EVENTS
We hope you will join us for inspiring and educational events hosted by The Parmenter Foundation.
Upcoming Events
Lights of Remembrance
October 14, 2026 @ 3PM
Please join us as we illuminate the Dora Efthim Healing Garden located at the Miriam Boyd Parlin Hospice Residence in Wayland, MA. You may also purchase a symbolic light to commemorate a loved one at the ceremony.
There will be music, ceremony in memoriam, garden lighting, and refreshments.
All proceeds support compassionate hospice care.
POSTPONED Healing With Acceptance and the Peace it Ignites
As a Certified Transitional Life Coach*, I understand the complexity of acceptance especially when facing family illness, loss, or grief. Acceptance is not about giving up; it’s about learning how to meet life’s challenges in a way that allows us to find strength, peace, and resilience.
Past Events
Laughter, Love, and Loss
Thursday, April 2, 2026, 7:00 pm
Regis College Theater, Weston, MA
We are so grateful to all who joined us for this very special night! Your partnership helps us to continue funding crucial services for our community!
Thank you for joining us for an intimate evening of comedy, conversation and connection with actress, writer and comedian, Alyssa Limperis.
The event was moderated by Niro Feliciano, psychotherapist, author, and TODAY show contributor.
Healing With Teas
Please Join us February 17th, 5:30-6:30
Mary Beth Joyce, a registered nurse, herbalist, hypnotherapist, and energy
healer will lead this workshop. She trained with the Boston Herbal
School, School for the Sacred Wild and has studied herbal medicine. Mary
Beth will explain how customized teas can enhance your physical and
emotional wellbeing and the benefits of specific herbs used. She will also
demonstrate how to make teas and provide samples for you to taste.
Grief During the Holidays Workshop
Date: Thursday, December 4, 2025 from 1:30 to 3:00
Location: Wayland Council on Aging
8 Andrew Avenue, Wayland
Angela Crocker, Executive Director, and Niki Pugach, a licensed social worker, will share their insights on how to cope, find comfort and care for yourself during the holidays.
You will have the opportunity to find meaningful connections with community members who are also navigating grief. Following the discussion, we will create a special craft to honor your loved ones and celebrate their memories. If you choose, please bring a small item that reminds you of them.
Healing With Meridian Therapy
Gently Releasing Grief through a unique energy healing technique.
Join us for an evening of gentle emotional release and renewal. Through Meridian Therapy, a simple yet powerful technique, you will experience a compassionate, intuitive process designed to bring comfort, clarity, and calm.
Lights of Remembrance
Date: October 15th, 2025 at 4pm
Location: The Parmenter Foundation
260 Boston Post Road, Suite 5, Wayland
Help illuminate the Dora Efthim Healing Garden located at the Miriam Boyd Parlin Hospice Residence in Wayland, MA and support local hospice care by purchasing a symbolic light in memory of a loved one. This year’s gathering is dedicated to Roberta Mavis Efthim, beloved benefactor and longtime supporter of the Dora Efthim Healing Garden—a beautiful, tranquil setting where hospice patients and their caregivers may reflect on life, love, and loss. All proceeds support compassionate hospice care.
Healing With Sound
Vibrations from singing and crystal bowls help to move energy through your body – providing peace and deep relaxation.
Healing With Teas
Thursday, June 26, 2:00 to 4:00pm
Location: The Parmenter Foundation
260 Boston Post Road, Suite 5, Wayland
Presented by Mary Beth Joyce, a registered nurse, herbalist, hypnotherapist, and energy healer. She has trained with the Boston Herbal School, School for the Sacred Wild and has studied Herbal Medicine. Mary Beth will explain how making customized teas will enhance your wellness and emotional wellbeing and the benefits of specific herbs used. She will also demonstrate how to make the teas and provide sample teas for you to taste.
Healing With Flowers
Being surrounded by flowers can provide healing to those who experience grief, especially during special occasions. This workshop will bring members of our community together to design flower bouquets that honor loved ones who have passed.
An Evening with Will Reeve
Wednesday, April 2, 2025, 7:00 pm
Regis College Theater, Weston, MA
Will Reeve was 12 years old when his father, actor, director and activist Christopher Reeve died. Eighteen months later, his mother, Dana Reeve, an actress and singer, died of lung cancer. Will has navigated life, from high school to college to a successful career in broadcast journalism, while carrying that grief with him.
