Erika Anderson handing out Valentine’s Day cards on Orchard St. this morning.

Freelance editor and writer Erika Anderson is spending the day handing out home made Valentine’s cards to everyone she sees — and she’s got an “army of lovers” who have joined in the movement to cheer people up who might be cynical about this commercial holiday for couples.

Anderson, who lives in Brooklyn and works on the Lower East Side, started making valentines to hand out on her own last year, after deciding to focus on the broader feeling of love signified by the holiday instead of the generic couple-themed notion of romance that can often inspire a lot of negativity for singles.

This year she enlisted a few friends and started using the hashtag #ArmyOfLovers for some Valentine’s Day card making tips, which led to a Valentine’s Day card making party, which led to people all over the country (and as far away as Australia) joining in to help spread Valentine’s Day cheer to everyone they can find.

Her New York “army” will hand out cards all day today at different locations around the city, culminating with a party at HiFi Bar on Avenue A.  It’s not too late to enlist in the army and give out your own valentines — and you can follow Anderson as she continues to spread warm wishes on twitter at: @ErikaOnFire.

Photo by Jesse Untracht-Oakner

Photo by Jesse Untracht-Oakner

Photo by Jesse Untracht-Oakner