At a Death Cafe people drink tea, eat cake and discuss death. Our aim is to increase awareness of death to help people make the most of their (finite) lives.
"Death Cafes offer individuals a place to gather together to discuss various topics related to death in a safe environment without an agenda, judgment, or criticism. Join to learn more, expanding your awareness around topics of death that can help you make the most out of life"
Are you curious about what you can expect from a Death Cafe? Here are some basics from the Death Cafe website:
"Our principles are that Death Cafes are always offered:
• With no intention of leading participants to any conclusion, product or course of action.
• As an open, respectful and confidential space where people can express their views safely.
• On a not for profit basis.
• Alongside refreshing drinks and nourishing food – and cake! Vegan, gluten-free option available, too.
It's also worth stating here what Death Cafes is not:
• Death Cafe is not a bereavement support or grief counselling setting. Death Cafe doesn't work for people who, for whatever reason, aren't able to discuss death comfortably and openly. There are many projects better set up for this.
• Death Cafes aren't an opportunity to give people information about death and dying - regardless of how good or important it is. Rather we create time to discuss death without expectations. For this reason having guest speakers and information materials available is actively discouraged
• Death Cafe doesn't work as a method of community engagement, research or consultation."
CDDC Vice President Alejandro Salinas will be our host. He has held Death Cafés since 2017. He is an avid advocate for grief and has a passion for exploring death, dreams, dying, and the afterlife. Alé works as a clinical massage therapist, yoga teacher, and musician.
The Robert Crown Branch Library, located inside the Robert Crown Community Center, was opened in early 2020 to extend library services out into walking distance of some of Evanston's most diverse and historically underserved neighborhoods. The branch features a computer bar, laptop loaning, study rooms and a community meeting room, an expanded Spanish-language collection and bilingual staff, an outdoor reading garden, and dozens of programs each month for children, teens and adults.