Remembering KC Roots and four special people was originally published in the Spring 2021 issue of Luminary newsletter.

There are certain moments in our lives that resonate, carrying us through difficult times. They bring a smile to our face and a familiar feeling. Sometimes, the comforts of our past are often tied to a place, person, or favorite tradition. Or, sometimes they reflect a moment in time, a special trip or event. Others are simply memories of our day-to-day lives.

For Alicia Gault, the memories she shared throughout her life with her parents, and a very special aunt and uncle, inspired her. Alicia shares, “Giving back keeps me close to my family. It helps the community that was so special to me, and a mission that is very important.”

Alicia grew up in the Raytown area of Kansas City and remembers special times there. Her family moved away when she was nine. They visited often, staying with her Aunt Kathryn and Uncle Howard Althaber.

Sustaining Angel

Alicia, who now lives in California, became a Sustaining Angel to honor her parents G. Kelly and Margaret Welch and her very special aunt and uncle. Alicia’s support shows you don’t have to live in Kansas City to be a Sustaining Angel. It is about honoring a loved one and sustaining the KCH mission through an ongoing gift, in any amount.

Alicia’s father was a Mason and her parents were active in their church, setting an early example of the importance of supporting the community. Some of her earliest memories are of her parents lending a helping hand. Once Alicia’s father found Harry Truman stuck in the snow out in Independence. As a result, he got to be the hero by pulling Truman out of the ditch! For Alicia, continuing to support Kansas City Hospice honors the helping spirit her parents showed and instilled in her.

A photo of the old Country Club trolley KANSAS CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY

Alicia’s ongoing support also keeps her connected to KC and many fond childhood memories. She used to ride the trolley with her mother for ten cents to go shopping downtown. “If we were really good we could get a few orange slices candy [at W.T. Grants] to eat on the way home,” she recalls.

Remembering KC Roots

Knowing her gift supports people in her hometown – people she recalls as “nice, open, and friendly” – is comforting. Alicia’s parents met in Kansas City, married, and started a family. And, it’s the place where they continued to make family memories even after moving away.

Kansas City is also where her beloved Uncle Howard, a man she describes as kind and gentle, spent the rest of his life. A WWII veteran, Howard spent his final time at peace with his family at Kansas City Hospice House™. With Aunt Kathryn also gone now, Alicia no longer visits KC. It brings her peace knowing she can extend the same compassionate care given to her uncle to other families.

How to become a Sustaining Angel

The Sustaining Angel program is a way you can make a lasting impact through a monthly, quarterly, or annual donation in any amount. Your generosity will help provide much-needed services to families in the greater Kansas City area. The automatically-recurring donation has the flexibility to change in amount or frequency at any time.

You may learn about becoming a Sustaining Angel by contacting Mary Zahner Bauer at 816.276.2625.
mbauer@KCHospice.org
or visit KCHospice.org/Sustaining

As always, gifts to Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care are tax deductible. You may make one-time gifts online, mail a check to the address below, or call 816.276.2617.

1500 Meadowlake Parkway, Suite 200, Kansas City, MO 64114

About Us