Upcoming events
Grief & the Holidays
Loss doesn’t go on holiday…Join us for a 90-minute workshop led by death doulas Lauren Gil Hayes and Annie Brownsberger offering an array of practical tips and self-care techniques shaped by their shared personal and professional experience supporting grievers through the holiday season.
We’ll explore:
• How holidays shape grief (and how grief shapes holidays)
• How grief and joy can coexist • Ways to set boundaries with family, expectations, and tradition
• Simple practices for grounding, support, and self-compassion
Space is limited, email Annie to secure your spot: annmb918@gmail.com
Suggested donation of $20
The Longest Night
The Winter Solstice, or longest night, offers an invitation to embrace the darkness as a time for rest, reflection and honoring loss, while holding onto the promise of returning light.
The house will be staged with rooms full of simple grief rituals to explore at your own pace: candle-lighting, memory objects, writing prompts, holiday tradition alternatives, and places to rest or reflect.
A selection of refreshments will be provided. Come as you are. Use the space as you wish. You don’t have to carry the longest night alone.
Hosted by death doulas, Lauren Gil Hayes and Annie Brownsberger.
Suggested donation of $20.
Sitting with Impermanence
Join us at the Iowa City Zen Center for a short period of meditation along with a short reading to prompt a discussion on impermanence. We’re currently reading a book by Pema Chödrön. While there is a Buddhist flavor to this event, everyone is welcome. No experience with meditation is necessary.
Death Cafe
A Death Cafe is a group meeting with no agenda where people can openly discuss death and dying over food and drink. The goal is to normalize conversations around mortality in a safe, respectful, and confidential environment, which can help people confront fears, better understand death, and even lead to a greater appreciation for life. Death Cafes are not grief support groups, but rather a public service to provide a space for discussion and sharing.
The concept was started by Swiss sociologist Bernard Crettaz in 2004, and later introduced to the UK by Jon Underwood in 2011, after which it spread globally.
This event is free and open to the public - suggested donation of $5 for use of the space. Snacks will be provided. Please bring a beverage of your choice.
Sitting with Impermanence
Join us at the Iowa City Zen Center for a short period of meditation along with a short reading to prompt a discussion on impermanence. We’re currently reading a book by Pema Chödrön. While there is a Buddhist flavor to this event, everyone is welcome. No experience with meditation is necessary.
December Death Cafe
What is a Death Café? An open-ended, informal community conversation about the end of life without any particular goal or agenda.
Why a Death Café? What to expect?
• Arrive at the Greenhouse, grab a tasty drink and some snacks if you’d like, then sit at a table with some other participants. Facilitators will be present to answer any questions and give a brief introduction before conversations begin. Participants practice active, engaged listening with respect for others’ views and experiences.
• Ground rules: respect, compassion, support, and confidentiality. Death Cafés are not designed to focus on bereavement and grief support, but open-ended questions and conversation.
• What happens in a Death Café stays in a Death Café.
Writing Grief
Grief is a process, not an event. Writing is a process, not a product. Which is why it’s so well suited to helping us unravel our way through the confusion and pain of all kinds of loss.
This monthly writing group will provide supportive space, prompts, and short readings focused on the experience of loss. There are many kinds of grief — this class is inspired by Francis Weller’s Five Gates of Grief — and we’ll spend time with many of them.
The group meets the first Saturday of each month from 10:00 to 11:30 am CT. Each session includes:
arrival and centering
a reading and brief exploration of a theme
a prompt and 20-30 minutes of writing
sharing (by choice) of our writing
Each class is on a sliding scale according to ability to pay. See more info below.
WHEN: First Saturday of each month, 10:00-11:30 am Central Time
WHERE: In-person option at Porch Light Literary Center, Iowa City OR on Zoom
REGISTER: https://bit.ly/GriefWriting
January Grief Support Group for People Under 50
Tuesday, January 6, 2026 from 6-7pm at Press Coffee
For people under 50 who've experienced a significant personal loss, join us the first Tuesday of every month for a confidential and donation-based grief support group.
Led by a facilitator trained in grief and end of life, and no RSVP required. For more information or additional questions, reach out to the Death Collective of Eastern Iowa at info@deathcollectiveeasterniowa.com.
COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT Film Screening
A poignant and unexpectedly funny love story about poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley facing an incurable cancer diagnosis with joy, wit and an unshakable partnership. Through laughter and unwavering love, they transform pain into purpose, and mortality into a moving celebration of resilience.
