Nancy Dwyer has found her calling at Gateway House of Peace.

"[I] always say we're a special group of people in that we are drawn to the mission of Gateway House to death and dying with dignity and grace. So, it's the hospice philosophy. Hospice is an actual entity. Our homes subscribes to the philosophy of hospice in that death and dying is a process.  And the more prepared we are, the more we embrace it, the easier it is," said Dwyer.

Dwyer and her team work with terminally ill patients that have a prognosis of less than three months. They provide support for not only the patients, but also their families, who often get overlooked during difficult times of loss.

"When someone comes to Gateway House, we relieve them of all that personal care. We're a home just like their home, and we have 24-hour care for all of those needs - for the pain management, for all of the physical, the mental. All they have to do is come here and be with their loved one," said Dwyer.

Dwyer has collaborated with six other partners to host singer-songwriter Michael Jerling and author Patricia Nugent for a Gateway House fundraiser. Nugent’s way with words and Jerling’s musical prowess will aim to provide a unique perspective on a very hard topic to process for many people.

"There wasn't anything out there for me to read in order to give me support in what I was trying to do. I had two parents who were ill at the same time. And so, I wrote in my journal just to try to make sense of it all. And then I realized there was a lot of universality to life and loss and love and trying to reconcile relationships and trying to do what's best, even though there's no roadmap," said Nugent.

"Well, it’s something I've always ... I don't think a lot of musicians and songwriters like to go there. And I understand why. But over the years, I just feel I just it was such an important part of life. And I read a lot about family and such things. And you can’t ignore it," said Jerling.

For more information, visit gatewayhouseofpeace.org.