CULLMAN, Ala. – Executive Director of Flourish of Cullman Inc. Melissa Dew and her family have created a memorial fund for April Williams who passed away on May 14, 2021. Dew’s sister April was one of the motivations behind the creation of Flourish in 2016. Williams’ health had declined due to her cerebral palsy to the point that she could not be a participant in the program, but she was still an advocate for helping others in need. Her 50th birthday would have been on Thursday, February 24. To celebrate, her family is holding a birthday party/ celebration of life on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. at Heritage Park on the Olive Street side where they will be accepting donations for the fund.
Williams’ sister Melissa Dew said, “Our family is throwing a birthday party to celebrate her 50th birthday and all of that money will go into the April Williams fund. When she passed away in May, we started, instead of flowers for the funeral, we asked for donations, and we started a fund where we help individuals that might have problems with getting money for shoes, new clothes or keeping their cell phone on so employers can call them.”
The fund will support people in need in their efforts to become employed. As the Executive Director of Flourish of Cullman Inc. Dew already assists and empowers people with disabilities to live and work independently. Dew and her family wanted to create a new way to raise funds while keeping April’s memory alive. Dew said, “I wanted to have a way to keep her legacy alive and what she meant to all of us.” Williams was always very generous by asking others about their needs and offering money to people in need.
Dew continued, “She was an amazing person. I was five years old when she was born, so me and her were always really connected. She loved her family.” Dew spoke about how Williams was always excited when a new baby was born in the family. “She was legally blind, but my mother taught her how to crochet, and she would crochet blankets for the babies.”
At Christmas, Williams would crochet her blankets and sell them to raise money so that she could buy Christmas presents for her whole family. “She just brought great joy,” Dew concluded.
The party Saturday will have pizza, ice cream and April’s favorite—Dr. Pepper. “She loved Dr. Pepper. That was her big thing. You could get her to do just about anything for a drink of Dr. Pepper,” said Dew.
Donations can also be made by going to: https://www.flourishofcullman.com/?fbclid=IwAR1arkbIQl2o8jH_DypPwYFpDeonZ6pMHWNx8vSxxtCInYx-kMN1bPwFX2M.
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