Michael & I usually keep things pretty low-key on Valentine’s Day. Our celebration always includes cooking a nice dinner together in the evening and a simple exchange of handwritten cards. In the recent years, we’ve noticed that one of the things we look forward to the most on Valentine’s Day is seeing the work of Portland’s Valentine Bandit.

Every year on Valentine’s Eve, the bandit (sometimes known as the phantom) secretly places hundreds and hundreds of red hearts on the walls, windows, and doors of many of Portland’s storefronts and buildings in the middle of the night. It’s a simple thought, but a grand gesture, that reminds us of just how much we love our city and the people in it.

This year, seeing a heart in the window of Longfellow Books brought a little extra warmth to my own heart. This past week, Longfellow suffered a tragic accident, when a water pipe from the floor above burst in their shop, ruining thousands of books – almost 50% of their inventory. Longfellow is a Portland staple, and to see the community rally around them has truly been touching. If you, like us, love books and the important role businesses like Longfellow play in a community, please help out.