Death Cafe
A Death Cafe is a group meeting with no agenda where people can openly discuss death and dying over food and drink. The goal is to normalize conversations around mortality in a safe, respectful, and confidential environment, which can help people confront fears, better understand death, and even lead to a greater appreciation for life. Death Cafes are not grief support groups, but rather a public service to provide a space for discussion and sharing.
The concept was started by Swiss sociologist Bernard Crettaz in 2004, and later introduced to the UK by Jon Underwood in 2011, after which it spread globally.
This event is free and open to the public - suggested donation of $5 for use of the space. Snacks will be provided. Please bring a beverage of your choice.
January Death Cafe
What is a Death Café? An open-ended, informal community conversation about the end of life without any particular goal or agenda.
Why a Death Café? What to expect?
• Arrive at the Greenhouse, grab a tasty drink and some snacks if you’d like, then sit at a table with some other participants. Facilitators will be present to answer any questions and give a brief introduction before conversations begin. Participants practice active, engaged listening with respect for others’ views and experiences.
• Ground rules: respect, compassion, support, and confidentiality. Death Cafés are not designed to focus on bereavement and grief support, but open-ended questions and conversation.
• What happens in a Death Café stays in a Death Café.
Death Cafe
A Death Cafe is a group meeting with no agenda where people can openly discuss death and dying over food and drink. The goal is to normalize conversations around mortality in a safe, respectful, and confidential environment, which can help people confront fears, better understand death, and even lead to a greater appreciation for life. Death Cafes are not grief support groups, but rather a public service to provide a space for discussion and sharing.
The concept was started by Swiss sociologist Bernard Crettaz in 2004, and later introduced to the UK by Jon Underwood in 2011, after which it spread globally.
This event is free and open to the public - suggested donation of $5 for use of the space. Snacks will be provided. Please bring a beverage of your choice.
Grief Support Group (for people under 30)
Join us at the Goose Nest for a grief support group geared toward individuals under 30 who have experienced a significant loss and are looking for support or to share their grief experience.
Led by Mary McCall and Whit Martinez.
Email mccallconsulting22@gmail.com with questions.
Street parking available.
Sitting with Impermanence
Join us at the Iowa City Zen Center for a short period of meditation along with a short reading to prompt a discussion on impermanence. We’re currently reading a book by Pema Chödrön. While there is a Buddhist flavor to this event, everyone is welcome. No experience with meditation is necessary.
Grieving Your Loss
Grieving Your Loss: A professionally led support group for persons who have experienced the death of a loved one. The group meets the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month. No pre-registration is required and open to all community members.
Sitting with Impermanence
Join us at the Iowa City Zen Center for a short period of meditation along with a short reading to prompt a discussion on impermanence. We’re currently reading a book by Pema Chödrön. While there is a Buddhist flavor to this event, everyone is welcome. No experience with meditation is necessary.
Writing Grief
Grief is a process, not an event. Writing is a process, not a product. Which is why it’s so well suited to helping us unravel our way through the confusion and pain of all kinds of loss.
This monthly writing group will provide supportive space, prompts, and short readings focused on the experience of loss. There are many kinds of grief — this class is inspired by Francis Weller’s Five Gates of Grief — and we’ll spend time with many of them.
The group meets the first Saturday of each month from 10:00 to 11:30 am CT. Each session includes:
arrival and centering
a reading and brief exploration of a theme
a prompt and 20-30 minutes of writing
sharing (by choice) of our writing
Each class is on a sliding scale according to ability to pay. See more info below.
WHEN: First Saturday of each month, 10:00-11:30 am Central Time
WHERE: In-person option at Porch Light Literary Center, Iowa City OR on Zoom
REGISTER: https://bit.ly/GriefWriting
Grief Support Group (for people under 30)
Join us at the Goose Nest for a grief support group geared toward individuals under 30 who have experienced a significant loss and are looking for support or to share their grief experience.
Led by Mary McCall and Whit Martinez.
Email mccallconsulting22@gmail.com with questions.
Street parking available.
December Grief Support Group for People Under 50
Tuesday, December 2, 2025 from 6-7pm at Press Coffee
For people under 50 who've experienced a significant personal loss, join us the first Tuesday of every month for a confidential and donation-based grief support group.
Led by a facilitator trained in grief and end of life, and no RSVP required. For more information or additional questions, reach out to the Death Collective of Eastern Iowa at info@deathcollectiveeasterniowa.com.
Iowa City Senior Center Death Cafe
A Death Café is a safe place for people to talk about death in order to make the most of life. New people are encouraged to join anytime. This is not a bereavement support group or grief counseling session. This is open to people of all ages, no membership or registration required. For more information on the purpose of this group, visit deathcafe.com or contact Michelle at 319-356-5222.