Join us for a candid discussion about persevering through life while navigating grief.
Lights of Remembrance
October 16, 2024 @ 4PM
Please join us as we illuminate the Dora Efthim Healing Garden located at the Miriam Boyd Parlin Hospice Residence in Wayland, MA. You may also purchase a symbolic light to commemorate a loved one at the ceremony.
All proceeds support compassionate hospice care.
Love, Loss, and the Book of Walks
Friday, October 4, 2024
1PM to 2PM
Please join us at Wolbach Farm for Love, Loss, and the Book of Walks, a community grief ritual co-sponsored by The Parmenter Foundation and Sudbury Valley Trustees. This event will focus on the healing power of nature and is for anyone experiencing loss.
The walk will be led by Deb Todd Wheeler, author of The Book of Walks. Since 2019, Deb has guided hundreds of walks, mainly through the Lost Pond in Newton. Visit debtoddwheeler.org to learn more.
A Better Understanding of Grief in Our Community and How to Help
Friday September 20, 2024
8:30AM to 1:30PM
A professional development program for practitioners to gain a comprehensive and deeper understanding of grief support services available within our community. This knowledge and skillset can be used to help provide effective assistance to individuals navigating the complexities of bereavement. Attendees of this half-day program are eligible for continuing education units.
Sponsored by Main Street Bank.
Finishing Touches
Various Dates May – June, 2024 @ 2PM
May 15th, Estate Planning
What are the essential estate planning documents I should have? What happens if I don’t have them? Learn about wills, trusts and probate with Elder Law Attorney Denise Yurkofsky.
May 29th, Medical Decisions
If you are unable to make decisions, how do you plan for care and make your wishes known to relatives and to first responders? What will happen in an emergency? Learn how you can prepare with Wayland Fire Chief Neil McPherson, Firefighter Todd Winner, & Cathleen Summers, RN, ESQ.
June 5th, Demystifying Hospice
Hospice can be a difficult and scary topic. What exactly is it, and what is it NOT? This panel of hospice professionals and volunteers will discuss how hospice can aid patients, caregivers, friends and loved ones.
Grief: A One Man ShitShow
October 3, 2023 @ 7PM
The Parmenter Foundation is proud to host the exclusive Boston area performance of “Grief: A One Man ShitShow,” written and performed by author Colin Campbell. This award-winning, emotional show played in New York and Los Angeles, where it received outstanding reviews.
One night only — act fast!
Tuesday, October 3, 2023
7:00 PM
The Center for Arts in Natick
14 Summer Street
Natick, MA
Modern Loss
November 2, 2022 @ 7PM
A candid, no-holds-barred discussion with Rebecca Soffer, the author of two books, most recently The Modern Loss Handbook: An Interactive Guide to Moving Through Grief and Building Your Resilience. Rebecca brings a fresh, warm, and even humor-infused perspective to grief and loss in her aim to normalize how we regard this universal experience. She is also full of practical and creative advice, without platitudes or assurances, on navigating through the grief journey and providing meaningful support to those along the way.
This event was moderated by local grief expert, Ken Barringer, M.A., LMHC, founder of the H.E.A.L.I.N.G. grief support program in Newton, MA.
“Finding Your Way Along the Long Arc of Loss” with Hope Edelman
Live web event held June 24th, 2021
In this live web event, Hope Edelman, New York Times bestselling author of Motherless Daughters and her new book The AfterGrief, talks about how grief evolves and reemerges over time and through life transitions, shaping our thoughts and behaviors, as well as our identities and personal growth. Hope reads excerpts from her book and leads a panel discussion regarding the long-term grieving process, with teens and parents who have experienced a significant loss. The webinar is hosted by grief expert Jennifer Wiles, Director of renowned MetroWest children’s grief support programs: HEARTplay and Camp Erin® Boston, and the event is moderated by Emmy award-winning journalist, Dave Kartunen, of The Parmenter Foundation.
Capturing the stories of our Elders -- From Hollywood to our Own Families
Live web event held April 6, 2021
In this live webinar, Tiffany Woolf, seasoned filmmaker and daughter of Boston legend Bob Woolf, and Noam Dromi, Emmy Award-winning writer/producer, both founders of Silver Screen Studios, will teach you to create a video time capsule to spotlight your loved ones and inspire future generations of your family.
Click here to download the Elder Toolkit
Click here to watch the replay