Upcoming events
Restorative Yoga with Reiki (with Kimberly!)
Join us for a 90-minute restorative yoga experience designed to support deep rest and energetic renewal. In the environment we’ll create a gentle pause—an intentional space to slow down and reconnect. You’ll be guided through fully supported postures that encourage the body to unwind and the nervous system to settle. During these restful shapes, teachers will offer optional Reiki to support relaxation, balance, and subtle healing.
Registration through Heartland Yoga
Kimberly offers one on one Reiki, rest & Yoga for grief sessions. Email at info@heartlandyoga.com or arjes.kimberly@gmail.com.
$35
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
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.
Advice for Future Corpses: Online Book Discussion Group : Chapters 5-9
Explore how to live fully in light of our mortality in a supportive online environment
What does it really mean to face death—our own, or that of someone we love—with honesty, grace, and courage? This winter, we invite you to join our book study on Advice for Future Corpses (and Those Who Love Them) by Sallie Tisdale, a compassionate, clear-eyed exploration of what it means to die well and to care for the dying.
Tisdale, a palliative care nurse and award-winning writer, offers a rare blend of practical guidance and profound wisdom. With warmth and humor, she demystifies the dying process and opens a conversation that too often remains hidden in silence or fear. Her writing reminds us that talking about death is, in truth, talking about life—about love, connection, and what truly matters.
Throughout this study, we’ll read together, reflect, and share our own experiences and questions. Whether you are a caregiver, a healthcare professional, someone who has lost a loved one, or simply curious about what it means to live fully in light of mortality, this series offers a gentle and thoughtful space for conversation.
Come as you are—curious, uncertain, or contemplative. Together we’ll explore what it means to prepare, to accompany, and to live with awareness of life’s impermanence.
Sign up today and join us for this deeply meaningful journey.
Gathering Dates: January 28, February 11, and February 25
Time: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm on Zoom, $25.00 for the series. Registration is required to send Zoom information.
For more information or to register, contact Prairiewoods at www.Prairiewoods.org or 319-395-6700.
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.
Breaking Bread: Walking through grief while learning about our community and connecting over food and conversation (through Lensing Funeral Home)
Meets the third Wednesday of the month.
For more information and/or to RSVP, please contact Mandi Lensing (319) 338-8171 mandi@lensingfuneral.com
Hospicing Modernity: Book Discussion Group
Hospicing Modernity: Facing Humanity’s Wrongs and the Implications for Social Activism
Invitation to a Discussion Group - Register here!
Winter traditionally is a time for slowing down, for contemplation. This is more timely than ever. Join the Death Collective of Eastern Iowa as we slow down to reflect upon our times through a group reading of Hospicing Modernity by Vanessa Machado de Oliveira. We’re usually sitting with the deaths of loved ones, and contemplating our own mortality, but what about that of modernity? What happens when the stories we grew up with about who we are, and were, aren’t so rock solid anymore? How do we sit with the passing of old stories and live into the generation of new ones?
We’ll meet every other week on Thursday evenings from 6:30 - 8:00 pm starting on February 19th, ending on April 30th (6 sessions), reading 40 - 50 pages for each session with discussion questions to reflect upon while reading. RSFIC is graciously supporting us with the use of their space at 1927 Keokuk St in Iowa City. The Death Collective of Eastern Iowa is an all-volunteer nonprofit that provides educational community engagements such as our monthly Death Cafe at the Green House on the last Tuesdays of every month at 7 pm.
This is a give-as-led gathering to support snacks to fuel our discussions and to support the Death Collective (mainly our annual website maintenance costs). With or without donating though, everyone is welcome! If you are led to give, do so here. Here are the giving tiers:
$0 - We want you to come! $10 - Thank you! $20 - I wonder what fancy snacks we can get? $30 - Our website maintenance fees won't worry us so much. $40 or more - Death will not touch you
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.
February 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.
Advice for Future Corpses: Online Book Discussion Group : Chapters 10-12 + Appendices
Explore how to live fully in light of our mortality in a supportive online environment
What does it really mean to face death—our own, or that of someone we love—with honesty, grace, and courage? This winter, we invite you to join our book study on Advice for Future Corpses (and Those Who Love Them) by Sallie Tisdale, a compassionate, clear-eyed exploration of what it means to die well and to care for the dying.
Tisdale, a palliative care nurse and award-winning writer, offers a rare blend of practical guidance and profound wisdom. With warmth and humor, she demystifies the dying process and opens a conversation that too often remains hidden in silence or fear. Her writing reminds us that talking about death is, in truth, talking about life—about love, connection, and what truly matters.
Throughout this study, we’ll read together, reflect, and share our own experiences and questions. Whether you are a caregiver, a healthcare professional, someone who has lost a loved one, or simply curious about what it means to live fully in light of mortality, this series offers a gentle and thoughtful space for conversation.
Come as you are—curious, uncertain, or contemplative. Together we’ll explore what it means to prepare, to accompany, and to live with awareness of life’s impermanence.
Sign up today and join us for this deeply meaningful journey.
