Community Engagement Newsletter September 10, 2019

8 Creative Ideas for Spreading the Importance of Having the Conversation in Your Community Looking for creative ways to reach people in your community?   Check out these ideas from some of our fabulous TCP Champions who are reaching people where they live, work and pray! 3 Go-To Resources to Help You Prepare for Conversation Sabbath Conversation Sabbath is quickly approaching! We're inviting congregations across the nation to take part in Conversation Sabbath between October 24th and November 3 by sharing each faith’s teachings on the critical topic of end-of-life care. We encourage clergy leaders to support congregants in having the conversation in familiar settings, and not during a medical crisis in the ICU. Are you looking for ideas on where to start (or want to learn more about Conversation Sabbath)? Or, maybe you’ve participated in the past and are looking for new inspiration and ideas? Well, we have you covered. Click here to access some resources to support you in preparing for this year’s Conversation Sabbath and/or for sharing with others who you’d like to join you along the way! Upcoming Community Calls September 18th 3:00-4:30 PM ET: Virtual Speaker Training This call will provide TCP community leaders with the knowledge and resources needed to host an event, give an informative presentation, and facilitate group discussion. You’ll be given an example of a standard presentation, tips on all phases of event-planning including setting an aim, organization, facilitation, establishing measures, and evaluating your event. October 16th 3:00-4:00 PM ET: Designing for Sustainability This call will highlight various models for starting and sustaining programs to spread the importance of conversations across a community. We’ll hear from seasoned community members and together explore various components to keep the momentum going, including funding. Join us and share what you’ve learned or ideas you have to keep the momentum going in your community. Click here to register for the calls!

5 Things We’ve Heard and Things You Can Do to Ensure Sustainability To get you excited for our October community call (see side bar), we are resharing lessons learned on sustainability. A while back, we asked community members to share how they are planning their work (to spread the importance of end-of-life care conversations) so it continues in the long run. The five most common ways groups or individuals are ensuring this work lives on are listed in this blog piece .    August 2019 Recap As summer comes to a close and you begin to reflect on all the warm days you spent with friends, family and loved ones, we encourage you to take another moment to reflect on what matters most to you. During the month of August, the TCP team produced, shared and contributed to resources/materials that we believe will help you think more critically about why having the conversation is so important. Check out this compilation of resources . We encourage you to share your favorite resource(s) widely!

Video: Jazz Singer and Soul Doctor At the end of Dolly Baker’s life, one doctor asked a question that made all the difference to her, to her care providers and her family. He asked simply: “what would make today a good day for you?” He got to the heart of his patient, and with deep respect asked what mattered to her, not “what was the matter with her…”  Watch this video where 92 year-old Baker, a former professional jazz singer, does what matters most her: singing “What a Wonderful World“.

Conversation Champion Highlight: My Life My Choices My Life My Choices (South Carolina) is a community-based initiative of the South Carolina Coalition for the Care of the Seriously Ill. Their goal is to increase the quality of and accessibility to advance care planning while also equipping both health care providers and community members with the critical skills needed to conduct these conversations. They work locally with community outreach partners to reach people where they live, work and pray. A s an example, they recently hosted a "Hello Pastors" event to inspire and motivate over 20 African American church leaders on how the scriptures support advance care planning. The session was led by Pastor Corey Kinnard and was followed by a Hello game facilitated b y Jethro Heiko.   Click here to learn more about My Life My Choices.   Click here  to put your organization on The Conversation Project's Conversation Champion Map and possibly be featured in our next newsletter!

News Roundup: What We're Reading 3 Benefits Of Thinking About Your Mortality At Least Once A Day via Mind Body Green Dementia Patients Likely to Receive Intense Treatment at En-of-Life via Hospice News Moral Distress in Neurosurgery via New York Times Deathwives, Death Cafes And Death Doulas. Learning To Live By Talking About Death. via Washington Post

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE KITS!

The Conversation Starter Kit is a useful tool to help you have the conversation with a family member, friend, or other loved one about your – or their – wishes regarding end-of-life care. It is available in several languages.  All of the Starter Kits are available to download and print for free. To purchase printed copies of the Starter Kits, print in bulk or add your logo and contact information,  visit our Mimeo Marketplace Limited time professionally printed Starter Kit discount! If you know someone who would benefit from receiving this newsletter, have them register here . Visit our website

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