Events › Death Cafe

Death Cafe offers 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 and expand 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 Café? Here are some basics from the Death Cafe website:

Our principles are that Death Cafe’s 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 hot drinks and light snacks.

It’s also worth stating here what Death Cafe 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 Cafe’s 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.

Who hosts the meetings?

Chicago Death Doula Collective Vice President Alejandro Salinas will be our host. He has held Death Cafes 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.

Please arrive on time. As per the request of the facilitator, participants will not be allowed into the room after 6:40pm. Thank you!