LOV DAY. An Ode to Black Girls.

700 boxes. 3 cities. 1,177 girls.

And still, the numbers are only part of the story.

What began as a simple act of love during Black History Month has grown into something much bigger.

In 2021, during a season when so many of us were carrying fear, uncertainty, and emotional exhaustion, we created LOV DAY as a way to remind Black girls that they are seen, heard and loved.

At the time, it was a response to a moment.

Today, it is a movement.

2026 LOV DAY: By the Numbers

Now that our 2026 LOV DAY month of events has come to a close, I have been reflecting not only on the joy we experienced, but on what LOV DAY is truly becoming.

This year, Ladies of Virtue distributed 700 LOV DAY boxes to Black girls across Chicago, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C. Through box distribution, confidence-building experiences, wellness-centered programming, and our Black Girls Rest: The Ultimate Health and Wellness events, we reached nearly 1,200 Black girls across the country.

And while I am incredibly proud of those numbers, what stays with me most are the moments behind them.

The smiles. The laughter. The affirmations. The volunteers showing up with intention. The girls walking away with something tangible, but also something deeper: the reminder that they matter.

The Heart Behind the Work

So often, Black girls are celebrated for being “strong,” but not always protected, poured into, or given permission to simply be. The world can ask them to carry so much, so early.

LOV Day is our pause. Our love letter. Our declaration that Black girls deserve joy, rest, support, and celebration.

 

 

LOV Day Is a National Strategy

But this year also affirmed something else for me: LOV DAY season does not just comprise of meaningful events. It is a national strategy. It is becoming the front door into the Ladies of Virtue mission.

For some, LOV DAY is their first introduction to our work. For others, it is the first time they volunteer with us. For corporate partners, it may be the first time they see a tangible way to invest in Black girls. For a new city, it may be the first glimpse of what it looks like to partner with LOV.

When people experience LOV DAY, they are not just seeing a box pickup or a one-day activation. They are experiencing the heart of our mission in a way that is visible, joyful, and scalable.

Chicago will always be home for Ladies of Virtue. Even as LOV DAY expands nationally, we are committed to remaining rooted in the city that shaped our mission and to continuing to invest deeply in Black girls right here at home.

LOV DAY is now helping us tell a bigger story about what is possible nationwide, building awareness, deepening partnerships, inviting new supporters in, and creating a model that can expand from city to city without losing its heart.

Growing Without Losing Our Heart

As a founder, that is incredibly important to me. I never want growth to come at the expense of authenticity. I never want scale to mean becoming distant from the girls we serve.

LOV DAY reminds me that we can do both: we can grow and stay grounded. We can expand and remain deeply relational. We can build something national while still making each girl feel personally seen.

We are Partners, Not Pioneers

As we expand, I want to be very clear about something: Ladies of Virtue does not believe in simply dropping a club or activation in a new city as though no other girls’ mentoring programs exist. That is not who we are, and it is not how we grow.

Every city already has women and organizations who love Black girls deeply. They are showing up every day, pouring into young lives with limited resources and enormous heart. We see them. We respect them. And we want to partner with them, not compete with them.

Our vision for expansion is rooted in collaboration. When we enter a new city, we want to sit down with the mentors, leaders, and organizations already doing the work. We want to ask: Where are the gaps? What do your mentors need? How can Ladies of Virtue come alongside you and make what you are already doing stronger? How can we help one another?

That might look like providing mentor training. It might look like sharing our programming frameworks. It might look like co-hosting a LOV DAY event so that more girls get served. Whatever it looks like, it will always be built on genuine relationship, mutual respect, and a shared love for Black girls.

Gratitude

To every volunteer who packed, served, sorted, lifted, and showed up with love, thank you.

To every partner and sponsor who believed in this vision, thank you.

To every city that opened its arms to this movement, thank you.

To my incredible Ladies of Virtue team, thank you for carrying this with excellence, heart, and purpose.

And most importantly, to the Black girls we serve, thank you for reminding us why this work matters.

You are worthy. You are brilliant. You are deserving of joy, and investment, not just on LOV DAY, but every single day.

What’s Next

We are following our girls. Our alumni have built lives and communities across this country, and we are looking first to the cities where they have planted roots.

They carried this mission with them when they left Chicago, and now we are coming to meet them and the Black girls in those cities who don’t know yet that they are already on our hearts. Stay close.

Partner With Us

If you are a company, foundation, or organization that believes Black girls deserve to be centered, celebrated, and supported, I would love to connect.

LOV DAY offers meaningful, visible partnership opportunities that go beyond a logo placement. You will see your investment show up in the hands, hearts, and lives of Black girls across the country.

Learn more and reach out at lovchicago.org. Let’s build something together.

LOV DAY season may be over, but the mission continues. And we are just getting started.

 With love,

Jamila Trimuel