- Big Bend Hospice is hosting a linen drive for new Twin XL-sized bed sheets.
- There is a critical need for resources in rural areas.
- Watch the video to learn where donations can be delivered.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
In Jefferson County, kindness sometimes comes in the form of cotton.
I’m Lentheus Chaney, your Monticello neighborhood reporter. Big Bend Hospice is collecting linens here to help patients face their final days with dignity.
Big Bend Hospice just launched a linen drive. It's asking neighbors to donate new Twin XL-sized bed sheets. They'll be used for patients across Jefferson, Madison, and Taylor counties.
The drive's goal is to ensure no one spends their final days without the comfort of clean sheets—something most of us take for granted.
The need is especially great in rural areas. According to state data, hospice use in parts of North Florida lags behind the statewide average—just 57%. That's compared to nearly 66% across Florida. That gap means fewer resources in the places that need them most.
For neighbors like Helen Braswell, this effort is personal. Her brother, and most recently her husband, died in hospice care. Now, she’s a passionate volunteer with Big Bend Hospice.
She understands firsthand the struggles of finding bed sheets for a hospital bed.
“Having been in a similar situation, knowing that the bed was coming and I didn’t have sheets—I had to order them. I could not find them. But for someone who doesn’t have a way to order, I think it would be wonderful,” Braswell said.
Traci Wood has worked with Big Bend Hospice for 17 years. She’s not only a clinical support specialist, she’s also been on the other side, caring for her grandmother through hospice. She says she’s confident the community will support this drive as they have others in the past.
“Some of the patients can’t afford sheets, or they’re elderly and just can’t get out to get them because it’s just the two of them. They’re taking care of their loved ones, so we figured this was a great way for the community to help,” Wood said.
In hospice, comfort is everything. And sometimes, that comfort starts with a set of sheets, or just having a place for support and guidance.
“It helps to ease the time in a very difficult situation. But I love the care, the compassion—not only for the patient, but for the family as well,” Braswell said.
Donations of Twin XL sheets can be dropped off at Big Bend Hospice's Monticello office or any Big Bend Hospice location in your area.
In Monticello, I’m Lentheus Chaney, ABC27.
Want to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website.
Stay in touch with us anywhere, anytime.
