Published on June 5, 2025 4:13 pm
Last Updated on June 5, 2025 4:14 pm
(ALLIANN HOFFMAN AND SUSAN OLIVER)
BY SUSAN OLIVER, ANN CROOKER ST. CLAIR CHAPTER DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION REGENT
The DAR Community Service Award provides a unique opportunity for chapters to provide a non-competitive recognition to worthy individuals and organizations for outstanding voluntary service. The contribution to the community could be through voluntary heroic, civic, benevolent services or by organizing or participating in community services. The activity must have taken place in the last five years with no compensation. This year’s recipient is Alliann Hoffman.
This year’s recipient started her service because she likes to make people smile! As a farm wife, mother, and having worked for many years outside the home she kept busy. Alliann loves to help others and see the smiles. She was known as the “sucker lady” at the IGA, bringing smiles to many faces during her employment. She was a mentor and friend to younger employees. She enjoyed chatting with customers and made many new friends at the store over the years. Actually, Alliann and I were classmates, both graduating from Newton. We reconnected when I went thru her line one day. Her love of helping others and leftover yarn led her to starting to crochet blankets and offer them on line to folks to give as gifts. She still takes orders for special colors. As that took off, people started to contact her with “extra” yarn, donating it to her blanket service and she was off and crocheting!! Though she purchases some of her yarn, the many donations have helped her be able to continue her dream. That is much appreciated by Alliann.
Since January, 2023 the number of donated blankets has swelled to over 400. Alliann has donated her blankets to both the city and county law enforcement for use when they have children in tough situations that need comfort, Crisis Nursery, the Effingham County Health Department, nursing homes including those in Effingham and most recently Heartland in Neoga, and to the pediatric department at our local hospital, the Cancer Center, Enduring Freedom Ministries, El Shaddai, Family Life Center, and to hurricane relief in North Carolina as well as to friends and family that need a blanket hug. At holiday time, Alliann, and her friend Tara Hagen along with Tara’s son Austin have visited both Lakeland and Evergreen Nursing facilities with blankets (crocheted and fleece that they have made) and grippy socks all wrapped up for residents who have no close family or visitors. In 2024 they blessed 33 residents with a Christmas surprise.
Alliann’s blankets are colorful. She told me people often ask her how she chooses which color will be next in her blankets. “ Well, I have a box of plain yarn and I have types of variegated yarn in a 5 gallon bucket. I close my eyes, reach in either the box or bucket and grab a ball of yarn. I don’t specifically choose what is next. And that’s how my blankets turn out the way they do!!” I think it must be a good system judging from the hundreds of thankful, smiling recipients of her blankets!!
The Ann Crooker St. Clair Chapter was honored to present this Community Service Award to Alliann Hoffman! Her blankets of many colors have brought many smiles to our community and her heartfelt volunteerism makes our community a better place.
