When Gentiva Hospice representatives reached out to Becky Allen to help with their 12th annual food drive, they only needed to say two words to get her to say yes.

Doll’s House.

It was a favorite charity of her late husband Kelly, said Allen, an ER nurse at King’s Daughters Medical Center.

Allen owns K&B Seafood in Brookhaven, which is managed by her daughter, Liz McDaniel.

She said the ER staff supported Doll’s House for a Christmas project and her husband, who died in May, was always giving to the mission for women.

“If he knew it was for the Doll’s House, he’d just give it to them,” she said. “He was a very generous and kind person.”

Empty brown paper grocery sacks are available at the seafood shop, which is located at 307 Hwy. 51.

Non-perishable food items and personal hygiene items can be brought to K&B to fill the bags. Monetary donations will also be accepted.

“If they want to bring money and don’t have time to shop, we’ll go get it for them,” Allen said.

The bags will be picked up Aug. 26 and taken to Doll’s House.

Gentiva Hospice, an affiliate of Kindred Hospice, launched its annual food drive this week.  They chose Doll’s House as the recipient this year and their hope is to gather “an abundance of resourceful non-perishable items for this worthy cause.”

Stephanie and Johnnie Turner are co-founders and co-directors of Doll’s House. “The mission of the Doll’s House is to disciple women while providing a transitional housing alternative as the wounds of the little girl in every woman are healed. Our primary focus is based on the principles of deliverance, healing and empowerment,” Turner said. “A multitude of skills are taught to empower the women we encounter, and lead them to self-sufficiency, and ultimately facilitate the possible reunification of clients with their children and families.”

Doll’s House offers an eight-step program that enables women with personal development, vocational training, substance abuse counseling, interpersonal skills, personal and spiritual development, building community skills, leisure activities and independent living skills, Turner said. The facility is centered on teaching necessary life skills focusing on the needs of abused and homeless women, while offering long-term transitional housing for 24 months before integrating these ladies back into society.

Debbie Mason, a representative with Gentiva Hospice, said the Turners are motivating leaders “for these ladies and their children, as they help address their physical, emotional, and educational needs, while helping them integrate back into society. This dedicated couple brings plenty of management and educational experience in their roles at Doll’s House.”

She said selecting Doll’s House as the recipient of the food drive was an easy choice.

“They are such a good service with what they are doing for those ladies,” Mason said. “You can tell their hearts are really in it.”

Gentiva Hospice services Lincoln, Franklin, Pike, Lawrence, Copiah, Simpson, Smith, Jefferson Davis, Jefferson, Covington, Marion, Lamar and Forrest counties.

For more information, call Gentiva Hospice at 601-849-5803 or Doll’s House at 601-291-8757 or 601-519-3546.