Walking with the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute: Good Shepherd Community Care Participates in 29th Annual Mother's Day Walk for Peace

Newton, MA (May 13, 2025) On a beautiful, breezy Mother’s Day morning, a group of staff members from Good Shepherd Community Care—joined by family members—gathered in Dorchester to participate in the 29th Annual Mother’s Day Walk for Peace, hosted by the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute. Walking alongside thousands of others, the Good Shepherd team donned new 30th anniversary HEARTplay program t-shirts and proudly represented the organization’s commitment to community, compassion, respect and “leading with the heart”.

Now a cherished annual tradition, the Walk for Peace is a powerful show of love and unity, bringing together those who grieve, those who hope, and those who are committed to transforming pain into purpose. This year’s theme, “Cultivating Cycles of Peace,” was felt throughout the morning—as participants walked not only in remembrance, but in active commitment to healing and change. For the team from Good Shepherd, the walk offered a meaningful opportunity to connect with neighbors, families, and fellow advocates for peace. “People shouted ‘Happy Mother’s Day’ and called out the names of organizations as we passed—it was such a warm and deeply connective experience,” shared Jennifer Sax, Vice President of Advancement. “There’s an incredible sense of hope and forgiveness in the air. It takes so much courage, faith, and vulnerability to show up—especially in grief—and yet people come together, walk together, and choose to build community and change, side by side.”

At its core, the Peace Institute upholds seven principles of peace: Love, Unity, Faith, Hope, Courage, Justice, and Forgiveness. These values deeply resonate with Good Shepherd’s mission of providing compassionate, person-centered care for those navigating serious illness and loss. The alignment was clear as staff walked shoulder-to-shoulder with families that have been supported by the HEARTplay Program, highlighting the very real threads of connection between Good Shepherd’s work and the broader movement for peace and healing.

“This walk holds such deep meaning, especially on Mother’s Day,” said Jennifer Wiles, Director of HEARTplay and Camp Erin Boston, two Good Shepherd programs that provide free grief support to children, teens, and young adults of all abilities, as well as their families. “Our team walked with hearts full of remembrance and solidarity. At HEARTplay, we honor mothers every year through art, music, movement, writing, and reflection. Today, we walked for all mothers—those we grieve, those who grieve with us, and those who hold their families together in the wake of loss.”

The day was filled with moments of joy and inspiration: a community chorus sang Lean on Me as the Good Shepherd marchers passed; neighbors clapped, cheered, and waved from their porches; and hope and healing buzzed through conversations and shone from the slogans on participants’ t-shirts: messages like “Hurt People Hurt People” countered by “Healed People Heal People.” The walk passed the active construction site of the Peace Institute’s new Center of Healing, Teaching, and Learning—a powerful reminder that this event is also a vital part of the Peace Institute’s Campaign for Peace, a $25 million fundraising initiative to expand programs, deepen impact across Boston, and serve as a model for cities nationwide.

The Louis D. Brown Peace Institute continues to raise funds for the Walk for Peace through Father’s Day. Contributions support year-round programs that help families impacted by homicide, while building a culture of peace and dignity across Boston and beyond.

To learn more or donate, visit www.mothersdaywalk4peace.org.

About HEARTplay

HEARTplay is a program of Good Shepherd Community Care, one of the most trusted not-for-profit health care organizations in Greater Boston, recently named a “Top Place to Work in Massachusetts” by The Boston Globe for the third consecutive year. HEARTplay is a heart-centered bereavement program. Our mission is to support children, teens and young adults of all abilities and their families who are coping with the serious illness or death of an important person in their lives. HEARTplay offers support services for children, teens, and young adults of all abilities and their families who are coping with the serious illness or death of an important person in their lives. Services are offered at no cost to all families and include home, office, or virtual visits for individualized support, on-going bereavement groups, and bereavement day-camp workshops. Licensed mental health counselors and expressive therapists use movement, music, art, play, and discussion to help participants explore and express feelings associated with grief and loss. Participants are invited to honor their person, learn about the grieving process, and connect with peers who have experienced a similar loss. We strive to offer programs and services that are trauma-informed and responsive to the needs of families in our communities. For more information about HEARTplay and its programs, please visit https://www.HEARTplayprogram.org/. To learn more about or donate to Good Shepherd Community Care, call (617) 969-6130 or visit https://gscommunitycare.org/, like Good Shepherd on Facebook www.facebook.com/GSCommunityCare and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter @GSCommunityCare.

About the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute

The Louis D. Brown Peace Institute, founded in 1994 by Chaplain Clementina Chéry after the tragic loss of her 15-year-old son Louis, serves as a center of healing, teaching, and learning for families and communities impacted by murder, trauma, grief, and loss. Based in Dorchester, Massachusetts, the Institute offers survivor outreach services, healing support, community reentry programs, and training for educators, providers, and public officials. Guided by its core Principles of Peace—Love, Unity, Faith, Hope, Courage, Justice, and Forgiveness—the Institute is committed to transforming society’s response to homicide and fostering a more peaceful and just world. To learn more about or donate to the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute, visit https://ldbpeaceinstitute.org/

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