Death Cafe write-ups
Kingston Death Cafe Write up
Posted by Charlotte Haigh on March 26, 2018, 3:49 a.m.
This was the first Death Cafe I'd hosted and it was a fantastic way to spend 90 minutes on a Saturday afternoon! We had a group of 11 and spanned a sweeping panorama of topics, from soul midwifery and paganism to the taboo of grief and how the loss of community has impacted on bereavement. The Willow was a relaxed venue with great muffins! Thanks to all who came.
Death Cafe Wien Write up
Posted by Alexandra Masetti on March 25, 2018, 10:56 a.m.
Es war das 4. Treffen des Death Café Vienna. Manche mussten früher gehen, manche konnten erst später kommen - und wieder war es ein bereichernder Austausch zwischen uns. Eine besondere Freude war für mich, dass Natascha Vittorelli gekommen ist. Sie war meine "Initialzünderin für das Death Café" als Vortragende bei einer Veranstaltung über das Thema "Endlichkeit". Über sie habe ich vom Death Café erfahren, sie hat mich mit ihrer Lesung berührt und mit ihrem Workshop "aufgeweckt". Seit Juni 2017 veranstalte ich das Death Café Vienna und jedes Treffen bereichert mich auf neue Weise - Danke Natascha!
What a great venue for a Death Cafe. Attending this second time Death Cafe were some residents, some second time attendees and lots of new Death Cafe first timers.
The conversations flowed at two separate tables. In all, more than 20 attended - some for the entire two hour of conversation; some less.
We are grateful to our facilitators, our guests and the exceptional staff at the Long Community who were so prepared for this event.
Wondeful scones, cakes and dining finery ... and a pap to the day - a one button system for showing a film following the Death Cafe.
Thank you everyone.
This was our very first death cafe at Wyomissing Public Library and our second Berks county, PA death cafe. There were a few return death cafe attendees in addition to new faces, and although we had a small group, the conversation was lively and engaging and covered a range of topics - having agency for your own death, considering those we leave behind, writing obituaries, what meaning there is (or is not) in visiting loved one’s graves, and so much more. We’re deeply grateful for our local death cafe community.
A Death Cafe is a place where people get together for the purpose of having open and thoughtful conversations about death and dying.
SMALL DETAILS:
This is a free or by-donation event! Donations collected support the cake and coffee fund.
This event is in a private home in East Vancouver. The address will be emailed out to you upon registration.
Register at spiritmamasky@gmail.com to get on the list!
Death Cafe Bristol Write up
Posted by MaryTutaev on March 16, 2018, 4:12 a.m.
An evening of new and regular members who all were keen to explore and share ideas ......such a great feeling of community and in fact people didn't want to stop talking when we had to finish! So many expressed the relief and sense of being able to unfold and explore their concerns,experiences and ideas ..... As usual great refreshments and we look forward to the next meeting!
D'Eynsford Death Cafe, Camberwell Write up
Posted by katedamiral on March 14, 2018, 4:43 p.m.
Seven people came along to D'Eynsford TMO's first death cafe on 13 March in the estate's community room. We all knew each other and everyone fed back that they found it a comfortable experience.
We explored: attending and planning funerals, organ donation, and the experience of talking to people who've recently been bereaved and how important that is, even if it's difficult to know what to say and do.
There were several different cultural and faith perspectives that the group found interesting to share - including insights from the Caribbean community, the Crimea and Ireland.
Only one person felt their feelings about death had ...
Low Country Death Cafe Write up
Posted by Jan Schreiber on March 14, 2018, 2:41 p.m.
Once again, we met at THE BRIDGE TO AVALON. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon and the first day of daylight savings time. Maybe explains why we had 4 no-shows! Nevertheless, we did a good job of filling the room with 14 participants. Half of the guests were new to Death Cafe, but that didnt stop us from having a very full and interesting conversation. Topics ranged from painful, first hand experience with spousal, sibling and parental loss, to helping friends transition through the death experience themselves. It was acknowledged that death conversation is becoming more mainstream!
