Love Notes
This Valentine’s Day weekend, all you need is love. The YMCA will do the rest.
In a week filled with heart emojis, overpriced flowers and last-minute chocolate purchases, the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati is doing something refreshingly old-school. Pens, paper, stamps - and a simple phrase that never goes out of style.
Through Feb. 16 at all locations, Y members are invited to take part in the annual Love Notes Project, a Valentine’s Week tradition that turns local YMCA branches into launching pads for connection. Members can stop in and create a handwritten “I love you” note to someone who matters. The Y takes care of the rest. Cards, postage and mailing are all included.
This year, the project is bigger than ever. Last year, the response was overwhelming, allowing the Y to send 1,000 notes during Valentine’s week. This year, organizers are thinking bigger. The goal is to send more than 5,000 handwritten notes around the world, triple last year’s total.
What makes the Love Notes Project feel especially on brand for the Y is that it treats wellness as more than movement. Yes, the YMCA is a place to lift weights, swim laps and take group fitness classes. But it’s also a place that recognizes and prioritizes emotional health, social connection and community care as part of the whole picture. And the Love Notes project fits that intention perfectly.
“At the Y, wellness isn’t just physical,” said Jeff Saunders, SVP of the Brand Experience at YMCA of Greater Cincinnati. “This project invites members to slow down, reflect and share something positive at a time when people could really use it.”
Organizers also point out that handwritten notes are something of a lost art. The time, intention (and lack of spell check) are exactly what make these notes feel so personal.
The Love Notes Project is available at all YMCA of Greater Cincinnati locations Feb. 9–16 and is included with membership. For those considering joining the Y, it’s a fitting introduction, and a reminder that wellness is personal, but it’s also shared.
In a season that can feel overly polished and performative, the YMCA is keeping it simple. Write it down, send it out. Some notes will travel across town. Others will cross state lines or oceans. All of them start in the same place: from the heart.
– Kathrine Nero