Salem Artist Designs Bench For North Shore Educator Dedication

SALEM, MA — A Salem-based artist designed a handcrafted bench recently dedicated at the headquarters of Wellspring House in Gloucester in honor of three Brookwood educators.

The bench was unveiled during Brookwood's annual first-grade spring planting visit, when students and families gathered at Wellspring to tend gardens and connect with the community.

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Claudia Paraschiv of Studioful Design in Salem designed the bench, which was built by The Cornerstone Creative, a Gloucester-based nonprofit.

The design was inspired by student artwork created during the 2024 celebration of the partnership's 30th anniversary.

"The result was the creation of four symbols: a house for Wellspring’s mission, a tulip for the bulbs the children planted, a butterfly for the pollinators, and a heart for love and community," Paraschiv said.

The bench honors three Brookwood educators, Sarah Dawe, Pam Hawes and Jeff Wilfahrt, for their role in building the partnership. They developed year-long curricula, organized visits, and helped students learn how acts of generosity can support others.

The bench overlooks the wildflower garden that Brookwood first-graders have helped cultivate over the years.

Wellspring's mission is to help families and adults on the North Shore achieve employment and financial security through stable housing, education, job training and career readiness.

The new bench is meant to be a welcoming place for families seeking stability, students taking High School Equivalency exams and people working to build more secure futures.

"Wellspring House is deeply grateful for this enduring partnership with Brookwood School,” said Melissa Dimond, Wellsprin's President and Executive Director. “For more than thirty years, Brookwood's students have brought their creativity, generosity, and care to everything they do here - tending our gardens, contributing to our community, and helping make this a place where people feel truly welcome.

"This bench is a celebration of that spirit, and a reminder of what is possible when a community decides to show up for one another."

For more than 20 years, Brookwood first-grade classes have visited Wellspring each spring and fall to plant bulbs and flowers.

Students also have decorated holiday stockings for children in Wellspring's family shelter, assembled leaving baskets for people moving into stable housing, and donated toys, art supplies and holiday meals.

"Wellspring House has helped our students understand that service is not something separate from learning — it is learning," said Jon Bartlett, Head of Schools, Brookwood School. "Generations of Brookwood students have arrived at Wellspring to plant, create, give, and connect, but they have also left with something lasting themselves: empathy, perspective, and a deeper understanding of community."