In November of 2016, my sister, Cindy, and I faced a tough decision: relocating our mom from Assisted Living to a Memory Care facility. During the process of settling her into the new room, I inquired with one of the caregivers about the possibility of attending an annual Christmas party for families and how they handled gifts brought by loved ones. The caregiver’s response profoundly impacted us. She revealed that while they did host a small luncheon party, the majority of the residents didn’t receive gifts or have visitors during the holiday season. Some compassionate employees attempted to buy small gifts for the residents, but their resources were limited. This information caught me completely off guard and stayed with me, leaving a lasting impression.

While driving home, I reached out to Cindy, and together, we brainstormed ways to gather presents for the 35 residents at our mom’s facility. After some discussion, we came up with a plan to create a Facebook post and share it on various Buy-Sell-Trade sites in our community to gauge interest. To our surprise, within 24 hours, local businesses stepped forward as drop-off points, several groups committed to crafting quilts, hats, and walker bags, and countless individuals expressed their desire to assist. By December 21st, we successfully delivered gifts and stockings to 116 seniors across four facilities.  In 2022, our amazing communities came together again, providing gifts to an impressive 2,249 seniors in 43 different facilities in Idaho and New Jersey.

Allona’s Angels, named in honor of our sweet mom, originated from the recognition that these remarkable individuals require compassionate care, regular visits, heartfelt embraces, and simple remembrance – and hundreds of individuals have willingly come forward to fulfill these needs.

We will persist in ensuring that numerous seniors are cherished during the holiday seasons, and we eagerly anticipate collaborating with all of you to make this heartfelt mission a reality.