South Florida’s first “Death Café” will be held Wednesday, April 24th, 2013 at 3:00 pm at Starbuck’s, 2800 University Drive in Coral Springs.
F. Todd Winninger, Licensed Funeral Director and founder of “Funeral Shows,” will be the facilitator and views the movement as a way to “get death out of the closet and to the dinner table. Depending on our success, we could expand to six groups in South Florida, two (North and South) in each of three (Pam Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade) counties.”
The free one+ hour discussion group “increases awareness of death in an open, respectful space where people can express their views safely,” according to the founders of the program. There are no right or wrong answers and people talk openly about what’s on their mind. Some anticipated topics are:
--- healing from hurt
--- the case for life after life
--- when there’s no church or cemetery and
--- Baby Boomers: large and in charge.
Participants are, of course, encouraged to bring along topics of interest to them.
Based on ideas from Bernard Crettaz, a Swiss sociologist, the Death Café movement spread to Britain, then to the US. Currently there are 25 facilitators in six countries.
“As a funeral director, I took a single course in thanatology (the study of death) in mortuary school which scratched the surface and could’ve been three courses. Historically, the funeral industry has argued over who handles what, especially grieving, which is ridiculous. It’s time to step up. Being a funeral director provides content, maybe some credibility and legal standing. My experience as an observer, listening to the market and writing has been equally important,” according to Winninger.
Seating is limited to twelve participants, and you can RSVP by calling 561/414-4480. For further information visit: http://www.linkedin.com/in/funeralshows/
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