You wouldn’t want to come here by ambulance, but of your own accord, we recommend checking out Concord Hospital’s gift shop during your gift-buying pursuits this holiday season.
This isn’t just a flowers and candy operation – as if! We’re talking locally-made greeting cards, Red Sox, Celtics and Patriots merchandise, Stonewall Kitchen products, candles, socks, pottery, toys and activities books for the kids and a host of decorative items. You could cross off quite a few people on your list without ever leaving this small, but well-stocked shop.
The gift shop is located on the third floor of the hospital. In spite of the hospital’s size, it’s actually quite easy to get around thanks to plenty of signage in the parking lot and in the building.
The gift shop has hours that should suit just about anyone’s schedule – Monday to Friday, 7 a.m.-8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
In addition to some of items outlined above and in the photo caption, there’s also a wall of candy guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth and fresh-made Green Mountain coffee. Store manager Sheila Weldon notes, “We’re like Dunkin’ Donuts – we make it all day.” Delicious coffee, check. Chocolate, check. Convenience? Another check – you can purchase bus tickets and stamps at the store.
Volunteers staff the shop in addition to Sheila and a few paid employees. Sheila said the store has quite a following for its selection of greeting cards and some regulars who show up frequently to browse.
Sheila added that though you’ll find, recognizable brands like Burts Bees, Yankee Candle and Camille Beckman body products, she also tries to stock items made in New England. There are products from Granite State Candy Shoppe, comfy socks made by a company in Vermont, jewelry made by staff members and real maple syrup. And the best part? A percentage of every purchase goes back to helping provide resources for the hospital community and to benefit programs and services. As a matter of fact, that’s the mission statement of the store, which Sheila and the staff are proud to uphold by offering fun and unique goodies for shoppers.
For more information, call 227-7000, ext. 3607.
In the hospital’s new Payson Center for Cancer Care, there’s a second shop called the HeartGifts Boutique. It stocks merchandise for cancer patients, including hats for men and women, scarves, caps to wear at night, shawls and body products (many traditional products contain metals, which can burn the skin of a patient receiving radiation treatments, so the shop offers metal-free deodorant, lotions and soap).
There are also journals, cookbooks, inspirational cards, locally-made jewelry and an exclusive line of Vera Bradley products that support breast cancer research. Vera Bradley releases two designs per year for this effort.
Karla Roth, director of volunteer services, says the boutique stocks merchandise from companies that donate proceeds to cancer research, so you can be sure that the money you spend is helping not only Concord hospital, but further cancer research as well. Karla adds that the boutique offers a program for free wigs and makeup consultations, as well as other services for caner patients.
The boutique is located in the rotunda of the Payson Center for Cancer Care and is open Monday to Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. For more information, call 230-6035.
