Library Receives Grant for Death & Dying Program Series
July 8, 2021 — A series of 11 programs featuring “Death & Dying: Conversations on End-of-Life Matters” is planned for Nov. 1-14 in Springfield with the help of a $13,218 grant from the Hospice Foundation of the Ozarks, a nonprofit organization supporting initiatives for dignity at life’s end. The lineup is designed to continue conversations the Library District hosted in the popular program series in 2016-2020.
“We are so appreciative of the funding in support of this year’s program series, and the trust that the Hospice Foundation and our community have instilled in us as leaders in these conversations,” said project director and library staffer Sarah Rosendahl. “The conversations we’ve hosted in previous years have helped us successfully break the taboo of talking about death. Now we can continue our work by helping to demystify the myriad of topics related to death and dying.”
The signature event of the upcoming series features the return of Los Angeles-based mortician, author and YouTube star Caitlin Doughty, whose 2018 presentation drew a crowd of more than 400 people of all ages. Doughty’s event on Nov. 4 at Relics Event Center will include a moderated Q&A and book signing.
“We are excited to continue our valued and impactful partnership with the Library District by funding these very diverse and unique perspectives on death and dying highlighted in this year’s fall series,” said Kimberly Morelock, executive director of Hospice Foundation of the Ozarks. “HFO applauds the Library’s continued efforts to provide quality programming focused on topics that spark meaningful conversations about issues at the end of life.”
Other events in the series include a session on the Buddhist path of grief and loss, with members of Springfield’s Dinh Quang Buddhist Temple; two programs with cemetery expert and author Abby Burnett; a session on green burial; and a program designed to help people pass on personal possessions.
This is the fifth grant awarded to the Library District by the Hospice Foundation in support of programs on end-of-life matters. A 2015 grant for $39,684.08 provided funding for an October 2016 series of 11 programs that drew more than 1,000 people. A 2017 grant for $9,000 was awarded to the Library and partner Respecting Choices of the Ozarks to fund Death Over Dinner featuring author Ann Neumann in April 2018. A $640 grant funded a series of four virtual programs in November 2020.