Shepherd Center - A Catastrophic Care Hospital

As one of Georgia’s own, Claire Smith has generously given back to her home state. Claire was born in Moultrie, a quaint town nestled in the gently rolling hills of Georgia’s quail country. After moving to Atlanta in the early 1950s, Claire began working in the city as a schoolteacher at Northside High School. By the late 1960s, Claire met J. Lucian “Luke” Smith, whom she married. Luke worked for The Coca-Cola Company, and his job required hime to move his family both he and Claire move to New Hampshire. When they couple returned to Atlanta in 1974, Luke was named president of Coca-Cola. At this time, Claire became a member of the Iris Garden Club, where she had a fateful meeting with a very special person.

Claire and Shepherd Center co-founder Alana Shepherd were both members of the Iris Garden Club. One day in 1976, Alana began talking about having a few hospital beds in the West Paces Ferry Hospital exclusively for spinal cord injury patients. This was before the current Shepherd Center campus was built on Peachtree Road. Claire was inspired, and she and her husband eventually became very generous contributors to the Center.

Unfortunately, in 1980, Luke passed away. It was at this time that Claire recalls having a tremendous hole in her heart from her the loss. Claire took it upon herself todecided to give back to the community and began talking with Alana to see how she could help. In 1981, Claire became a founding life member of the Shepherd Center Auxiliary. When the new Shepherd Center campus was completed in 1982, Claire and a few other volunteers started the Shepherd Center gift shop. “We started small,” she says. “When it began, all we had was a portable card table, some chewing gum, and a box of Snickers.”

In 1993, Claire was awarded the Shepherd Angel of the Year, Shepherd’s highest honor for volunteer service. From 1993-1994, Claire served as the Auxiliary president. By 1995, Claire had become a member of the Shepherd Center Advisory Board and co-chaired Tthe Legendary Party committee. In 2001, Claire became an Honorary Life Board Member of the Auxiliary, and by fall 2004, when she completed her volunteering at the gift shop, she had amassed over more than 2,100 hours of in-hospital volunteer service. When asked why she chose to volunteer hereat Shepherd, Claire stated explains enthusiastically:, “Everyone is so upbeat. Because of how well people treated each other here, it rehabilitated me. The time here helped heal the hole in my heart after my husband passed away.”

Claire has served many roles at Shepherd and has continued to devote her time and energy to a place she holds dear to her heart. Recently, Claire was welcomed to the Shepherd Center Bridge Builder’s Society. This means that Claire has named Shepherd Center as a beneficiary in her estate planning.

Claire continues to encourage others to support the amazing work the Shepherd family began. “Just make a trip through that facility,” she says. “That’s all you have to do. It is fantastic. You can’t help but fall in love with what they’re doing there.”