by Alice Bartram ·
Friday, September 27, 2024
A place of respite and care, the Virginia Thurston Healing Garden on Bolton Road was started in 2000 by Harvard resident Bill Thurston to honor his wife, Ginny, who died from breast cancer in 1998. Bill was aided by Betsy Tyson-Smith, a licensed mental health counselor who ran a breast cancer support group of which Ginny was a member. Longtime readers may recall that Thurston donated part of his property to create this sanctuary for breast cancer patients. Some may even remember Ginny and her lovely gardens or her time as president of the Garden Club of Harvard.
In the years since its inception, the Healing Garden—as it is generally known—expanded its mission to welcome those with any cancer diagnosis along with caregivers and those who have lost loved ones to cancer. The organization delivers on its mission through programs and services in three areas: complementary therapies; social-emotional support; and the healing environment of nature.
Alice Knowles (left) and Kathy Ann Gianino. (Courtesy photo)
As the organization approaches its 25th anniversary in 2025, the Healing Garden’s executive team and board of trustees recently reviewed and updated its strategic plan to guide the organization forward. To put the plan into action and strengthen its existing foundation, the Healing Garden has undertaken some recent changes to the gardens themselves and has moved to more virtual and off-site programming.
The addition of a labyrinth and sculpture garden allows more space for clients to gather, find peace in nature, and engage in meditative practices. The garden expansion has also opened new opportunities for outdoor programs—such as the sold-out drum circle class earlier in September and monthly outdoor yoga in the labyrinth.
The new labyrinth at the Virginia Thurston Healint Garden. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)
Kelly Marchand, who was promoted to Healing Garden executive director in the spring of 2022, spearheaded the recent expansion. In her previous role she worked directly with clients, so she knew there was a long-standing desire for a meditative labyrinth in the garden.
“Walking a labyrinth is a form of active meditation that can be used for mindfulness and contemplation. The labyrinth’s winding path can represent a journey to one’s center, and walking it can help quiet the mind, reflect, and solve problems. There is no right or wrong way to walk a labyrinth,” Marchard explained.
To get the overall project started, Marchand’s first call was to Jim Pinard of Pinard’s Landscaping in Ayer, as she knew that Jim and his brother Mark were hired by Ginny Thurston to help develop her 12 acres of gardens back in the early 1980s, when they were starting their business. “It was a joy to be involved in this project,” Jim Pinard enthused. “We did work for Ginny and Bill for many years. Our families got to know each other well.”
In parallel, the Healing Garden team worked with the Jerome and Phyllis Rappaport Family Foundation, which donated three large sculptures, allowing the creation of a sculpture garden.
With the project complete, garden paths have doubled in size, encircling the Healing Garden’s building. Marchand and her team are thrilled to have completed the outdoor expansion as it improves the Healing Garden’s ability to deliver on its mission. Client feedback has been very positive, according to Marchand, with some noting they enjoy using the refreshed outdoor spaces after a class to enjoy a cup of tea, walk and think, or meet up with a friend.
Like most nonprofits, the Healing Garden’s development team needs to raise the organization’s operating budget each year. Funds come predominantly from grants and private donors. Events, such as the ongoing Perennial Walk and Ride, round out fundraising. The Perennial Walk and Ride involves individuals or teams walking, running, or cycling at their own place and pace to raise funds. The event ends with a celebration on Oct. 6 at the Bolton Road facility, to which the public is invited. (Learn more at secure.qgiv.com/event/pwr_2024/)
The work of the organization is carried out by two full-time and five part-time staff members. Classes, workshops, and services such as massage, acupuncture, and shiatsu are delivered by an independent network of broadly skilled cancer care providers. Classes—which range from educational, to creative, to inspirational, to nutritional, to financial, to spiritual—are offered free of charge, though some clients do make donations. Massage and other bodywork services are on a sliding scale, which goes to zero as needed. The operating budget covers the dedicated staff as well as provision of all classes and discounted services. Volunteers help operationally or with grounds maintenance. Readers interested in volunteering can visit www.healinggardensupport.org.
In fiscal year 2024 (ended June 30), the Healing Garden served 553 clients from 134 towns across Massachusetts. As in past years, Harvard continues to have a high number of active clients, second only to Acton. In recent months, an average of 213 clients per month have been served, with those clients taking advantage of both on-site (130 per month) and virtual (420 per month) visits. According to Marchand’s team, the number of clients visiting and the number of visits per client have been increasing steadily over the past few years.
It will be no surprise to readers that the Healing Garden had to pivot to virtual services in 2020. What the team realized with the pivot is that the virtual option enables clients to prolong their use of classes. The visit numbers above bear out the popularity of virtual classes, with those having more than triple the visits per month over in-person sessions. In fact, a focus on meeting more clients where they are is a key part of the newly revamped strategic plan. This means both continuing to provide classes virtually and starting to add classes to expand their service delivery area.
The Healing Garden’s recent strategic planning sessions included time to reflect on its origins. “We believe that the expansions and additions would be appreciated by Ginny and Bill,” Marchand said with a melancholy smile, noting that Bill died this past April at the venerable age of 102.
Alice Knowles has been a client of the Healing Garden for seven years and is one of the clients who had been asking for a labyrinth. She has already enjoyed its addition. “It’s a great place to meditate, and since it’s right outside the building, it’s more accessible than the gardens, which are downhill,” Knowles said. “I’ve walked it, and my partner and I also attended the recent drumming circle held in the labyrinth. While drumming circles are not usually my thing, it was a very peaceful experience, and they did a great job engaging all of the attendees.”
Knowles explained, “To me, the Healing Garden is a place to be seen and understood. Their services enable clients to continue living their lives. Everyone I’ve met there has been so positive, and the staff really create a warm, spiritual, and welcoming environment.”
As Knowles and her partner live closer to Boston than to Harvard, they have appreciated the virtual class offerings. “It did take a bit of adjustment to take advantage of the virtual sessions, but once we figured it out, they have been great. The other beautiful thing is that virtual classes allow clients to join in any phase of treatment.” —AB