A Wendy’s manager from Oak Harbor, Washington is going above and beyond to make sure her customers know that they are loved.

April DiDonna makes a point of always telling her customers at the drive-thru that they are loved, and if they say it back to her, she puts a tally on her wall. So far, her tally has reached 2,549.

It all started on October 3, when April suddenly got the idea to tell a customer that she loved him. When the customer then wrote a positive review about it in a survey, April decided to keep telling other customers that she loved them as well.

The day after she told the man that she loved him, she told the same thing to a woman, and then a coworker told her that she was needed outside. When she got out there, she found the woman crying in her car. She said that she wanted to thank April because her husband and brother had died recently.

“I don’t have anyone here to tell me they love me anymore,” April said the woman told her.

That’s when April decided to start keeping count of the numbers.

“A lot of people are now driving up to the speaker and telling us that they love us before we even take their order,” she explained.

April has had at least one customer who responds in kind each day.

“It’s just really awesome. It’s really nice to see the positivity and the love that’s flowing,” she said. “People need to know that you don’t need to hate people, and all you need to do is spread love. Love will be the way if we open our eyes and choose to see that love is the answer.”

“To know that the little three words could mean so much to so many people, it’s overwhelming my heart with so much more love,” April added to CNN. “I truly believe that if we just love each other, the world would be better.”

David Antis, senior vice president of operations for WTC Ventures, the company that operates the Wendy’s franchise, said he is proud of April for what she is doing.

“April is a valued team member at our Wendy’s restaurant in Oak Harbor, Washington,” he said. “Her kindness and positivity inspire us all, and we are grateful for the joy that she brings to our customers and restaurant team.”

April is a 35 year-old widow who lost her husband in 2019, after which she said her “life just turned upside down.”

“I was lost for a long time,” April said. “I was sad for a long time, but not anymore. There’s so much light and I’m going to keep shining bright.”

While 2020 was a difficult year for all of us, April is sure that 2021 will be better.

“2021 is going to be a great year,” she said. “The universe is changing. Everything’s aligning.”