Hope Loves Company

Hope Loves Company (HLC) provides a three-day, overnight retreat for children and young adults, ages 6-21, who have or had a loved one battling ALS, as well as their families. It is an opportunity to have fun, to be challenged through team building exercises, and to meet peers who share in their experiences. Additionally, grants to assist program participants and their families who express the need for assistance during the holiday season are provided and care packages are sent to youths who have been affected by ALS.HLC has met and supported many children around the nation who are or have been caregivers to their loved ones. The children and young adults who we serve have expressed their feelings of fear, sadness, and stress as they witness parents and grandparents facing the challenges of ALS. In addition, there is ongoing anticipatory grief and eventually, enormous grief when they lose a loved one to ALS. Having HLC as a resource does not cure ALS, but it helps to reduce the isolation many face.HCL's founder, Jodi O'Donnell-Ames, has raised three children who all lost a parent to ALS before the age of 11. Her children faced sadness, frustration, anxiety and grief because of their parental losses. HLC was formed because of that experience and is a resource for all children who are coping with the challenges presented by ALS. As long as ALS exists, children need HLC.