How we got here.

The Aloe Approach grew out of a season of reflection, after Jenn’s Dad passed away in 2023.

For years, he had asked Jenn and her sister to help sort through his storage room. It never became a priority. After he was gone, they finally opened the boxes.

Inside were many ordinary things - but also belongings that clearly held meaning for him. The hard part wasn’t only in deciding what to keep or let go. It was realizing they would never know the stories behind those items. Pieces of his life were there, but the context was gone. It felt like a missed opportunity - for him and for his family.

Jenn also carries memories of her grandmother writing names on the backs of items she intended to gift - a simple act that removed uncertainty and preserved intention. She has witnessed friends and family navigate loss and hold tightly to the stories connected to their loved ones’ belongings. Again and again, she saw how meaningful - and overwhelming - this process can be.

Around the same time, Erin and Jenn met during their End of Life doula training. They quickly bonded over shared values and a mutual desire to approach life’s transitions more intentionally. When Jenn shared the idea behind The Aloe Approach, Erin immediately resonated. She often thinks about her Bapcia’s home and the belongings left behind - wishing she had known more of the stories connected to the quirky objects that filled her farm. 

Both recognized how easily meaning can be lost when conversations don’t happen in time.

While The Aloe Approach is not an End-of-Life Doula service, that training deeply shaped their perspective. Together, they have learned about presence, compassion, legacy, grief, and how to support people through life’s transitions without judgment.

They have come to understand that sorting belongings is rarely just about organization - it is about honouring a life lived.