SACRAMENTO, Calif. — March 8 is International Women's Day and members of San Francisco Zion Church went to McKinley Park’s Rose Garden in East Sacramento today to give women and mothers their much-deserved flowers.
Sacramento natives Melina Cesarini and Greta Minasayan grabbed purple, green and white bouquets of flowers at the Trader Joes around the corner to hand out to women and mothers and to especially honor those who might feel overlooked or forgotten.
“These purple, green, and white flowers are actually the colors of International Women's Day,” said Melina Cesarini, member of San Francisco Zion Church. “So we went and grabbed some flowers and we have some cards here too, and we just wanted to go out and give them to the women of Sacramento.”
Cesarini and Minasayan made it a mission to go out in the community, talk to women and mothers they never met before and show their appreciation. When approached, many were surprised and opened up about motherhood and expressed gratefulness to the women and mother figures in their life.
"We just wanted to give back to the community,” said Cesarini. “It's such a beautiful way to honor the women that we have, share a positive light and thank them…not that women shouldn't be appreciated only today, but we’re just giving them some extra love for today.”
According to the website for International Women’s Day, this year’s theme is #EmbraceEquity, focusing on inclusion and diversity, a sense of belonging in society, and equal opportunities. Locally, Cesarini and Minasayan made sure these women felt included and loved.
“If you are a woman today, thank you,” said Cesarini. “If you're not a woman, show some love to one not just today but every day!"