Hospice of Wrangell will give out 16 “Hospice Hearts” next week to people who have helped the nonprofit organization in the past year.
The hospice group started providing services in Wrangell in 2002, and each year honors volunteers for their services.
This year’s event is planned for noon Monday, Feb. 19, at the Father Jerry Hall at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, starting with a light lunch. The community is invited.
This year’s Hospice Hearts will go to Kathie Angerman, Michael Bania, Jim Bailey, Cathy Carson, Artha DeRuyter, John DeRuyter, Tyler Eagle, Katie Fitzjarrald, Joe Gartrell, Sanoe Harrison, Sandy Massin, Duke Mitchell, Georgia Selfridge, Kathy Watkins, the staff at the Irene Ingle Public Library and the Stikine Stitchers.
Hospice of Wrangell operates the community loan closet of medical equipment, gives out comfort quilts, provides the Wrangell senior resource directory and end-of-life information booklets and community education, and also organizes the annual Dove Tree ceremony to remember loved ones around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
The effort to start a hospice group in Wrangell began in 2000 when several health care professionals, church leaders and social workers gathered to discuss the need in the community and available training so that locals could provide services, according to a “Hospice of Wrangell History” provided by Alice Rooney, one of the founding members.
“The motivation for the (2000) meeting was an upcoming PBS series on dying called ‘On Our Own Terms,’” according to the group’s history.
A couple of people from Hospice and Home Care of Juneau came to Wrangell to provide training in March 2001, and the new group finished its organizing efforts and started providing services the next year.
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