is to be in New York City so maybe we can check out a Broadway show instead.

An organization that I think is spreading a lot of love is the Friendship Community Gardens. The goal of this foundation is to utilize gardening in unique locations to help create new relationships across racial and ability barriers. They also establish a way to provide sustainable food options for communities. Located in areas across North Carolina, Friendship Community Gardens is an incredible way to bring together a diverse group of people to work together and grow healthy foods for local residents!

Morgan Ammons, Global Content Producer, US

Sean O'Leary, US

With my upcoming wedding this summer, this Valentine’s Day has provided me the opportunity to reflect on a lifetime of Valentine’s as a single person. Valentine’s Day for single folks is certainly an outside-the-box way of looking at a holiday about romance, but businesses can certainly take advantage of the fact that there are plenty of singles out there ready to spend money in rebellion of the holiday. Earlier in my career, I worked with a bar that held a successful anti-Valentine’s Day party on every February 14th, and that event became one of their more successful nights of the year (it also evolved into somewhat of a singles event). I’ve also heard of restaurants that have found success in offering “Gal-entine’s Day Brunch” promotions aimed at groups of friends rather than romantic partners. Going against the grain in this way can certainly help you stand out and get a little extra attention during a typically slower time of the year.

Now, I’m sure my fiancé will be very happy to know I used a paragraph of my Valentine’s commentary to talk about being single…so to make up for it, I’d like to show some love to an organization that has captured her heart (almost as much as I have…I hope): Bunny’s Buddies. We’re big dog people in our household and Bunny’s Buddies is a fantastic rescue center that we support regularly.

Sean O’Leary, Lenovo SMB Content Strategist, LinkedIn Profile

What are some of your Valentine's Day traditions? What NPO do you love? Share in this thread.

For more on community suggestions and picks, you might enjoy What is your go-to WFH accessory?, What model do you have?, and LenovoPRO Productivity Staff Picks.

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