Death Cafe
A Death Cafe is a group meeting with no agenda where people can openly discuss death and dying over food and drink. The goal is to normalize conversations around mortality in a safe, respectful, and confidential environment, which can help people confront fears, better understand death, and even lead to a greater appreciation for life. Death Cafes are not grief support groups, but rather a public service to provide a space for discussion and sharing.
The concept was started by Swiss sociologist Bernard Crettaz in 2004, and later introduced to the UK by Jon Underwood in 2011, after which it spread globally.
This event is free and open to the public - suggested donation of $5 for use of the space. Snacks will be provided. Please bring a beverage of your choice.
Grieving Your Loss
Grieving Your Loss: A professionally led support group for persons who have experienced the death of a loved one. The group meets the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month. No pre-registration is required and open to all community members.
November Death Cafe
What is a Death Café? An open-ended, informal community conversation about the end of life without any particular goal or agenda.
Why a Death Café? What to expect?
• Arrive at the Greenhouse, grab a tasty drink and some snacks if you’d like, then sit at a table with some other participants. Facilitators will be present to answer any questions and give a brief introduction before conversations begin. Participants practice active, engaged listening with respect for others’ views and experiences.
• Ground rules: respect, compassion, support, and confidentiality. Death Cafés are not designed to focus on bereavement and grief support, but open-ended questions and conversation.
• What happens in a Death Café stays in a Death Café.
Grief Support Group (for people under 30)
Join us at the Goose Nest for a grief support group geared toward individuals under 30 who have experienced a significant loss and are looking for support or to share their grief experience.
Led by Mary McCall and Whit Martinez.
Email mccallconsulting22@gmail.com with questions.
Street parking available.
Holiday Caregiving Webinar
This is open to anyone who finds themselves in a caregiving role. Csomay Center Coordinator, Janel Meintz, will be providing the education for this webinar. A half an hour will be left at the end to answer questions and provide resources for those who might need them.
Please feel free to share this with your network. Again, this is open to any and all caregivers and their families!
Link to register: https://bit.ly/4qUCZPQ
Sitting with Impermanence
Join us at the Iowa City Zen Center for a short period of meditation along with a short reading to prompt a discussion on impermanence. We’re currently reading a book by Pema Chödrön. While there is a Buddhist flavor to this event, everyone is welcome. No experience with meditation is necessary.
Open Hours with an End-of-Life Doula
Join us at The Goose Nest, a space in the heart of Goosetown, Iowa City, where conversations about death and grief are welcomed with openness and care.
Whether you're seeking heartfelt connection, logistical or practical support, or space for quiet reflection, you're welcome here. Come with questions, with grief, or just curiosity. Come to share, to listen, to learn, or to rest. You can simply stop in to say “Hello.”
You don’t need to prepare anything. Everyone is welcome. There is no cost, your presence is a gift.
Grieving Your Loss
Grieving Your Loss: A professionally led support group for persons who have experienced the death of a loved one. The group meets the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month. No pre-registration is required and open to all community members.
Death Doulas/Midwives/Guides: Who They Are & What They Do
n this session, we will have a panel of death midwives sharing their roles in supporting individuals and families and friends when someone is facing a terminal diagnosis or hospice and end-of-life. We will explore the backgrounds of the midwives and areas of specialty, ranging from legacy projects (what would you like to leave for others?) to rituals to death plans to sitting vigil the last days/hours, as well as after-death plans and care for families and loved ones. Bring your friends and family and lots of questions!
Presenter: Mary McCall
Iowa City Senior Center Death Cafe
A Death Café is a safe place for people to talk about death in order to make the most of life. New people are encouraged to join anytime. This is not a bereavement support group or grief counseling session. This is open to people of all ages, no membership or registration required. For more information on the purpose of this group, visit deathcafe.com or contact Michelle at 319-356-5222.
Sitting with Impermanence
Join us at the Iowa City Zen Center for a short period of meditation along with a short reading to prompt a discussion on impermanence. We’re currently reading a book by Pema Chödrön. While there is a Buddhist flavor to this event, everyone is welcome. No experience with meditation is necessary.
Writing Grief
Grief is a process, not an event. Writing is a process, not a product. Which is why it’s so well suited to helping us unravel our way through the confusion and pain of all kinds of loss.
This monthly writing group will provide supportive space, prompts, and short readings focused on the experience of loss. There are many kinds of grief — this class is inspired by Francis Weller’s Five Gates of Grief — and we’ll spend time with many of them.
