Where Healdsburg Finds A Map For End-Of-Life Journeys

HEALDSBURG, CA — More than 100 people walked into the Healdsburg Senior Center in April for an event centered on a subject people supposedly do not want to discuss: death.

Organizers did not know how many people would come to the "When the Time Comes" open house.

The gathering was designed to introduce residents to a new city program built around end-of-life planning, death, dying, grief, and the decisions that families eventually face.

They wanted to create a space where people could talk openly about death and dying, access workshops and one-on-one guidance, and connect with others navigating similar questions.

The crowd gave Compassion Coordinator Taya Levine an answer.

“What we've been experiencing with the program, beginning with that moment, was a bit of a myth-busting about people not wanting to talk about this,” Levine said. “Because in fact, people are deeply grateful for the opportunity to talk about it.”

That willingness to confront an uncomfortable subject now drives "When the Time Comes," a Healdsburg pilot program that connects residents with information, conversations, individual assistance, and grief support.

The program grew from the questions people were already bringing through the Senior Center's doors.

They wanted answers about age-related issues, including profound and challenging questions involving end-of-life care and future decisions.

Levine developed programs like "Death Curious" for end-of-life planning and estate planning to "Dying to Talk About It," discuss death, dying, and grief.

Both in their way help keep people from being blindsided by grief and crisis.

They also help break down the walls of stigma when it comes to death in the United States.

Levine is there to answer questions and navigate systems and bureaucracies. Eventually she wants to develop a core of volunteers who will do the same.

"It's about humans needing support," she said.

Death doula

Levine said she watched friends go through end-of-life issues without support or easy and available resources. Inspired by the death doula movement, the idea began taking shape and she went to the city of Healdsburg to pitch a program.

“Did you know something? I'm a death doula. What do you think of that?” Levine asked Healdsburg Senior Services Supervisor Anna Grant.

The idea eventually developed into a three-part concept focused on empowering choices, helping people navigate the end-of-life journey, and guiding people through the healing process. The Healdsburg City Council directed staff to launch the pilot in December 2025.

Then people started calling. A January cover story in the Healdsburg Tribune generated a wave of inquiries, according to a Healdsburg City staff report. Two questions surfaced repeatedly: “When is the first class?” and “Where can I sign up for help?”

The April 27 open house provided the community's first formal introduction to the program. Staff designed the event to normalize end-of-life planning rather than persuade people to make particular decisions.

Organizers also asked attendees to help choose and prioritize future program topics. More than 100 people attended.

The interest continued. When organizers planned subsequent workshops, they created signup sheets for 24 people. Instead, Levine said, each program drew 40 to 45.

The informal “Dying to Talk About It” conversation circles, has attracted about 15 to 20 people each time, she said.

The monthly schedule moves between information and conversation, an approach Levine described as a “feed your head and speak from the heart” cycle.

On the second Monday of each month, the program holds the “death curious gathering.”

Experts and practitioners in death care share information intended to help residents understand the systems, services, and choices they may encounter.

Levine said organizers deliberately keep sales pitches out of those sessions.

“We're bringing in people who are there to really inform and help people be as grounded as they can be with information to support themselves and make decisions on their own behalf,” Levine said.

From the heart

The “speak from the heart” portion comes through community conversation circles on the third Thursday of each month, when participants spend about 90 minutes sharing what is on their minds about death and dying.

Other residents arrive with questions that are immediate and personal. "The need is apparent, but it's silent," Levine said.

With a grant and money from the city, Levine organized the End of Life Resource Center.

She transformed a Senior Center lending library and puzzle area into the Compassion Corner, where she holds drop-in hours and connects people with forms, information, and services.

About 24 people had sought individual help since the program began, Levine told the council in early August.

Their circumstances varied widely. One person wanted information about securing a burial plot next to a husband at a military cemetery in Southern California.

Another person living in Section 8 housing wanted to know what would happen to their body if no money remained.

Someone else arrived after a husband had died days earlier and simply needed help. Two brothers came looking for guidance while caring for their parents.

The program has also completed its first eight-week grief and bereavement group, with another planned for late October through early December.

A September workshop is planned around palliative and hospice care. An October program will examine options involving what can happen to a person's body after death in California.

In November, organizers plan a session intended to help adult children and parents talk with one another about end-of-life issues before the holidays.

“It might be a really juicy Thanksgiving dinner conversation,” Levine said.

The program is also developing programming for the Latino community. Levine said Healdsburg will serve as a pilot community as the International End of Life Doula Association begins Spanish-language training and culturally relevant programming, with the effort slated to launch in February 2027.

Money will shape how the broader program continues. For now, Levine said the turnout itself has helped answer one of the earliest questions surrounding the pilot: whether residents would willingly engage with death and dying.

Other cities are starting to take notice, as well.

"There's a lot of fear," Levine said. "This program helps to develop a sense of readiness, because it's gonna happen."

Related: Tackling Future Of Healdsburg, End Of Life: Upcoming Public Events