Just in time for the holidays, Alive Hospice’s annual craft sale is coming back on Friday, Dec. 2. The All Things Beaded and Beyond sale will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Alive Hospice’s administrative offices at 1718 Patterson St. (near downtown Nashville.) Purchases will benefit Hospice West Gauteng, Alive Hospice’s sister organization in South Africa.

Merchandise will include hand-crafted items provided by Alive Hospice employees, volunteers and community artisans. Items vary from year to year, but the sale typically features jewelry, original art, photography, greeting cards, seasonal items and much more.

For more information, call 615-327-1085. Please join us! 

Pictured: Hand-made jewelry by Alive Hospice Social Worker Alyson Garvey.

Ruth Williams

We’ve just finished Camp Forget-Me-Not, one of Alive Hospice’s summer camps, and the other (Camp Evergreen) will begin in a few days. Before camp, as one of the group leaders, I find myself “flashing” on memories of past groups and thinking about the children who will join us this year.

Serving children from 1^st through 8^th grade, we offer a variety of activities to help them in their own individual process of grieving.

As you might imagine, when we discover an especially meaningful craft project, we tend to repeat it year after year. Something we do every year is make plaster masks with every child. It is fun to observe how magically the little white strips form into a perfect likeness of the child’s face. Plus, it’s always an adventure seeing just how these masks, once dried and hardened, can be transformed into quite magnificent, symbolic creations, unique to each child.

We use the masks as a way of talking about feelings, recognizing that what we feel on the inside might not always be what is seen on the outside by others.

Another repeated activity is a scavenger hunt. Small groups of children are led around the grounds of the camp, exploring and discovering little pieces of nature that represent the life cycle. We use these as examples of the wonders of beginnings, endings, and “middles” of life.

Group leaders also usually have their favorite stories and books to share that beautifully illustrate the process of life and death and of grief and loss.

Regretfully, in our culture, we tend to avoid discussions of death. Although it is literally a part of life, sadly, we don’t all include it in our “teachable moments” with our children. Craft projects, nature walks, and even finding and reading together favorite storybooks can be so helpful in guiding children through their own understanding of death and dying and grief and loss. All are a part of life.

As we all take a deep breath together, perhaps finding ways of helping our children accept death as a part of life, we “grown-ups” will gradually be able to do so ourselves. And that’s a good thing.

Ruth Williams is a counselor with Alive Grief Support Services, the bereavement support program of Alive Hospice.

Cyclist and hospice advocate J.W. Frye arrived at Alive Hospice this afternoon! He’s completed about a quarter of his 6-month journey, which will cover 8,000 miles by the time he reaches Alaska later this year. J.W. had a warm welcome from Alive Hospice staff, volunteers and friends, and he even had an entourage of local cyclists to escort him — his friends from Alive Hospice and the Gran Fondo cycle shop.

Saturday afternoon, J.W. Frye will be the guest of honor at a wine and cheese reception at Gran Fondo. For more information, click here.

Today on the Alive Hospice Blog, we continue with part 2 of our conversation with J.W. Frye about his 7,500-mile ride for hospice care. Alive Hospice will welcome J.W. Frye on April 15 at 1:30 p.m. Join us! We’ll gather at Alive Hospice Residence Nashville, 1710 Patterson St.

Alive Hospice: You’re 27 28. What would you say to people who might be surprised that someone 27 28 years old is doing all of this for hospice?

J.W. Frye: How I personally learned how to work through, process, grow and deepen my experience with life was through hospice care.

AH: Do you have friends or family who are saying, “Are you crazy?”

J.W.: Not just friends and family, pretty much everyone I meet on a daily basis.

AH: What do you say to them?

J.W.: I say, “Well, yeah, you’re right. Just because I’m crazy doesn’t mean I don’t have common sense. I know when something sounds ridiculous.” (Laughs.) But that’s the whole point. A journey of this magnitude [reminds] many people the magnitude of the journey of life, and how exciting and scary and rewarding and all of those things it can be. The wonder and excitement of living is what unites us. In some ways, people can confuse fear of death excitement of living. When someone has deep respect and understanding of mortality, I think that really frees you up to get out there and live.

My experiences with the passing and mortality of my parents really instilled in me the vision that I have today, and what is really important. And what’s really important to me are my relationships with people and how I can be of service to them. I also just straight-up love adventure and excitement. I feel like this ride is an opportunity to incorporate all of those things.

AH: Gran Fondo, the well-known Nashville cycle shop, very generously provided some gear and equipment for your use on the ride. What did you think of that?

