Center for the Heart

08/30/2026

Center for the Heart’s fully-funded support has helped individuals and families with questions, decisions, and changing needs that can arise as they encounter life-altering diagnoses, end of life, caregiving and grief.
That has included family conversations and shared decisions during times of uncertainty and transition, when loved ones may need help talking through what comes next together.

For caregivers, we’ve provided support and respite planning, including specialized guidance for families navigating Alzheimer’s and cognitive decline.

After a diagnosis, we’ve helped individuals and families organize questions, consider what needs attention next, and find practical resources as they navigate new information and responsibilities.

And when additional resources are needed, we’ve provided resource connections and support after loss, including referrals to elder law, memory care, and community professionals, as well as practical support in the immediate aftermath of a death.

Our donor and sponsor community makes this possible, helping ensure that ability to pay is not a barrier to accessing support.

Read more about the support we provided from January through June in our 2026 Impact Report:

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/63f4df09127be228d2945884/t/6a5e6accb483f1174a3be42d/1784572660486/Center+for+the+Heart%27s+2026+Mid-Year+Impact+Report+Compassionate+Support+Made+Possible

08/28/2026

When you are navigating grief, stress, or uncertainty, being present with what you are experiencing can be difficult.

The Miracle of Mindfulness offers an accessible introduction to mindfulness and meditation through ordinary moments. Simple practices like paying attention to your breathing, walking, or noticing everyday routines can create opportunities to pause and return your attention to the present.

For someone experiencing grief, these practices do not ask you to move past difficult feelings. Instead, they offer ways to notice what is present and make space for those feelings as they arise.

You don’t need a formal meditation practice to begin. Mindfulness can be found in small, familiar moments throughout the day.

Explore The Miracle of Mindfulness in Center for the Heart’s Reading Room to learn more: https://www.centerfortheheart.org/grief-endoflife-caregiver-library/miracle-of-mindfulness-thich-nhat-hanh

The Miracle of Mindfulness provides support through mindfulness meditation, emotional regulation tools, and finding calm during stress.

08/25/2026

When we think about end-of-life planning, the first things that may come to mind are the documents: a will, healthcare proxy, advance directive, beneficiary designations, or estate plan.

Those decisions matter. But they may not capture everything the people supporting you would want to understand.

What helps you feel safe and comfortable? Who would you want nearby? Are there spiritual or cultural practices that are important to you? How would you want people to communicate with you? What values should guide decisions if circumstances change? And what stories, traditions, or messages would you want the people you love to carry forward?

These questions are part of the human side of end-of-life planning. A healthcare proxy can identify who may speak for you, but that person may still benefit from understanding the values behind your decisions. An advance directive can communicate healthcare wishes, but it may not explain what comfort feels like to you. And while a will can address possessions and assets, it cannot fully capture the memories, lessons, gratitude, or traditions you want to leave behind.

Planning for these parts of the experience can include thinking about three areas that are easy to overlook: describing personal preferences for comfort and support; sharing values, lessons, hopes, and messages; and preserving something meaningful for the people you love to carry with them

You don’t need to plan everything at once, and there is no perfect end-of-life plan. You might begin with one question:

If something changed and I could not explain what mattered to me, what would I most want the people I love to understand?

Our latest blog explores how end-of-life planning can go beyond paperwork to include comfort, communication, values, and legacy—helping keep the person at the center of the plan.

Read End-of-Life Planning Is More Than Paperwork: Planning for Comfort, Communication, and Legacy to learn more.

https://www.centerfortheheart.org/blog/end-of-life-planning-is-more-than-paperwork-planning-for-comfort-communication-and-legacy

End-of-life planning goes beyond legal documents. Learn how an end-of-life doula can help clarify comfort, communication, values, and legacy.

08/24/2026

Caregiving can bring conversations about things that need to be addressed but may be difficult to talk about—changing needs, roles that shift, support that feels right for your loved one, how to preserve self-care, what matters most.

A little preparation can help conversations feel more thoughtful and less reactive. Before starting, it can help to reflect on what you hope to share or understand and to choose a time when you and your loved one have the space and emotional capacity to talk.

If you’re unsure how to begin, a few simple questions can help open the conversation:
~ “Can we talk about something that’s been on my mind?”
~ “I’d like to understand what’s most important to you right now.”
~ “How have you been feeling about everything lately?”
~ “What would help you feel more supported?”
~ “Can we explore some options together?”
~ “I’d like us to think through this as a team.”
~ “We don’t have to make any decisions today—I just want to start the conversation.”

