KC End of Life

03/14/2026

Dear Doula,

I keep hearing about green burials and it sounds more aligned with my values, but I don’t know how to begin asking about it. Is this something I should talk about with hospice, a funeral home, or my family first? I’m worried about sounding uninformed or asking the wrong questions.

— Curious but Overwhelmed

Dear Curious,
You are not alone, many people feel unsure where to begin, and the fact that you are asking is already a meaningful first step.
Green burial simply means caring for the body in ways that minimize environmental impact and allow natural return to the earth. Starting the conversation can feel big, but you can take it one step at a time:
🌱 Start with your values. Ask yourself (or your loved one): What matters most; environmental sustainability, simplicity, cost, spiritual beliefs, or avoiding embalming?
🌱 Talk openly with family or decision-makers early. This helps ensure everyone understands your wishes and reduces stress later.
🌱 Ask funeral homes directly if they offer green options. You can say:
“What environmentally friendly or natural burial options do you provide?”
🌱 Consider working with a death doula or advance care planner who can help you explore choices and advocate for your preferences.

There are no wrong questions. Green burial is about intention and alignment with your values , and your curiosity is exactly where the process begins.

With care,
Your Doula 💜

03/13/2026

Returning to the Earth, Naturally 🌱
Imagine a process that honors the body’s natural return to the earth. Human composting offers just that — a gentle, intentional way of becoming part of the living world once again.
In this process, the body is placed in a vessel with natural materials like wood chips, alfalfa, and straw. Over several weeks, beneficial microbes do what nature has always done — breaking everything down through a natural cycle of renewal.
The result is transformation — not into ash, but into living soil that can nourish trees, gardens, and landscapes, continuing a legacy of life and care.
Want to learn more?

You can find KCEoL doula and blog author, Renée Varella’s post here:
https://kcendoflife.org/blog-and-resources/f/a-greener-goodbye-understanding-human-composting

03/12/2026

Aging is something we all experience, yet our culture rarely teaches us how to navigate the later chapters of life with intention, support, and dignity.
In this recent feature our executive director, Niki Staab shares about the work of being an end-of-life doula and the importance of creating space for meaningful conversations about aging, dying, and how we care for one another along the way. As people live longer and families face complex caregiving roles, doulas help bridge a gap, offering guidance, advocacy, and compassionate presence for individuals and their loved ones.
End-of-life doulas walk beside people through one of life’s most profound transitions. They help families talk about wishes, create plans, honor values, and ensure that no one has to face the end of life alone. Conversations about aging and dying can feel difficult, but they are also powerful opportunities to build connection, clarity, and peace for the people we love.
When we begin these conversations earlier, we reduce fear and confusion for families and create space for a more intentional, supported journey through aging and the end of life.
Thank you to CanvasRebel for highlighting this important work and the growing role of doulas in our communities.
You can read the full interview here:
https://canvasrebel.com/meet-niki-staab/

We're excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Niki Staab. We hope you'll enjoy our conversation with Niki below. Niki, thanks

03/12/2026

Meet KCEoL doula, Laura K Gilman, and find out more at www.yourritualist.com

What is a special sound, smell, or feeling you would like at your vigil?
There are traditional Jewish prayers said at burials. It’s important to me that these are recited and ritualized at my burial as they connect me as one link in a 5,000 year chain of peoplehood. I would love to know that my family would remember me by sitting down to eat a Shabbat (Sabbath) meal in my honor; this is one of my favorite traditions! Delicious food, and sacred time set aside for family, connection and community.

In your work as a doula, how have you seen grief become a place of growth or renewal for families and for yourself?
When my maternal grandmother passed away, my then-three-year-old daughter danced and sang around her hospital bed. Her passing was a celebration of life and legacy. And, although she would be missed, my little girl somehow understood and embodied this dance of grief and gratitude. When we were at the funeral, my daughter saw the casket and asked me: “Ima, is mamo in that box?” “No,” I replied. “Mamo made nana, nana made me, and I made you. Wherever we are, Mamo is too!” Doing this work reminds us that grief and gratitude, endings and renewal are two sides of the same coin.

03/11/2026

03/10/2026

What is Human Composting?
Also known as natural organic reduction, human composting is a controlled, biological process that gently transforms a body into nutrient-rich soil. Rather than resisting nature, this approach works in harmony with it — accelerating what would naturally occur and turning it into something life-giving.
For many families, this option offers a meaningful way to return to the earth, reflecting values of sustainability, connection, and renewal.
Curious to learn more?
Read this month’s blog to explore how human composting is reshaping conversations around end-of-life care and legacy.