Gathering Dates: January 28, February 11, and February 25
Time: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm on Zoom, $25.00 for the series. Registration is required to send Zoom information.
For more information or to register, contact Prairiewoods at www.Prairiewoods.org or 319-395-6700.
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.
Hospicing Modernity: Book Discussion Group
Hospicing Modernity: Facing Humanity’s Wrongs and the Implications for Social Activism
Invitation to a Discussion Group
Winter traditionally is a time for slowing down, for contemplation. This is more timely than ever. Join the Death Collective of Eastern Iowa as we slow down to reflect upon our times through a group reading of Hospicing Modernity by Vanessa Machado de Oliveira. We’re usually sitting with the deaths of loved ones, and contemplating our own mortality, but what about that of modernity? What happens when the stories we grew up with about who we are, and were, aren’t so rock solid anymore? How do we sit with the passing of old stories and live into the generation of new ones?
We’ll meet every other week on Thursday evenings from 6:30 - 8:00 pm starting on February 19th, ending on April 30th (6 sessions), reading 40 - 50 pages for each session with discussion questions to reflect upon while reading. RSFIC is graciously supporting us with the use of their space at 1927 Keokuk St in Iowa City. The Death Collective of Eastern Iowa is an all-volunteer nonprofit that provides educational community engagements such as our monthly Death Cafe at the Green House on the last Tuesdays of every month at 7 pm.
This is a give-as-led gathering to support snacks to fuel our discussions and to support the Death Collective (mainly our annual website maintenance costs). With or without donating though, everyone is welcome! If you are led to give, do so here. Here are the giving tiers:
$0 - We want you to come! $10 - Thank you! $20 - I wonder what fancy snacks we can get? $30 - Our website maintenance fees won't worry us so much. $40 or more - Death will not touch you
Clear is Kind Retreat Workshop
Weekend retreat and workshops to support clear, compassionate conversation and planning around the end of life.
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.
Restorative Yoga with Reiki (with Kimberly!)
Join us for a 90-minute restorative yoga experience designed to support deep rest and energetic renewal. In the environment we’ll create a gentle pause—an intentional space to slow down and reconnect. You’ll be guided through fully supported postures that encourage the body to unwind and the nervous system to settle. During these restful shapes, teachers will offer optional Reiki to support relaxation, balance, and subtle healing.
Registration through Heartland Yoga
Kimberly offers one on one Reiki, rest & Yoga for grief sessions. Email at info@heartlandyoga.com or arjes.kimberly@gmail.com.
$35
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.
Hospicing Modernity: Book Discussion Group
Hospicing Modernity: Facing Humanity’s Wrongs and the Implications for Social Activism
Invitation to a Discussion Group
Winter traditionally is a time for slowing down, for contemplation. This is more timely than ever. Join the Death Collective of Eastern Iowa as we slow down to reflect upon our times through a group reading of Hospicing Modernity by Vanessa Machado de Oliveira. We’re usually sitting with the deaths of loved ones, and contemplating our own mortality, but what about that of modernity? What happens when the stories we grew up with about who we are, and were, aren’t so rock solid anymore? How do we sit with the passing of old stories and live into the generation of new ones?
We’ll meet every other week on Thursday evenings from 6:30 - 8:00 pm starting on February 19th, ending on April 30th (6 sessions), reading 40 - 50 pages for each session with discussion questions to reflect upon while reading. RSFIC is graciously supporting us with the use of their space at 1927 Keokuk St in Iowa City. The Death Collective of Eastern Iowa is an all-volunteer nonprofit that provides educational community engagements such as our monthly Death Cafe at the Green House on the last Tuesdays of every month at 7 pm.
This is a give-as-led gathering to support snacks to fuel our discussions and to support the Death Collective (mainly our annual website maintenance costs). With or without donating though, everyone is welcome! If you are led to give, do so here. Here are the giving tiers:
$0 - We want you to come! $10 - Thank you! $20 - I wonder what fancy snacks we can get? $30 - Our website maintenance fees won't worry us so much. $40 or more - Death will not touch you
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.
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.
Hospicing Modernity: Book Discussion Group
Hospicing Modernity: Facing Humanity’s Wrongs and the Implications for Social Activism
Invitation to a Discussion Group
Winter traditionally is a time for slowing down, for contemplation. This is more timely than ever. Join the Death Collective of Eastern Iowa as we slow down to reflect upon our times through a group reading of Hospicing Modernity by Vanessa Machado de Oliveira. We’re usually sitting with the deaths of loved ones, and contemplating our own mortality, but what about that of modernity? What happens when the stories we grew up with about who we are, and were, aren’t so rock solid anymore? How do we sit with the passing of old stories and live into the generation of new ones?
We’ll meet every other week on Thursday evenings from 6:30 - 8:00 pm starting on February 19th, ending on April 30th (6 sessions), reading 40 - 50 pages for each session with discussion questions to reflect upon while reading. RSFIC is graciously supporting us with the use of their space at 1927 Keokuk St in Iowa City. The Death Collective of Eastern Iowa is an all-volunteer nonprofit that provides educational community engagements such as our monthly Death Cafe at the Green House on the last Tuesdays of every month at 7 pm.
