Jana Branch, End-of-Life Doula with Good Passage LLC, has been chosen as one of ten grantees to participate in the newly launched Community Death Literacy Project. Grantees in ten states including Missouri, Vermont, and Texas will offer programming through local community centers, arts nonprofits, and libraries that aims to reduce fears around death and dying and give people the knowledge and confidence to make value-aligned decisions. The new project is co sponsored by Compassion & Choices, the largest and most active nonprofit working to expand and improve healthcare options for end-of-life care, and The Contemplative Doula, a pioneer in death literacy education.
“Our goal is to empower everyone to discuss their own wishes, and information to improve death literacy is a powerful tool to support someone in that journey,” said Jessica Empeño, National Director of Clinical Engagement at Compassion & Choices. “The Community Death Literacy Project reaches out to gathering places across the country, making space for vital conversations,” says Francesca Arnoldy of The Contemplative Doula.
Jana Branch has been a practicing doula in the Bitteroot Valley since 2024 after training with the University of Vermont. Doulas provide non-medical, holistic guidance and support to people and their care circles around decline, dying, and death. She also earned a Death Literacy Specialist certificate from The Contemplative Doula. Branch explains, “I came back to the Bitterroot to help my parents through their last years, and I saw firsthand how much better that time can go if you’re willing to have those honest—and often uncomfortable—conversations around what’s happening. Dying is a natural process, and there are so many choices along the way that can make life meaningful right up to the last breath.”
The grant will cover the cost for 24 people to participate in the “Living Fully and Dying Prepared” workshop series, scheduled to begin in late September. The 6-week workshop will be a welcoming, friendly place for conversations about death, dying, and end-of-life decisions. Arnoldy’s book, “The Death Doula’s Guide to Living Fully and Dying Prepared” and Compassion & Choices End-of-Life Decisions Guide will guide creative exercises and reflection around topics including legacy, memory, and advance care planning. Feedback from the ten programs offered around the country will inform the possibility of expanding the program.
Author Francesca Arnoldy. Photo courtesy LinkedIn.
The workshop will be offered at Explore the Arts in Hamilton starting Sept 24 for six Wednesdays. Another section will begin Sept 25 and run for six Thursdays. Each section is limited to 12 participants. The workshop and materials are free, but registration is required. To learn more or to register, visit www.goodpassage.co, email info@goodpassage.co, or call 406-493-7473.