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On the day of my visit, Rebecca Ainslie, the
Director at Clara’s House shows me around.
The upstairs hosts the guests who come
from out of town to be near their loved ones
admitted to a FirstHealth facility. The main
level features a living room where a puzzle
invites guests to come and rest as they focus on
the next piece of the puzzle. A piano joins the
company offering a solace for those in need of
a song. Familiar books line the shelves offering
inspiration in a word fitly spoken. Artwork, rugs
and furniture, as comfortable as home, calm
the hearts as guests search for an anchor in
the storm. Offering a prayer book along with a
quiet place for meditation, the reflection room
remains a favorite retreat. Down the hallway, a
spacious kitchen opens up to a wall of windows
overlooking the garden. Granite counter tops
hold the brownies along with a Keurig of choices
and comfort foods to feed both body and soul. In
addition to the stocked kitchen, a fun playroom
greets little ones as handicap accessible features
welcome guests and a pantry stands ready to gift
those in need of sustenance. A wish list keeps
the pantry stocked as local groups support
Clara’s giving.
Just like home, we settle into the kitchen to
talk. Ainslie shares the legacy and remembers
the early days of building the dream. Even
more beautiful than the house remains the
lady named Ms. Clara McLean, known as Clara.
Growing up on the family farm in Maxton, a
small town in Robeson County, Clara’s family
grew nine children along with the crops. One
brother in particular named Malcolm planted
his roots in McLean Trucking and grew a future
for Clara when the business expanded from NC
to NJ. The year was 1937, when Clara partnered
with her brothers Malcolm and Jim to run the
family business. Neither marrying nor having
children, Clara was well-ahead of her time in
becoming a career woman.’’
Following a successful career in NJ, Clara
came back to North Carolina and made her
home in the Pinehurst Hotel, known as the
Carolina, where she lived for the next twenty–
five years. Her personal assistant named Yvonne
Snead helped Clara, and remarkably Yvonne
serves as a volunteer at Clara’s house.
While living in Pinehurst, Clara generously
supported many local nonprofit organizations,
one of which being the FirstHealth of the
Carolinas. In appreciation of her giving,
FirstHealth wanted to honor Clara. Humbly
refusing any recognition, Clara finally agreed
that her name could be used in memoriam.
Ainslie shares, “Clara lived to be 100 years old
and was included in the planning stages of
the house. Surpassing her times, Clara was
an inspiration, a trailblazer, a one-of-a-kind
lady! Just as Clara’s giving helped build the
Clara McLean House through the Foundation
of FirstHealth, it remains totally supported by
philanthropy.”
Regrettably Clara never got to see the house
completed, as she passed in 2011, the same
year the house was established. April 30, 2012,
marked the grand opening of the Clara McLean
House now celebrating eight years of serving
over 12,000.
While the FirstHealth Moore Regional
Hospital serves the patients, Clara’s House serves
the families of the patients. Ainslie explains,
“One of the ways we serve our local community
is by providing lodging to family members when
someone receiving in–home Hospice Care is not
able to host the family in their home. Family
members can stay at Clara’s while visiting their
loved one. Another way we serve our community
is through our educational programs and
support groups. For instance, with our Care Net
program, we assign a volunteer who previously
overcame a similar cancer diagnosis to work
one–on–one with someone fighting cancer. We
also offer yoga for cancer patients along with
an art program and a “Look Good, Feel Better”
program, wherein cosmetologists offer hair and
make-up care. Hosting a dementia care-giver
group and a very active Parkinson’s group, Clara
House welcomes all.”
In addition to the lodging and the support
groups, the Healing Garden supports the care.
Ainslie shares the importance of this gift,
“Serving as a sanctuary, the garden is for people
who are hurting and in need of a quiet moment
surrounded by nature. Our guests love the
garden; they’ll take their cup of coffee out there
and collect their thoughts for the day.”
Overseeing the 24/7 care of the home, a staff
of 12 employees and around 140 volunteers
minister in different ways from housekeepers
to garden volunteers and those who serve tea at
the Hospice House. Mornings start early as the
guests come downstairs around 7am to enjoy a
continental breakfast to nourish the day ahead.
FirstHealth provides a transportation shuttle to
and from the hospital. Late afternoon, the house
stirs again as guests return to freshen up, find a
snack and maybe take a nap. Lunch and dinner
are guest–provided as they buy groceries or
enjoy take–out from local restaurants. Returning
to loved ones fills the evening hours until visiting
hours mark day’s end. With12 rooms available,
Ainslie informs, “Our space is normally enough
to meet the need. Maybe 30 nights last year we
were totally full, and out of those nights, there
were only a couple of times we had to refer folks
to a hotel. We built exactly what we needed for
our area as we serve 17 counties.”
Of the guests who find refuge, the majority
of them live thirty minutes or more from the
hospital. In addition to the out-of-towners,
some oncology-chemo and radiation patients
receiving daily treatment stay at Clara’s House.
Normally guests stay during the week and go
home on the weekend; however clients’ needs
are met on an individual basis.
Over the years, many unforgettable stories
linger, “My favorite story,” begins Ainslie, “was
a young man, enrolled at Duke, who was trying
to figure things out for his 18 year old brother
receiving in-home hospice care. With the family
scattered all over the country, the brother asked
if his family could stay here. They were the most
joyful family as they gathered to sing and play the
dulcimer. You could hear their music all through
the house. Respite care was also provided for his
caregiver to rest and regroup at Clara’s House.
The brother passed away on Thanksgiving Day,
and although I never met the patient, I will never
forget his loving, vibrant family.”
From welcoming guests with loved ones in
the neo–natal unit to the end of life care with
hospice, Clara’s House recognizes the gift of
every single day. From the memorials to the
miracles, families receive care. Ainslie smiles,
“The cancer patients who have been residents
become like family as we see them progress
through treatment.”
In ministering to guests, Ainslie shares, “We
try to be in the moment with that person facing
an uncertainty. We are a listening ear and allow
guests to express themselves. People usually
aren’t looking for advice; they are just trying to
walk the path, and it is an honor and a privilege
to be a part of their journey.”
Involved with FirstHealth of the Carolinas
for many years, Ainslie worked as a psychiatric
nurse and has served with the FirstHealth
Foundation for fifteen. Being the Director at
The Foundation of FirstHealth Clara
McLean House, exterior and interior.
p.32 The Pinehurst Gazette, Inc. No. 138