Spring 2026 Newsletter
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A Message from Joe Carella
Looking Beyond our Time
If you believe in having genuine, organic connection with others, then you believe in community. That belief has always been at the heart of community-centered living at the SLC, where we nurture meaningful, sometimes even magical, connections that enrich our lives every day.
Recently I shared with the Board that after 35 years I plan to wind down my tenure at this extraordinary community. It is a moment of reflection on both what we’ve built together and the responsibility we share to carry this vision forward. When we invest in community, we send a powerful message to future generations about what truly matters.
Since the opening of the Scandinavian Living Center in 2001, our collective dream has been clear; to create something lasting that would improve life for those who follow us. That dream endures, but it depends on us taking the proper responsibility to sustain it and ensure that it continues to grow.
Three special endowment funds are central to that legacy:
The Johansen Subsidy Fund, supporting those in need.
The Frederick Friendship Fund, strengthening connections with the broader community by bringing everyone together at the SLC.
The Cultural Fund, ensuring the Scandinavian Cultural Center & Library continues to inspire, educate, and entertain.
We are working toward a goal of $1 million for each of these permanently restricted funds. A gift to these funds is not just a donation but an investment that will grow over time while providing significant ongoing support for generations to come.
At the same time, we are seeing the future take shape before our eyes. The renovations of our
common areas were completed months ahead of schedule, led by the next generation of SLC leadership. Watching them step forward has been inspiring and reassuring: the future of this community is in good hands. We recently celebrated this milestone together at our May 6th open house, a wonderful reminder of what’s possible when a community comes together. (See page 10.)
I’ll close with a thought that feels especially meaningful, from the conservationist and activist Terry Tempest Williams: “The eyes of the future are looking at us, and they are praying for us to see beyond our own time.”
Let us answer that call. Let’s invest in the future we believe in. So those who follow us inherit something strong, vibrant, and lasting.
Because this isn’t just something to do—it’s the right thing to do.
With boundless hope and gratitude,
Joe Carella
Executive Director
Scandinavian Charitable Society of Greater Boston
Vicki Danberg
Congratulations to Vicki Danberg on becoming the newly elected board president of the Scandinavian Charitable Society of Greater Boston. She steps into her role with much appreciation for the beautifully renovated spaces at the Scandinavian Living Center that emphasize its warmth and modern feel while still preserving its century-old commitment to eldercare and community connections.
Vicki is not new to our community, having recently retired after 11 terms as Ward 6 Newton City Councilor. A resident of Newton since 1977, she was first elected to the Board of Aldermen in 2003 which later became the City Council. As her last term came to an end, she sent a heartfelt message to her constituents expressing her gratitude for their past support: “It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to represent you for twenty-two years on the Newton City Council.
Over these years, your trust,
support, and honest feedback have shaped my understanding of our community and helped me grow not only as a public servant but as a person. Thank you for the encouragement, the conversations and the willingness to partner in shaping a better Newton.”
During her tenure, Vicki had many notable achievements, including improving winter sidewalk snow removal, improving infrastructure, ensuring the public safety of all residents, expanding affordable housing opportunities, combatting
Tours, operated as an Overseer of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, chaired numerous capital campaigns, and raised funds for many local cultural organizations. With an MBA in finance and management from Simmons University, she works alongside her husband, Dr. John Ficarelli, a pediatric dentist, to improve dental services for children in Latin America. Together, they founded a children’s dental clinic in Mexico and facilitated the donations of medical and dental equipment to hospitals and clinics throughout
Since touring the SLC with board
president Erling Johansen in early 2003,
I have been impressed with this wonderful facility for its warmth and caring atmosphere ...
global climate change, and increasing renewable energy in Newton. She led Newton’s effort to ban polystyrene items, single-use plastic bags and “nip” (miniature) bottles.
Vicki is a founding board member of the Newton Cultural Alliance (NCA), dedicated to promoting, enhancing and sustaining arts and culture in Newton. She met Joe Carella, a fellow NCA board member, during its formation in the 1990s and, with her Finnish roots, they formed a natural allegiance. The NCA had a big influence on the formation of the Scandinavian Cultural Center as well.
Vicki co-founded the Newton History Museum’s Historic House
the world. Vicki and John have three adult children, Andrew, Alexander and Meredith, and two grandchildren.
In addition to championing the vision of the Scandinavian Living Center’s community centered living, Vicki adds: “Since touring the SLC with board president Erling Johansen in early 2003, I have been impressed with this wonderful facility for its warmth and caring atmosphere and its strong emphasis on connecting with the community, in keeping with the Scandinavian style of caring for its elders. It is a great honor and pleasure for me to serve as your next president. I look forward to working with Joe and his very talented and dedicated staff.”
Happenings at the Cultural Center & Library
There’s a real shift happening right now—people are actively looking for what’s being called third spaces. Not home, not work—but places where they can connect, slow down, and feel part of something.
And along with that, there’s this pull toward more ‘retro’ experiences—things that feel real, in-person, a little more human.
That’s exactly what we offer here.
We’re not just a library or an event space—we’re a cultural home. And that’s something people feel the moment they walk in.
So I just want to emphasize that a big part of our work is how people are welcomed. Every single person who comes through our doors should feel like they belong here.
No matter their connection to Scandinavia—or if they have none at all. No matter the language.
We never want someone to feel like an outsider in a space that’s meant to invite them in.
Sometimes it’s the smallest things—a smile, helping someone find their way, offering a little context—that make the biggest difference.
So just keep that in mind as we move through our days. Every interaction matters.
We’ve built something really special here—and people are looking for exactly this kind of space right now. We just have to meet them there.”
Kerry
Executive Director, Scandinavian
Cultural Center & Library
When you settle into a seat in the Nordic Hall, that sense of anticipation you feel is more than the moment — it’s decades of music, film, conversation, and community layered into one beloved space.
Now, we’re inviting you to make that connection permanent. By naming a seat in the Nordic Hall, you help build our endowment — ensuring that this room continues to welcome audiences, artists, residents, and ideas for generations to come. Endowment support allows us to care for the hall, maintain its character, and keep Nordic arts and culture vibrant and accessible well into the future. When you name a seat, you can enshrine your name, the name of a loved one, or maybe a meaningful date on a small plaque. It’s a simple gesture that becomes part of the fabric of Nordic Hall — a quiet, lasting way to say this place matters to me. Every time the lights dim and the room fills, your seat will be there — holding space for stories yet to be told.
Ready to take a seat in Nordic Hall history?