There may not be perfect words for these moments. The goal is to create an opportunity for listening, understanding, and taking the next step together.

For more caregiver support and resources visit
Explore caregiver support and resources - https://www.centerfortheheart.org/caregiver-support

08/22/2026

We are honored to welcome NJ Elder Law Center at Goldberg Law Group as a $500 Hole Sponsor of the inaugural Heartline Classic.

Their sponsorship is made in honor of Lidia Barone, Clelia Pergola’s grandmother, whose life and story inspired Clelia’s book.

This meaningful tribute reflects the purpose for the Heartline Classic: bringing people together through connection, remembrance, generosity, and care while strengthening support for families navigating serious illness, caregiving, end-of-life transitions, and grief.

Thank you, Goldberg Law Group - NJ Elder Law Center and Clelia Pergola, for helping us launch a new tradition and carry compassionate support forward.

⛳ October 19, 2026
📍 Cedar Hill Golf & Country Club, Livingston, NJ
Learn how you can sponsor, golf, attend, volunteer, give, or share:
https://givebutter.com/c4th-heartline-classic-golf-outing-2026

08/21/2026

Sometimes grief is difficult to put into words.

After someone you love dies, sadness, longing, gratitude, love, and remembrance can exist alongside one another—and ordinary language may not always feel large enough to hold what you are experiencing.

In The Language of Loss, Barbara Abercrombie brings together poetry and prose that offer a quiet place to return to when your own words feel out of reach. The collection creates space for remembering, reflection, and the many emotions that can remain after loss.

If reading or writing has been part of how you navigate grief, this may be a meaningful resource to explore.

Find this and more resources for navigating grief: https://www.centerfortheheart.org/resources/grief-end-of-life-caregiver-library/language-of-loss-barbara-abercrombie

The Language of Loss brings together grief poetry and prose, bereavement resources, and grief writing inspiration for readers remembering a loved one and seeking words that feel true.

08/19/2026

The caregiver load isn’t always visible.

It’s remembering every appointment, noticing every change, managing difficult conversations, making decisions, adjusting plans, and wondering what comes next.

It’s balancing work, family, and daily responsibilities while carrying worry, exhaustion, guilt, and anticipatory grief—often without calling yourself a caregiver or telling anyone how heavy it feels.

You may look like you’re managing. That doesn’t mean you should have to manage alone.

Center for the Heart’s Caregiver Circle is a compassionate space to connect with people who understand. Caregivers come together to listen, share experiences, exchange practical resources, and encourage one another without judgment or pressure.

Our upcoming Caregiver Circle is a free, online support group for caregivers at every stage of the journey.

You are not alone. Join us for the upcoming Caregiver Circle—we welcome you as you are. 💙

9:00AM-10:30AM, Aug 25
Register here - https://www.centerfortheheart.org/upcoming-events/caregiver-support-circle-aug25

08/15/2026

Meet our CEO, Sydnie Chatman.

Sydnie brings a people-centered, systems-focused perspective to her leadership at Center for the Heart, shaped by experiences that began long before her work here.

“I grew up in a military family and spent part of my childhood in Italy, so adapting to new places and learning to understand people and environments came early. My professional background has spanned public service, psychology, operations, and organizational strategy, giving me a perspective that is both people-centered and systems-focused.”

That perspective is an important part of how Sydnie approaches Center for the Heart’s next chapter: strengthening the systems and partnerships that make compassionate end-of-life, caregiving, and grief support easier to access while remaining grounded in the people and families at the heart of our mission.

We’re grateful to have Sydnie leading Center for the Heart and continuing this work in service of our community.

08/14/2026

Caregivers often balance appointments, daily responsibilities, difficult decisions, and their own emotions—all while trying to be strong for someone they love.
If this is your reality, know that asking for support is a sign of strength, not weakness.
You deserve compassion, encouragement, and a community that understands.
💙 Because no one should have to care alone.

Find resources for caregivers: https://www.centerfortheheart.org/caregiver-support

08/12/2026

A new diagnosis can bring uncertainty, questions, and difficult decisions. This free Post-Diagnosis Planning Guide, developed by Center for the Heart and Goldberg Law Group - NJ Elder Law Center, offers a gentle starting point for navigating what comes next.

Explore the free resource:
https://www.centerfortheheart.org/post-diagnosis-planning-guide

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