Smith Farm Announces Collaboration with Christine M. Loeber Foundation
A groundbreaking ceremony was held at Smith Farm at Borderland State Park on Veteran's Day, November 11, 2020, to mark the spot of the Christine M. Loeber Memorial Garden. Smith Farm at Borderland State Park was built in 1880 by Dr. Asahel Smith, a holistic healer, who began practicing the healing arts in Easton in 1850. Dr. Smith specifically chose the site for its serenity and peacefulness, where he grew and utilized botanical remedies to heal his patients. Smith Farm is now a 501(c)(3) organization under curatorship with the MA Department of Conservation and Recreation and serves the Easton community by providing space for events and wellness activities. The Farm’s main focus is to build strategic partnerships with wellness providers and nonprofits for veterans—offering Smith Farm as an alternative site for organizations and practitioners to enhance existing programs and allow them to take advantage of the peaceful setting Smith Farm has to offer. Christine Loeber grew up in Easton and spent many happy times at Borderland State Park. Christine graduated from Oliver Ames High School in 1987, received her undergraduate degree from The University of New Hampshire, and went on to work in Boston for several years. Her work with veterans at the Brockton VA led her to pursue her Master's in Social Work from Boston College, and she then dedicated her life to helping veterans. Christine’s path led her to California, where she began serving as the Executive Director of the Pathway Home in Yountville, CA. She led programs for veterans with PTSD and brought her bright light to her work there. On March 9, 2018, she and two other staff members were killed in a tragic shooting by a former patient—a veteran with PTSD. The Christine M. Loeber Foundation was formed in 2018 in honor of Christine, to further her legacy of helping others, with a specific focus on helping veterans and homeless individuals. The Foundation has generously supported Smith Farm in their efforts to preserve the historic farmhouse on the site and open it as a health and wellness center for organizations serving veterans. The Christine M. Loeber Memorial Garden will be a space for visitors to sit and reflect, and to enjoy the beauty of Smith Farm and Borderland State Park. A plaque has been mounted on a rock in the garden with a quote from Rumi that reads "Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love, it will not lead you astray." This quote was displayed in Christine's home in California, and the Foundation chose it so that it could inspire others at this beautiful space at Smith Farm, as it did Christine in her daily life. The garden will be planted in the spring, and there will be a formal dedication ceremony in 2021, once the garden is complete. Learn more about the Christine M. Loeber foundation by visiting https://www.christinemloeberfoundation.org/
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