J.W.: That was one of the very special things that has happened along the way. They gave me long- and short-sleeve jerseys, riding shorts, vests, socks, gloves … anything you can imagine. It was really, really cool. Those are really incredible people, and the quality of their bikes and apparel is unbelievable. They had known me all of about 8 or 9 minutes when the offer was made. They just started filling bags with stuff.

AH: What do you want people in Middle Tennessee to know as you come through?

J.W.: I want Middle Tennessee to realize the jewel it has. My message to people in Middle Tennessee would be you have something very, very special in Alive Hospice. Use it! Use this service. It’s the gold-standard of nonprofit care not just for patients, but for patients’ families.

You don’t have to spend your very last day [in hospice]. You can spend the most spectacular 6-month journey of your life in the caring presence of Alive Hospice. People they (Alive Hospice caregivers) interact with are going to remember every moment of that interaction for the rest of their lives. I thank them very much for all that they do.

AH: Is there something you would tell people who want to do something for hospice who can’t take a 6-month bike ride?

J.W.: Really the best way: Go to your local nonprofit hospice and say, “Hey, is there anything I can do to help?” To look at something as small-scale or large-scale is the first step in cheating yourself. It’s really about being of service in each little individual way. You can go out and be of service by smiling. That’s the change in the world that changes people’s lives every day.

That’s what hospice does. They go into a situation without preconceived notions. People think, “How can you go into a place knowing someone is going to die?” Well, because you go into a situation saying, “How can I bring life, love, peace and help into whatever situation I’m in today?” It’s a process of life, and it deserves just as much celebration, honor and respect as any other one. To make the biggest difference in your community, open yourself to doing it. Just become willing. All that I did and all that I’m continuing to do is keeping myself open to do whatever it takes that day to make the world a little better. That’s what I do, and I suggest that other people do the same.

If you’re in Middle Tennessee and would like to volunteer with Alive Hospice, click here for more information. If you’d like to donate to Alive Hospice online, click here.

To read part 1 of this conversation, click here. For more information about J.W. Frye, visit www.onebikeonecause.org.

Cyclist J.W. Frye is on a 6-month journey in support of hospice care. He’s cycling solo after leaving from Key West, Florida on Feb. 23, and he anticipates arriving in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska in August. That’s a journey of 7,500 miles, and Alive Hospice is proud to be on the route.

Before kicking off his journey, J.W. Frye shared some thoughts with Alive Hospice about what he’s doing and why.

Alive Hospice: This sounds like the experience of a lifetime. What are you anticipating on this journey? What kinds of experiences are you expecting to have?

J.W. Frye: That’s the beauty of this thing. If someone had said 18 months ago, “Where do you think you’ll be in a year and a half?” I wouldn’t have said, “At a bed and breakfast in Key West, Florida, awaiting a 6-month bicycle ride across the continent.” I don’t project what the journey is going to contain. I just open myself to things, spectacular things beyond my wildest imagination. I certainly expect a deepening of my relationships with other human beings, and a deepening of my ability to be of greater service.

AH: What brings you to Alive Hospice?

J.W.: The moment I heard about what you guys are doing at Alive Hospice, I felt the rightness of it. It felt like the right time. Actually, I changed the trajectory of the trip to come to Nashville. It made the most “heart sense.” Alive Hospice is one of the very, very special hospices in the country. The “heart print” of Alive goes well beyond the bounds of Nashville. As I travel around the country, Alive Hospice is an organization whose example and influence are seen all over.

The original route was the Southern tier of the United States. It went from Key West, Florida to St. Augustine; St. Augustine to San Diego; San Diego to Vancouver; and Vancouver up to Prudoe Bay, Alaska. I felt called to do it. In one of the last conversations I had with my father, he talked about “Don’t be afraid to change the [start] date. Be flexible with the route. Just don’t leave anything unturned.” The date didn’t really change, but the route drastically changed. That was literally the last conversation we had face to face before he passed on. It was neat that that was the conversation.

AH: How many hours a day do you cycle?

J.W.: I usually cycle between about 6 and 8 hours per day. It’s pretty much cycling or a hospice-related event. Also, I’ve always wanted to go bouldering. I’ve seen some of that on the Discovery Channel. I wouldn’t mind trying some of that crazy rock-climbing.

AH: You’re obviously not a cycling novice. What’s the greatest distance you’ve ridden before?

