Fall 2025 Newsletter
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In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I want to express my decades- long gratitude to be part of a community that created and built the Scandinavian Living Center and the Scandinavian Cultural Center & Library. Our collective success was achieved through generous donors and volunteers. As we move forward, we continue to make improvements with the help of that same kind of generosity.
I am happy to share that our “BHAG moment” (big hairy audacious goals) discussed in previous newsletters, is turning into a great accomplishment. Renovations scheduled to be completed late next year are a year ahead of schedule due to a few extremely generous donors. The extra good news is that moving the completion date to this year means that we will also save thousands of dollars.
Through this renovation period, Alie French, our Director of Operations, has spearheaded the effort to organize and oversee all the new improvements. Her
After more than thirty years at the Center, I have been asked what I think my legacy will be. Beyond hoping that the SLC family feels as well cared for as
“I ask you to help me build a legacy we can all be proud of. Please contribute to our endowment funds so your gifts this year can grow to help countless others in the future.”
vision and her tenacity bode well for our future. I am so grateful for her leadership, and I hope you will soon come to visit and see the result of her outstanding work.
Because of the generous capital support from many in
our amazing community, we are ready to embark on the most vital element of our audacious goals: securing the future for the next generation by enhancing our special endowment funds. Every donation into the Subsidy Fund, the Friendship Fund, and the Cultural Fund will continue to grow while a percentage of their annual earnings will be used for future financial assistance for residents and programs for the Greater Boston community. This will strengthen everything we do in the years to come. See pages 6-8 for more info about the funds and the impact you can have.
I ask you to help me build a legacy we can all be proud of. Please contribute to our endowment funds so your gifts this year can grow to help countless others in the future. Together, let us make our audacious goal a reality and create a healthy and empowering legacy for the future.
With heartfelt appreciation,
Joe Carella
Executive Director
Scandinavian Charitable Society of Greater Boston
A Message from Alie French
With Thanksgiving almost upon us, I want to add my list of thanks to everyone involved with our SLC renovation project. First, to our designers, architects, and builders—Wellesley Design Consultants, BWA Architecture, and Comeau & Kelly Construction. I think that you will see the quality of their work and commitment every time you visit. Additionally, our Maintenance and Housekeeping crew, who helped keep everything running as smoothly as possible all throughout our summer of…creative disruption! Also, none of this would have been possible without the leadership of one of our Building Committee members, Garth Johnson, who put countless hours into these projects. And finally—and most importantly—to our residents, who navigated new walking-traffic patterns, sealed off rooms, and plenty of noisy days. We are so grateful for their patience and good humor (which continues to this day) while we were working hard to make their home a nicer place to live, as quickly as possible. Think of it. For anyone who has lived through a home renovation and seen your family juggle their routines around floor sanding and new bathroom installations—well, we were trying to accomplish that in a home for 40! Our appreciation to and for our residents will, I hope, be expressed for generations in the form of new finishes and furnishings to be enjoyed by all.
INTERNATIONAL ELDERCARE PROVIDERS VISIT SLC
We were honored to welcome eldercare providers from Australia and the United Kingdom to the Scandinavian Living Center. While in Boston attending an international conference for aging service providers, they took the opportunity to visit our community. During their visit, they were eager to learn about our community-centered model and gathered insights and ideas to incorporate into their own work. Our new friends were excited to see how SLC has brought care and community together in a seamless environment which encourages residents to live rich, connected lives.
Building the Future of Nordic Culture in New England
Dear Friends,
When you walk through our doors- whether it’s for a film screening, a concert, a lecture, or a cup of coffee in the Kaffestugan-you help keep Nordic culture alive and thriving right here in Newton.
The Scandinavian Cultural Center & Library has been part of this community since the 1980s, when it began humbly in the carriage house at the back of the property. What started as a small gathering place for those wishing to celebrate and preserve their Scandinavian roots has grown into a vibrant cultural hub where
people from all backgrounds come to explore the art, language, and traditions of the Nordic region.
Today, we have an extraordinary opportunity to ensure that this work continues for generations to come. We are embarking on an ambitious goal: to build a $1 million endowment, the Scandinavian Cultural Fund.
This fund will help secure our future-providing the steady income needed to sustain our programs, care for our facility, and fairly compensate the talented artists, speakers, and staff who bring our mission to life. Like many cultural
organizations, we face ongoing expenses that are often invisible to those who attend our events:
- Film screening rights that allow us to share Nordic cinema on the big screen
- Performance fees and travel costs for the musicians, dancers, and lecturers who bring our stages to life.
- Supplies, marketing, and equipment that keep our programs accessible and engaging.
- And, most importantly.
the salaries of our small but dedicated team who plan, promote, and produce
