Feb. 19—A monthly meeting series is providing St. Joseph residents with a safe space to talk about all things related to death and dying.

Megan Mooney, a licensed social worker, is the facilitator of Death Cafe in St. Joseph. She said the meetings are not agenda-driven, and instead are led by the interests of those who gather.

“Death Cafe is a place for people to get together and talk about whatever is on their mind as it relates to death and dying,” Mooney said. “Our objective is to increase the awareness of death, while also helping people make the most of their finite life.”

This open and safe approach to discussing death originated with the Death Cafe founder, Jon Underwood, a British man who in 2011 started a movement that sought to break down taboos related to the open discussion of matters of death and dying. Underwood died of cancer in 2017, but Mooney and others like her in places throughout the world continue the legacy of the Death Cafe movement by facilitating open conversations among strangers and friends who meet in the Death Cafe environment.

Death Cafe meetings in St. Joseph happen every third Wednesday of the month at the Toe Beans Coffee Shop in Downtown St. Joseph. Sara Parks, owner of Toe Beans, said that because Death Cafe gatherings before COVID-19 were held at Pony Espresso (the current location of Toe Beans), she felt that having Toe Beans as the new host would be helpful to the community.

“They have been meeting at Toe Beans since July 2023,” Parks said. “We felt our location would provide a friendly environment for this gathering of folks from the community.

The next Death Cafe at Toe Beans Coffee will be on Wednesday, Feb. 21, from 6 to 8 p.m. Cupcakes and water will be provided for free, and other drink items on the Toe Beans menu will be available for purchase. For more information about the Death Cafe movement, go to deathcafe.com.

Charles Christian anchors the evening news for News-Press NOW and also serves as an ordained minister at United Methodist Churches in Union Star and Helena, Missouri. Charles can be reached at charles.christian@newspressnow.com. Follow him on twitter: @NPNowChristian.