BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The owner of a Bridgewater store is helping to lift the spirits of many of her customers.

NewsCenter 5's Rhondella Richardson reported that Ellie Bassick-Trovato has been a high school teacher, a book editor and has even worked in the technology sector. But it was the loss of her husband a year ago that put her on her current path of giving.

Uplifting Connections is a bright spot on Route 104. It is full of energy and on a mission.

"The idea came to me to have a store called Uplifting Connections. The idea is to connect people to each other and to ideas through books and to services that can really transform their lives," Bassick-Trovato said.

One year ago, owner Bassick-Trovato's husband died, rather suddenly, from a brain tumor. John Trovato was 53. He was the assistant superintendent of East Bridgewater. She was an English teacher.

In their time of need, Bassick-Trovato said that they were overwhelmed with help from the community.

"The community was absolutely incredible in terms of bringing dinners, doing work outside the house," Bassick-Trovato said.

"Watching her go through the whole grieving afterward and she was forever trying to -- instead of sitting around and wallowing -- I mean everyone had those days, and of course she did, but she was amazing because she kept trying to look forward and do something positive," health and nutrition counselor Noelle Armstrong said.

To fortify herself and to give back in a unique way, she opened Uplifting Connections -- the first wellness center of its kind. There are books about coping, finance and grieving, books on tape, and children's gifts.

"We can do workshops here for 52 people, have uplifting movies and workshops on parenting and everything else," Bassick-Trovato said.

"When you can make even a small change in one person's life to make them feel happier, then that has untold effects because of the ripple effect. They go home and interact differently with their family and then their families interact differently with people," Bassick-Trovato said.