For Allison Alldred it was the death of her stepfather Jamie, and Nana Flo shortly thereafter, which opened her eyes to the valuable service provided by the staff and volunteers at Algonquin Grace, the residential hospice operated by Hospice Huntsville.
She recalled her mother calling her and her brother and sister to join her at Algonquin Grace where their stepfather, who had been diagnosed with brain cancer, had been transferred from the hospital.
“I had no idea what the hospice house was, none of us did,” noted Alldred. When she arrived, some of the volunteers took her on a brief tour of the facility. “I thought it was absolutely amazing and that our entire family could be in the room with him right up until the last minute of his life was just amazing, as opposed to only a few of us allowed in a hospital room at a time.”
Today, the whole family participates in Hike for Hospice. “That is one thing that every single year—my sister and her two girls, my brother, my mom, my three boys, and my spouse and I—that’s one day for sure we are all together,” said Alldred.
Because the hike has been cancelled this year and knowing how much the organization relies on donations, Alldred decided to auction off baked goods on Facebook to raise some money for them. What she did not expect is that it would turn into a full-blown online auction as people and businesses began to donate items for the auction to support Hospice Huntsville.
“I’m absolutely amazed at how everybody has just opened up their heart and the different things that have come in for donation… I’m absolutely blown away,” said Alldred.
She’s not sure what will happen to the group when the pandemic is over, but for now, she’s got a little more time on her hands.
The private Facebook group is called Leaving with Love. If you’re on Facebook, you can find it here and ask to join to bid on some interesting items for a good cause.
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