By David Harry
Staff Writer

One by one, scenes of warmth have been assembled to cheer the patients and staff at Gosnell Memorial Hospice House.
A quilt made of drawings by students at Wentworth Intermediate School to hang on the gallery wall at the hospice center was presented Wednesday as part of the school’s annual Share, Create and Celebrate holiday tradition.
The quilt measures 27 inches by 62 inches, and was created by 120 third- through fifth-graders, according to Wentworth teacher Deb Tewhey.
The drawings celebrate winter scenes, and students also created placemats to accent all four seasons, Tewhey said.
Broaching the subject of hospice care was unique, but students already had read accounts of colonial history that were clear in depicting hardship and death, said teacher Lauri Dean.
“It is important to know [the hospice] is there in the community,” Tewhey said.
The virtual tour offered at the Gosnell Memorial House Web site helped give students a strong sense of the hospice setting and how it can benefit the patients, Tewhey said.
Fourth-grader Ivy DiBiase agreed with her.
“I didn’t even know about it, but I thought it might have been a better place for some of my older relatives,” she said.
Students such as fourth-grader Anna Chase said deciding on a drawing without a holiday theme was challenging. Snowmen and mugs of hot chocolate abound through the drawings glued to a larger backing. The whole quilt is laminated as well.
Some students drew scenes to create memories of home and fun activities for patients.
“I chose a home because it might remind them of their house,” said fourth-grader Ben Hughes.
He said was very clear on what the hospice center provides its patients.
“It is a great place to go if they don’t want to be in a hospital,” he said.
The smells of her mother’s kitchen provided inspiration for Hana Delaney, she said.
“My mom makes snow angels from white chocolate at Christmas – for me it is what I think of in the winter,” she said.
Sophie Glidden said her mug of hot chocolate was drawn “because I know people like hot chocolate after you play outside.”
Amelia Hardy said she had similar reasons for drawing her mug.
“It warms my heart and makes me feel good,” she said.
Winter means skiing for fourth-grader Morgan Pratt, and his delight at an annual trip with family and friends led to a skiing scene he hoped patients who also enjoy the sport will like.
Pratt had mixed feeling about drawing the scene.
“It is sort of sad,” he said, “but good because you are making other people happy.”
According to spokesman Jennifer Foy, Gosnell Memorial Hospice House is the only in-patient hospice center in southern Maine. It can provide end of life care for 18 patients in a 16,000-square-foot facility on Hunnewell Avenue.
Foy noted the quilt and placemats are not the first efforts students have made to support the center and its patients.
Since it opened in 2007, students have toured Gosnell Memorial Hospice House, made gifts for patients and held benefit bake sales.
Tewhey said making the quilt reinforced the annual Share, Create and Celebrate tradition.
“They all like to get things at the holidays, it is important for them to give.”
Alex Dobecki drew a mountain scene and said it fit with what the hospice provides for patients.
“It is peaceful, and you want them to be happy,” he said.

Staff writer David Harry can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 219