Upcoming events
Walk for Dignity
The 26th Annual Walk for Dignity to benefit Iowa City Hospice and VNA of Johnson County.
Sunday, April 27th, 2025 at Willow Creek Park, 1117 Teg Dr, Iowa City, IA 52246
12pm-1pm: gathering of friends, families and teams
1pm- Walk for Dignity starts!
Put on your walking shoes and a smile, and join us for a fun, family-friendly event that honors the memories of loved ones as it raises funds to support compassionate care.
Participation is free, and donations are welcome! We have fun prizes for different levels of giving. Teams are encouraged, too!
The Walk for Dignity is more than just a fundraiser; it’s a gathering of families, friends, and neighbors to honor loved ones, celebrate life, and support one another. This year’s event will feature:
Memory Lane, lined with signs featuring photos and meaningful words from family and friends we’ve lost.
Celebration of Life Interactive Passport Stations, where participants of all ages can engage in simple activities, earning stamps and stickers along the way.
A Family-Friendly Walking Route that is safely contained within the park and welcoming for all—including young children, strollers, and pets.
All donations benefit Iowa City Hospice and VNA of Johnson County, both 501(c)3 charity organizations. Thank you for your support!
Find out more at Iowa City Hospice’s event page here: https://iowacityhospice.org/walk-for-dignity/
April 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?
• sit..... arrive at the greenhouse, drink/snacks...Participants practice active, engaged listening with respect for others’ views and experiences.
• Ground rules: respect, compassion, support, 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 Cafe.
The Shrouds
We will be collaborating with FilmScene for a screening of The Shrouds on May 8th. An informal group conversation following the screening. No sign-up necessary to attend, but find your tickets on the FilmScene website to ensure yourself a seat.
This screening will be at 6:30pm at FilmScene’s Ped Mall location. Exact timing and location may be subject to change.
Cemetery Walk
We’ll meet at Press Coffee and then head to the cemetery. A mindful walk and then sharing.
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.
Grief Writing
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, 10:00-11:15 am Central Time
WHERE: In-person option at Porch Light Literary Center, Iowa City OR on Zoom
REGISTER: https://bit.ly/GriefWriting
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. This meeting takes place at the Iowa City Senior Center (28 S Linn St, Iowa City) on the third floor every first Friday of the month.
For more information on the purpose of this group, visit deathcafe.com or contact Michelle Buhman at 319-356-5222.
Facilitator: Craig Mosher and Michelle Buhman
Caregiver Support Group
A caregiver support group on Zoom and in person at the Iowa City Senior Center (28 S Linn St, Iowa City). Friday mornings from March 7th through April 25th. The group runs from 9:30-11am in Room 308.
You can register through Senior Center via this link, but walk-ins are welcome. Email Mary at mccallconsulting22@gmail.com for a Zoom link and additional info.
Grief Writing
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, 10:00-11:15 am Central Time
WHERE: In-person option at Porch Light Literary Center, Iowa City OR on Zoom
REGISTER: https://bit.ly/GriefWriting