The group meets the first Saturday of each month from 10:00 to 11:30 am CT. Each session includes:
arrival and centering
a reading and brief exploration of a theme
a prompt and 20-30 minutes of writing
sharing (by choice) of our writing
Each class is on a sliding scale according to ability to pay. See more info below.
WHEN: First Saturday of each month, 10:00-11:30 am Central Time
WHERE: In-person option at Porch Light Literary Center, Iowa City OR on Zoom
REGISTER: https://bit.ly/GriefWriting
Iowa City Senior Center Death Cafe
A Death Café is a safe place for people to talk about death in order to make the most of life. New people are encouraged to join anytime. This is not a bereavement support group or grief counseling session. This is open to people of all ages, no membership or registration required. For more information on the purpose of this group, visit deathcafe.com or contact Michelle at 319-356-5222.
November Grief Support Group for People Under 50
Tuesday, November 4, 2025 from 6-7pm at Press Coffee
For people under 50 who've experienced a significant personal loss, join us the first Tuesday of every month for a confidential and donation-based grief support group.
Led by a facilitator trained in grief and end of life, and no RSVP required. For more information or additional questions, reach out to the Death Collective of Eastern Iowa at info@deathcollectiveeasterniowa.com.
Sitting with Impermanence
Join us at the Iowa City Zen Center for a short period of meditation along with a short reading to prompt a discussion on impermanence. We’re currently reading a book by Pema Chödrön. While there is a Buddhist flavor to this event, everyone is welcome. No experience with meditation is necessary.
Cemetery Walk with Professor Brandon Dean
Learn how to "read" a cemetery, explore the porous boundaries between the living and the dead, meet the Black Angel, and more with UI Assistant Professor of Instruction in the Religious Studies department!
Open Hours with an End-of-Life Doula
Join us at The Goose Nest, a space in the heart of Goosetown, Iowa City, where conversations about death and grief are welcomed with openness and care.
Whether you're seeking heartfelt connection, logistical or practical support, or space for quiet reflection, you're welcome here. Come with questions, with grief, or just curiosity. Come to share, to listen, to learn, or to rest. You can simply stop in to say “Hello.”
You don’t need to prepare anything. Everyone is welcome. There is no cost, your presence is a gift.
Cedar Rapids - Sunset Cemetery Walk + Death Cafe
Please be sure to direct message or rsvp as "going" on this event’s facebook page so we can plan accordingly. We will provide the final address closer to the event.
Join death doulas on this cemetery walk to honor the dead and the living in this Samhain autumnal season. Cemeteries offer a peaceful environment for quiet thought and reflection.
We will practice mindful walking, while respectfully staying on paths, and avoiding loud conversations. We will have a little history about Cedar Rapids’ Oak Hill Cemetery, but please bring any information or history to the conversation. After a short walk with the remaining sun light, we will walk to a nearby community home for a Death Cafe.
A Death Cafe is a discussion group for folks to freely talk about death in a safe, confidential, and respectful environment, with the primary goal of increasing awareness of death to help people make the most of their lives.
Please feel free to bring anything to share; snacks, art, journaling, curiosities to engage with during the Death Cafe or just an open mind. There will be light refreshments and snacks at the Death Cafe.
October Death Cafe
What is a Death Café? An open-ended, informal community conversation about the end of life without any particular goal or agenda.
Why a Death Café? What to expect?
• Arrive at the Greenhouse, grab a tasty drink and some snacks if you’d like, then sit at a table with some other participants. Facilitators will be present to answer any questions and give a brief introduction before conversations begin. Participants practice active, engaged listening with respect for others’ views and experiences.
• Ground rules: respect, compassion, support, and confidentiality. Death Cafés are not designed to focus on bereavement and grief support, but open-ended questions and conversation.
• What happens in a Death Café stays in a Death Café.
Sitting with Impermanence
Join us at the Iowa City Zen Center for a short period of meditation along with a short reading to prompt a discussion on impermanence. We’re currently reading a book by Pema Chödrön. While there is a Buddhist flavor to this event, everyone is welcome. No experience with meditation is necessary.
Grief Support Group
A grief support group meeting on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays at Zion Lutheran Church (310 N Johnson St, Iowa City). The group meets from 3:30-5:00pm in Zion Lutheran’s lower level Gathering Room.
Suggested donation is $10-20 per person. Attendees can just show up or email Mary at mccallconsulting22@gmail.com for information. This group meets in-person only.
Sitting with Impermanence
Join us at the Iowa City Zen Center for a short period of meditation along with a short reading to prompt a discussion on impermanence. We’re currently reading a book by Pema Chödrön. While there is a Buddhist flavor to this event, everyone is welcome. No experience with meditation is necessary.