Death Cafe - Warren Write up
Posted by gloriamcunningham on March 12, 2018, 3:29 p.m.
To our surprise we had 14 people at our first Death Cafe, none of which were the people that had responded on Facebook that they were interested in attending, so they were all new to us. They had either seen posters or calendar events in local papers.
Despite a little confusion as to how we should organize the group in the beginning, we settled in for a great discussion. Our evaluations asked for 3 words to describe their experience. Here are some of them: Welcoming, Informative, Healthy, Comfortable, Flowing, Emotional, Aware, Touching and Enlightened. Two people even specifically wrote that they would return! We look forward to it ...
The weather was just not cooperating on this Saturday afternoon, Four courageous and hardy folks showed up, though, and we had a delightful two hour conversation filled with a range of emotions and feelings.
As we concluded, our Death Cafe attendees hugged and exchanged best wishes and regards.
We did enjoy cake, coffee, tea, chocolates and great conversation. Because five people cannot eat a cake ordered for a dozen, the Library staff reaped the uneaten cake and cookies.
We are thankful to the Staff at the Lebanon Community Library for their support and for providing the meeting room.
We never show pictures of attendees' faces, but we always ...
Death Cafe Taunton Write up
Posted by Nicole Durman on March 8, 2018, 6:57 a.m.
On 27 January, Death Cafe Taunton held their third meeting at the Creative Innovation Centre in Taunton, hosted by Nicole Stanfield Caile. The event was well-attended by about thirty people.
The cafe featured delicious cake and refreshments, plus lively and enthusiastic discussion about all aspects of death.
Wallace Stuart Funeral Directors were again in attendance, and brought a lovely vintage coffin with a viewing window for attendees to see. Cafe attendees could also view the progress on Nicole's embroidered shroud.
As always, the venue was perfect and great conversation and cake was had by all. The next Death Cafe Taunton meeting will be part of Taunton Death ...
Vancouver Death Cafe Write up
Posted by Janet Rivers on March 4, 2018, 3:31 p.m.
On Mar 01 we had 6 in attendence. We did have issues getting the elevator door to open on the main floor for a wheelchair participant and had to move the meeting upstairs. There was a wide range of topics discussed and everyone was happy with the ginger tea and brownies.
2nd Alton Death Cafe Write up
Posted by wendelienmcnicoll on March 2, 2018, 8:14 a.m.
Twelve of us braved the extremely cold wintery conditions to attend the Death Cafe at the Allen Gallery in Alton. Apart from one attendee, it was a new experience for the others. From the feedback I received, all found it a really interesting, moving and very healing experience. Sadly, Diana got flu and couldn’t be there on the night but I had fantastic help from the two volunteers Sheila and Pat, and the group was very helpful. We stayed in a circle and after the welcome and introductions it took a few minutes to get going but then the end came as a surprise to most, as ...
Monmouth County Death Cafe Write up
Posted by Beth Almerini on Feb. 28, 2018, 7:37 p.m.
Bucket lists, 'negative bucket lists', death doulas, bereavement, the challenge of filling out EOL paperwork and why we avoid it, the importance of kindness, and the controversies around aid in dying. So many different topics and such different perspectives! Please join us next month!
Death Cafe Albany Write up
Posted by Melissa White on Feb. 28, 2018, 10:35 a.m.
Death Cafe Albany in February included 14 of us, 6 returnees and 8 new attendees. We started by choosing a word we each wished to be covered during the conversation, and we also ended with a "takeaway" word each, which was a nice simple closure ceremony. I wish I'd written them all down on a board or made visible by all, as well as to keep a record. I recall hearing positive surprises like "career," "discovery," "love," and "curiosity," as well as "soul," "afterlife," "grief," and "community grief." Attendees were generous bringing homebaked goods, and helping me set up and take down supplies. Much of the Death ...