In Community Support of The Peaceful Presence Project
Historically, care for the dead was handled by family and community – and legally, it is still our right to do so. But for many, our ancestral ways of caring for each other after death have been forgotten. We’ll review the systemic barriers often encountered by families, and how to address these through diligent education and advocacy. Awareness of these barriers, acknowledging them with community partners, and assisting interested families via education and strategizing ways around any barriers, is part of a compassionate, community care model. We will discuss aspects of deathcare now outsourced to professionals – bathing, dressing, and transporting the body; sourcing a casket, shroud or urn; handling the paperwork – and consider the benefits of more hands-on engagement.