J.W.: I’d love to agree with you and pretend that that was the case. Just waking up one day and deciding to ride across the continent is a little more accurate. I’ve run a half marathon. I had trained for distance running. I run track. I’ve done other sorts of events, but nothing of this epic endurance nature. I also did a thousand-mile warm-up ride last spring.

AH: As you stop, where will you stay?

J.W.: I have a tent and all sorts of camping equipment which I’ll definitely utilize over the six months, especially in the more rural parts of the continent. Sometimes I’ll be pitching a tent. A lot of times people invite me into their homes or open community centers and allow me to spend the night. Every new town and every day is an opportunity to personally affect people with the story of hospice.

Look for part 2 of this interview on Thursday.

Join us to welcome J.W. Frye on Friday, April 15! We’ll gather between 1 and 1:15 p.m. at Alive Hospice Residence Nashville (1710 Patterson St., near downtown Nashville). J.W. will arrive at 1:30. Questions? Call Jared Porter at 615-788-9525 or click here.

Talk about a guy who’s going places! Cyclist J.W. Frye kicked off a 7,500-mile ride across the country on February 23, and he’s making his way to Nashville (and more specifically, to Alive Hospice) next Friday, April 15.

If you’re in Middle Tennessee, you’re invited to join us as we welcome J.W. Frye to Music City! We’ll be gathering at
Alive Hospice Residence Nashville (1710 Patterson St., near downtown) between 1 and 1:15 p.m. next Friday, April 15 to cheer him on as he arrives and to hear his story. The gathering will include a reception.

Why a 7,500-mile ride from Key West, Florida, to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska? Because he’s raising awareness and funding for hospice care. Bicycling magazine is featuring J.W.’s dispatches from the road. Check it out to see how the journey is going so far.

And please join us at Alive Hospice Residence Nashville on April 15th! (Questions? Call 615-346-8358 or click here.) 

The Alive at The Bluebird concert series is back for its 18th year! This concert series will help unsung heroes in Middle Tennessee: people facing the end of life, and their families who love them.

More than 70 artists are participating again this year, people who have written songs recorded by some of the biggest names in country music! Together with The Bluebird Cafe, they’ll donate concert proceeds to help Alive Hospice provide hospice care and grief support services for ALL who need them, regardless of insurance status and ability to pay.

Who are YOU coming to see at The Bluebird?

Vanessa Melius

I have wonderful news: the All Things Beaded & Beyond craft sale, along with additional donations, raised a total of $2,166 for our “sister” hospice in South Africa, Hospice in the West!

One U.S. dollar is equivalent to about seven South African rand. Marisa Wolheim, honorary director at Hospice in the West, has shared that she will use this money to support their new nutrition program, which offers pre-cooked, nutritious food fortified with 28 nutrients to their patients. She shared that a bale of 20 kg can feed 13 patients one meal per day at about 345 rand, or about $49; a donation like ours could pay for 575 meals!

All Things Beaded & Beyond has evolved over the past seven years. It began when a few Alive Hospice employees took a beading class and practiced their skills together on their lunch breaks. They enjoyed it so much and had so many beautiful crafts that they decided to sell them and donate the proceeds to Hospice in the West. Originally the sale was promoted only to Alive Hospice employees. It became popular very quickly. Soon volunteers and community crafters were participating as well, and we opened it to the public.

• All crafters donated a minimum of 25% of their sales to Hospice in the West.
• 17 crafters donated more than 25% of their sales, including nine who donated 100%.
• 367 craft items were sold, and two community crafters tied with the most items sold at 61 each.
• 10 volunteers worked in shifts to set up the room, run the sale, and clean up.

In addition to each crafter promoting the sale to his or her network of supporters, the Alive Hospice Community Outreach Team also promoted the sale through:

• Alive Hospice Blog (with two posts in November, including one from Hospice in the West)
• Facebook (with 350 “likes”)
• Twitter (with 846 followers)
• Monthly e-newsletter
• More than 600 mail inserts in correspondence letters to donors
• More than 40 fliers distributed at three community events (Bethlehem Centers of Nashville’s Thanksgiving lunch, Glencliff High School’s Community Health Fair, and Tennessee State University’s Community Service Day/World AIDS Day).
• Media mentions by The Tennessean’s “Daily Crave” column, Nashville Public Radio and Nashville Today/Green Hills News.

This craft sale was a true collaboration and I am proud to be a part of this wonderful tradition. On behalf of the Hospice in the West committee, thank you to everyone who helped make this fundraiser a success.

Vanessa Melius is chair of Alive Hospice’s Hospice in the West Committee.