Breast cancer patients in Coeur d’Alene recently received some hope and support from Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Fifteen bags filled with supplies to aid in mastectomy recovery were recently donated to patients at Kootenai Health in Coeur d’Alene from Hope in a Handbag, a Fort Wayne-based nonprofit organization that has been supporting breast cancer patients since 2007.
The bags came to Coeur d’Alene via Ash Brokerage, a national insurance brokerage firm headquartered in Fort Wayne that wanted to share Hope in a Handbag’s impact with other communities. Hope in a Handbag’s founder, Kristina Alderdice, was an Ash Brokerage employee before she lost her 10-year battle with breast cancer on March 11, 2016. Her family and friends are ensuring the mission of Hope in a Handbag lives on.
In memory of Kristina, Ash Brokerage organized a community service project in Coeur d’Alene, where the firm hosted its Annuity Summit, a gathering of financial professionals from across the country. As one of their activities, summit attendees and their guests assembled the 15 necessities bags and added notes of encouragement for the recipients.
“Kristina inspired everyone at Ash Brokerage, so we wanted to support Hope in a Handbag’s continuing mission to help breast cancer patients, even across the country,” said Mike McGlothlin, executive vice president of annuities at Ash Brokerage.
