Sandra Bertman, Distinguished Professor of Thanatology and Arts, at the National Center for Death Education, Mount Ida College checks a book out of Circle of Caring at Hospice of the Good Shepherd’s Resource Library.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Local Hospice Opens One of a Kind Library

On April 8th, 2008, Circle of Caring at Hospice of the Good Shepherd officially opened its Resource Library and Remembrance Room. These two unique spaces are now available to community members looking for guidance as they face life’s transitions. The Hospice welcomed over 50 people to the Grand Opening, including Newton Mayor David Cohen, a supporter of the Hospice for 30 years, who led the ribbon cutting ceremony with several representatives from the Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerce.

The evening was emotional for many in attendance, including Tim Braceland, Chair of the Chamber of Commerce who spoke openly to the group about his personal experiences with hospice and the special care his family received. The Hospice was proud to welcome internationally renowned scholar, Sandra Bertman, Distinguished Professor of Thanatology and Arts at the National Center for Death Education Mount Ida College, who moved the audience with her reading from a children’s book about memory, loss and hope. To conclude the evening, Rabbi Carol Glass, Hospice of the Good Shepherd’s Spiritual Care Coordinator, led the audience in a ritual to dedicate the Remembrance Room.

The Resource Library is the home to a full collection of books, music and movies for children, adults and community professionals to enjoy at the Library or at home. The first of its kind in the area, the Library is a space for people to find solace and comfort through the words and voices of others and gain access to important resources about death, dying and bereavement.

To Rabbi Carol Glass, the Remembrance Room is a space “dedicated to that which deepens our experience and makes life meaningful, real, rich and beyond ordinary.” It is a peaceful space containing plants, a tranquility fountain, art and panels listing the names of each individual who has died while being served by the Hospice of the Good Shepherd since its inception 30 years ago.

These new rooms, made possible by a generous donation from the Middlesex Savings Charitable Foundation of Natick, are part of the Circle of Caring at Hospice of the Good Shepherd’s Center for Life Transitions which offers a variety of educational and supportive services to the community. Circle of Caring at Hospice of the Good Shepherd is a non-profit, non-sectarian, community-based homecare agency that has been providing quality end-of-life care to people living with terminal illnesses and their lived ones since its inception in 1978. As the first hospice in Massachusetts, the Hospice of the Good Shepherd is currently honoring its 30 year tradition of caring for the community