This is a give-as-led gathering to support snacks to fuel our discussions and to support the Death Collective (mainly our annual website maintenance costs). With or without donating though, everyone is welcome! If you are led to give, do so here. Here are the giving tiers:
$0 - We want you to come! $10 - Thank you! $20 - I wonder what fancy snacks we can get? $30 - Our website maintenance fees won't worry us so much. $40 or more - Death will not touch you
Hospicing Modernity: Book Discussion Group
Hospicing Modernity: Facing Humanity’s Wrongs and the Implications for Social Activism
Invitation to a Discussion Group
Winter traditionally is a time for slowing down, for contemplation. This is more timely than ever. Join the Death Collective of Eastern Iowa as we slow down to reflect upon our times through a group reading of Hospicing Modernity by Vanessa Machado de Oliveira. We’re usually sitting with the deaths of loved ones, and contemplating our own mortality, but what about that of modernity? What happens when the stories we grew up with about who we are, and were, aren’t so rock solid anymore? How do we sit with the passing of old stories and live into the generation of new ones?
We’ll meet every other week on Thursday evenings from 6:30 - 8:00 pm starting on February 19th, ending on April 30th (6 sessions), reading 40 - 50 pages for each session with discussion questions to reflect upon while reading. RSFIC is graciously supporting us with the use of their space at 1927 Keokuk St in Iowa City. The Death Collective of Eastern Iowa is an all-volunteer nonprofit that provides educational community engagements such as our monthly Death Cafe at the Green House on the last Tuesdays of every month at 7 pm.
This is a give-as-led gathering to support snacks to fuel our discussions and to support the Death Collective (mainly our annual website maintenance costs). With or without donating though, everyone is welcome! If you are led to give, do so here. Here are the giving tiers:
$0 - We want you to come! $10 - Thank you! $20 - I wonder what fancy snacks we can get? $30 - Our website maintenance fees won't worry us so much. $40 or more - Death will not touch you
Hospicing Modernity: Book Discussion Group
Hospicing Modernity: Facing Humanity’s Wrongs and the Implications for Social Activism
Invitation to a Discussion Group
Winter traditionally is a time for slowing down, for contemplation. This is more timely than ever. Join the Death Collective of Eastern Iowa as we slow down to reflect upon our times through a group reading of Hospicing Modernity by Vanessa Machado de Oliveira. We’re usually sitting with the deaths of loved ones, and contemplating our own mortality, but what about that of modernity? What happens when the stories we grew up with about who we are, and were, aren’t so rock solid anymore? How do we sit with the passing of old stories and live into the generation of new ones?
We’ll meet every other week on Thursday evenings from 6:30 - 8:00 pm starting on February 19th, ending on April 30th (6 sessions), reading 40 - 50 pages for each session with discussion questions to reflect upon while reading. RSFIC is graciously supporting us with the use of their space at 1927 Keokuk St in Iowa City. The Death Collective of Eastern Iowa is an all-volunteer nonprofit that provides educational community engagements such as our monthly Death Cafe at the Green House on the last Tuesdays of every month at 7 pm.
This is a give-as-led gathering to support snacks to fuel our discussions and to support the Death Collective (mainly our annual website maintenance costs). With or without donating though, everyone is welcome! If you are led to give, do so here. Here are the giving tiers:
$0 - We want you to come! $10 - Thank you! $20 - I wonder what fancy snacks we can get? $30 - Our website maintenance fees won't worry us so much. $40 or more - Death will not touch you
February Grief Support Group for People Under 50
Tuesday, February 3rd, 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.
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.
Advice for Future Corpses: Online Book Discussion Group: Chapters 1-4
Explore how to live fully in light of our mortality in a supportive online environment
What does it really mean to face death—our own, or that of someone we love—with honesty, grace, and courage? This winter, we invite you to join our book study on Advice for Future Corpses (and Those Who Love Them) by Sallie Tisdale, a compassionate, clear-eyed exploration of what it means to die well and to care for the dying.
Tisdale, a palliative care nurse and award-winning writer, offers a rare blend of practical guidance and profound wisdom. With warmth and humor, she demystifies the dying process and opens a conversation that too often remains hidden in silence or fear. Her writing reminds us that talking about death is, in truth, talking about life—about love, connection, and what truly matters.
Throughout this study, we’ll read together, reflect, and share our own experiences and questions. Whether you are a caregiver, a healthcare professional, someone who has lost a loved one, or simply curious about what it means to live fully in light of mortality, this series offers a gentle and thoughtful space for conversation.
Come as you are—curious, uncertain, or contemplative. Together we’ll explore what it means to prepare, to accompany, and to live with awareness of life’s impermanence.
Sign up today and join us for this deeply meaningful journey.
Gathering Dates: January 28, February 11, and February 25
Time: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm on Zoom, $25.00 for the series. Registration is required to send Zoom information.
For more information or to register, contact Prairiewoods at www.Prairiewoods.org or 319-395-6700.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.