IFN Staff

It was fitting that there were tears mixed with the joy as Hospice & Palliative Care of Iredell County (HPCIC) broke ground on the new Brown Family Grief Center on Thursday afternoon.

The groundbreaking “marks a new chapter of hope and healing in our community,” HPCIC Chief Administrative Officer Charles Ashe said. “This space will stand as a symbol of compassion — a place where children and families can find comfort, connection and care as they navigate loss.”

Caroline Brown said the vision for a comprehensive grief center that would serve the entire community inspired her family’s naming gift in honor of her grandparents, Ralph and Christine Brown.

“This is such a monumental milestone for Statesville and Iredell County,” she said.

The center, which is being built by G.L. Wilson Building Co. adjacent to the HPCIC administrative office and Gordon Hospice House on Simonton Road, will feature spaces suited to everyone in the community experiencing a loss, from young children to adults.

“This center will allow us to expand our current programs, welcome families for counseling and support groups, and create new opportunities for education and community outreach,” said Leigh Ann Darty, director of HPCIC’s Rainbow Kidz Pediatric Grief Counseling Program. “From the bottom of my heart, thank you to the Brown family and to everyone who has helped make this dream possible. You are planting seeds of hope that will grow for generations to come.”

The organization hopes to complete construction on the grief center by summer 2026, Darty said.

LEARN MORE

To learn more about Hospice & Palliative Care of Iredell County and its grief services, visit www.hoic.org.

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