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Groceries on a counter including frozen lasagna and Oreos. We talk about grief groceries as a help in this episode

April 19, 2024

S5E3: Grief Groceries – Care Packages for the Bereaved

Don’t just ask a grieving person how you can help…jump in by providing necessities with a few comfort niceties

Grief groceries are a meaningful and practical way to extend support to those navigating the challenging path of grief. The next time a loved one is going through a difficult time, skip the “let me know what I can do” offer and drop off grief groceries instead. Provide comfort and emotional support that is needed with a simple, yet meaningful and practical gesture. Listen to learn some great ideas on what to include in your “care package.”

In this Episode:

00:00 – Our Sponsor: Tree of Life Memorials and Digital & Stone
00:20 – Intro
02:02 – Recipe of the Week: Homemade Slow-Cooker Bread
03:03 – “Let People Eat”
10:26 – Show You Care with Grief Groceries
24:20 – The Value of Holding Hands
32:43 – Outro

A restaurant gift certificate. Grief groceries - care packages for the bereaved - can include gift certificates to cover meals. — In the blog we shared, the grieving family really appreciated a gift certificate that covered a few meals at their neighborhood deli.

What are grief groceries?

Grief groceries are a meaningful and practical way to extend support to those piloting the challenging path of grief. It allows you to provide comfort and emotional support that is needed with a simple, yet meaningful and practical gesture.

A decorative box of tissue. Simple household items like tissue and toilet paper can be helpful things to add to grief groceries. — Simple household items like tissue and toilet paper can be helpful things to add in addition to foods.

Do grief groceries only include food?

No, you can make your care basket to include anything. Soft and cuddly blankets provide warmth, a scented candle can provide relaxation. Be creative. Crafts to help remember a loved one are also helpful (also see related content).

Our content with memorial projects:

“Let People Eat”

José Andrés and his wife Patricia founded World Central Kitchen in 2010. The U.S.-based organization delivers food to people on the front lines of natural and humanitarian disasters around the world. For people fighting or fleeing disasters, they are there as “Food First Responders” serving millions of meals each year.

The WCK humanitarian team is as diverse as the countries they serve, and were hit hard when seven people were killed by an Israeli airstrike on a mission in Gaza on Monday, April 1. Their work providing hot meals to displaced and grieving families was impartial in the conflict, serving 1.75 million meals in Israel and 43 million in Gaza. We read an opinion piece by José Andrés that was published in The New York Times titled “Let People Eat.”

To learn more about World Central Kitchen and to support their work, click here.

Portraits of the heroes from the World Central Kitchen who were killed in an Israeli airstrike while on a humanitarian mission in Gaza. — World Central Kitchen will hold an interfaith Celebration of Life to honor the heroes killed in Gaza. The memorial service will be held at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC on Thursday, April 25, at 11am. Click here for more information.

The Power of Holding Hands

Charlie shared the fascinating science of how holding hands can reduce pain and buffer stressful experiences, according to a Washington Post article. We learn why we shouldn’t be afraid to offer a hand to someone who is struggling, it may make all the difference.

Recipe of the Week – Slow Cooker Bread

Head over to Jo Cooks to learn how to make this easy slow cooker bread!

What if you could combine the rising and baking steps into one? This recipe does just that. Just a little bit of kneading only until smooth, place in a cooker over parchment paper, and let it cook for about 2 hours. Place in the oven for 10-15 minutes to brown the crust and you have a moist easy loaf! Let us know if you make it! Marianne sure liked this recipe! Head over to Jo Cooks for the full explanation.

References:

Resources:

Our Sponsors:

This episode was sponsored by The Tree of Life Memorials and Digital & Stone – a new platform to create digital memorials, environmental legacies and fine art monuments. Share the Stories, preserve the memories, conserve the land, connect the Souls…. because Love never dies. Find out more at https://www.digitalandstone.com/

**We are also selected as one of the Top 50 Grief Blogs on the Web!**
https://blog.feedspot.com/palliative_care_podcasts/

Everyone Dies: and yes, it is normal!

Everyone Dies (and yes, it is normal) is a story about a young boy named Jax who finds something special on the beach where he and his grandpa Pops are enjoying a wonderful day. Pops helps Jax understand that death is a normal part of life. This book provides an age appropriate, non-scary, comfortable way to introduce the important topic of mortality to a preschool child. Its simple explanation will last a lifetime. Autographed copies for sale at: www.everyonediesthebook.com. Also available at Amazon

Mourning Jewelry

We offer a way to memorialize your loved one or treasured pet with a piece of handmade jewelry. When people comment on it and the wearer can say for example “I received this when my mother died” which opens the conversation about this loss. All our jewelry is made with semi-precious stones and beads, vintage beads, and pearls. You can choose between earrings or bracelets and the color family. Learn More