You can find KCEoL doula and blog author, Renée Varella’s post here:
https://kcendoflife.org/blog-and-resources/f/a-greener-goodbye-understanding-human-composting

03/10/2026

If you have any questions, would like more information, or would like to sign up as a volunteer for our end of life planning workshops you can email us at niki@kcendoflife.org
RSVP to our Annual Meeting here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdgH1QhosNXacYa3pjJCWnE3UBSfKukyo2HFa49oxvFCUq6iA/viewform?usp=header

03/08/2026

🌿 KC End of Life Annual Meeting — Community, Conversation, and the Future of Death Care 🌿
KC End of Life warmly invites you to our upcoming Annual Meeting, an afternoon dedicated to connection, education, and envisioning compassionate end-of-life care together.

📅 Date: Saturday, March 28
🕑 Time: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
📍 Location: Red Bridge Library Community Room
453 Red Bridge Rd, Kansas City, MO

Recompose is a pioneering green funeral home based in Seattle and recognized as the world’s first human composting company. Their work centers on “natural organic reduction,” an earth-friendly process that transforms human remains into soil — offering families a meaningful, sustainable alternative to traditional burial or cremation. Their mission blends environmental stewardship with intentional, personalized care at the end of life.

RSVP HERE:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdgH1QhosNXacYa3pjJCWnE3UBSfKukyo2HFa49oxvFCUq6iA/viewform?usp=header

03/07/2026

Meet KCEoL doula, Laura K Gilman, and find out more at www.yourritualist.com

In what ways do you find inspiration and meaning in your work as a death doula?

Being a death doula connects me to the universal consciousness, the collective heartbeat of our world. Rumi beautifully articulates it:
“The lamps are different, but the Light is the same. One matter, one energy, one Light, one Light-mind, Endlessly emanating all things.”
Being a conscious part of the circle of life makes me feel closer and more connected to the whole of humanity.

Can you share a particularly memorable or touching moment from your work?

My doula work began as a granddaughter, so I’ll share one of my most treasured personal memories. My grandfather, of blessed memory, passed in 2008. Our family - his children and grandchildren - the most precious elements of his life - gathered around him and sang a central Jewish prayer, the Shema. As soon as we finished, he took his last exhalation. Beginnings and endings often bring us in touch with this sense of the divine, of something bigger than us and just beyond our comprehension.

What do you do for self-care? What hobbies do you enjoy outside of your doula role?

When my second child was born, I had a come to Moses moment where I needed to evaluate my priorities and energetic output. I pivoted from working 50 hours / week at a beloved non-profit to working for myself. Once I decided to take the leap, I committed to only doing work that fills my soul.
I provide counseling in my small private practice, officiate ritual and ceremony- from weddings to baby namings to funerals, facilitate group experiences and offer death doula services. I consider myself fortunate to be able to live into my purpose on the daily. Is much of my exercise chasing a toddler? YES. Could I use more time with my girlfriends? ALWAYS! But getting to do what I love and getting to scaffold my days to prioritize our family is my best self care!

03/06/2026

For generations, traditional burial and flame cremation have been the most common end-of-life choices. While deeply meaningful for many families, they also come with environmental costs.
Conventional burial often relies on embalming chemicals and concrete vaults, and flame cremation uses significant fossil fuels while releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. As awareness grows, more people are beginning to ask how their final choices can reflect the same care and values they lived by.
Sustainable death care offers alternatives that reduce harm, honor the earth, and help restore balance — inviting us to think about legacy in a new way.
Want to learn more about Why Sustainable Death Care Matters?
Read this month’s blog and explore how end-of-life choices can support both people and planet.

You can find KCEoL doula and blog author, Renée Varella’s post here:
https://kcendoflife.org/blog-and-resources/f/a-greener-goodbye-understanding-human-composting

03/05/2026

Meet KCEoL doula, Laura K Gilman, and find out more at www.yourritualist.com

What inspired you to become a death doula / work with those at end of life?

I was incredibly lucky to have a close relationship with my grandparents. They were my advisors, a source of wisdom, my friends, and my biggest cheerleaders. When I went to pursue my master’s in social work, I intuitively chose an aging concentration. Through my MSW program, I was blessed with incredible experiences working with people towards the end of life - in the inpatient and outpatient hospital setting and in a continuing care retirement environment where our participants had progressive, degenerative diseases. At 22, I found myself sitting with patients receiving chemo infusions and working with families on a Parkinson’s roller coaster. I felt then, and still feel now, so touched by the privilege of meaning making alongside them- however they showed up, whatever hard thing they needed to process. I often say that my clients have been my best teachers. Their stories and resilience live in me and inspire my every day.

What is your favorite piece of media on death and dying you’d like to share?
Epitaph by Merrit Malloy
When I die, Give what’s left of me away To children And old men that wait to die. And if you need to cry, Cry for your brother Walking the street beside you. And when you need me, Put your arms Around anyone And give them What you need to give to me. I want to leave you something, Something better Than words Or sounds. Look for me In the people I’ve known Or loved, And if you cannot give me away, At least let me live on in your eyes And not your mind. You can love me most By letting Hands touch hands, By letting bodies touch bodies, And by letting go Of children That need to be free. Love doesn’t die, People do. So, when all that’s left of me Is love, Give me away.