Food and Grief: What Is Your Grief Craving?

When you think of your family's go-to recipes in times of grief, what flavors, smells, and memories surround you? How many hands in your family have used a single recipe to ease heartbreak and cultivate warmth and love?

In this inviting and intimate gathering, we are asking, what does your grief crave? A familiar taste? Maybe a peach cobbler, a ripe juicy mango, peak summer corn, a comforting casserole, handmade tortillas and slow stewed beans? Food memories can bring us directly into our memories of care and connection, allowing us to feed and nourish our grief.

Gather with us at Lakewood Cemetery to dig deep into the food memories that shaped our hearts, and discover what our grief is craving for comfort and healing. We will gather on the grounds surrounding Lakewood's new Welcome Center for a picnic of seasonal pies and cobblers from Lutunji's Palate Bakery and Cafe. We will be joined by nurses, artists and co-founders of the grief wellness platform Marigolde who have curated an afternoon of connection, community and food celebrating the culture and love that is alive in Minneapolis.

During our time together we will have an opportunity to build a community kitchen altar for our grief, so bring something from your kitchen or garden that holds special meaning. We will eat pie, share with each other and partake in a reflective journaling activity. Bring your picnic blankets, lounging chairs, any additional snacks and drinks, families welcome.

About Marigolde

Marigolde is a grief wellness platform rooted in storytelling, culture, and rituals. Co-Founders Roshni Kavate and Rebecca Servoss are nurses, grief experts, and avid home cooks. They are the hosts of the podcast Mango and Gnocchi: What is your grief craving? They curate immersive experiences and create educational experiences to promote a grief positive culture.

About your hosts

Rebecca Servoss is a Board Certified Holistic Nurse Coach and Certified Neonatal Nurse. Rebecca is profoundly committed to supporting people as they traverse birth, death, and loss. Through her work as Co-Founder of Marigolde and as co-chair of the bereavement team at University of New Mexico Hospital, she ensures that her patients and clients are met with a compassionate, multifaceted framework that centers equity and safety. Rebecca is the author of Navigating the NICU: A Self Care Guide for Parents.

Roshni Kavate is an artist, palliative nurse, grief educator and home cook. Roshni Kavate is the Co-Founder and Creative Director of Marigolde. She believes grief is a portal to wholeness. The question that guides her is, what is our grief craving? and how can we nourish and feed it? She has recently published a community cookbook; Mending a Broken Heart, a poetry anthology; Wildling and Sprout, and Journaling for Grief: a Sensorial Grief Journal.

Location

This event will take place outdoors near the Lakewood Welcome Center. Accessible restrooms and a water dispenser are available inside the Welcome Center. Learn more about the Welcome Center and its surroundings.

The Learn @ Lakewood Series

Lakewood is honored to hold space for education and information specifically related to death, grief, urban nature, and art in this new series. Partnering with professionals from many disciplines, we explore ideas, encourage thought-provoking conversations, and exchange fresh perspectives with our community. If you have an idea for an educational event you would like to see at Lakewood, please contact [email protected].

At Lakewood, we want death and grief education to be accessible for all. Therefore, we offer up to 10 scholarships for anyone who wants to attend this event but cannot afford to. We also hold 5 spots for professionals or aspiring professionals in the death and dying field (deathcare, death education, spiritualists, ritualists, and more are encouraged to apply) with priority being given to BIPOC or underrepresented individuals.

Scholarship recipients will be awarded:

• 1 ticket to the event at no cost

To apply or learn more about the scholarship, please email [email protected].

For questions about the event, call Lakewood at 612-540-5165 or email [email protected].

Is there a minimum age requirement to participate?

No, all ages are welcome.

What are my transportation and parking options?

Park anywhere along the roads, except where no parking signs are posted. Metro Transit lines 6 and 23 stop just outside of Lakewood's front gates at 36th & Hennepin Ave., about one block's distance from the Welcome Center. If you come by bicycle, lock up using the rack near the front gates.

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?

No, printed tickets are not required. We will have a guest list at the door.

What's the refund policy?

Refunds can be issued up to 24 hours before the event starts. Request a refund through Eventbrite or by emailing [email protected].

What is the rain plan?

In the event of rain, extreme heat, or other inclement weather the event will move indoors into the Welcome Center.

How can I contact the organizer with questions?

We'd love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected].

Host or Publisher Lakewood Cemetery