BECKLEY, WV (WOAY) – While the holiday season is a joyous time, navigating it can be particularly tough for those who’ve lost a loved one.
Many find comfort in the cherished annual tradition of Hospice of Southern West Virginia’s Angel Tree.
This may be your first Thanksgiving and Christmas without your beloved, or it may be years. The Angel Tree enables us to keep their memory alive, manage our grief, and cope with the holidays.
“Not only is it important to the community, it’s important to us,” said Director of Public Relations Jeri Knowlton. “It allows us to see the families we have grown to care for, remember with them, and be able to hold their hand one more time.”
The angel tree may give you some closure while leaning into the heartbreak of your loss.
“It brings sympathy and empathy and a feeling of not an end, but only a beginning for so many,” 27-year Hospice Volunteer Pat Earehart said. “When they hang the angel, their memories are precious. And for all of us who work with Angel Tree, it is equally as precious.”
This unique, localized support for grieving families is enduring.
“My mom passed away in February of 2024. She had only been under hospice care for ten days. My daughter (Haley Jo) is my right-hand man when it comes to things like this,” said Patty Jo Anderson. “I was with my mom, with her mom (my grandmother), who had dementia as well. So it means a lot to us to be able to come out and honor her, along with the others.”
Moving forward does not mean letting go — it’s about integrating the loss into your life, not forgetting the person or love you shared.
“Just do things to honor them,” said Libby Allen, a Hospice Volunteer for 10 years. “This is one way I think that I honor my husband and my brother. It’s just very, very special.”
According to HSWV, the Angel Tree also has a way of eliciting joyful moments of family that we will never lose sight of.
“We’re always going to love that person. Hanging that angel on the tree is a very individual moment. It’s a big event,” Knowlton said. “But at the moment your loved one’s name is read, it’s very personal.”
TO LEARN MORE (INCLUDING GRIEF SUPPORT) VISIT…
https://www.hospiceofsouthernwv.org/resources-support#grief-support
