Bereavement Support and Counseling

Please join us Sunday April 26, 2026 for our annual Walk for Dignity, at Willow Creek Park in Iowa City!

What is the Walk for Dignity?
• It is one of the major annual fundraising events to support the compassionate care of Iowa City Hospice. It is also a wonderful time to celebrate life, and honor and remember loved ones.
• The 2026 Walk for Dignity will take place Sunday, April 26th at Willow Creek Park in Iowa City, with activities beginning at 11:00am, and the Walk starting at 1:00pm!

What is the Time of Remembrance?
• Each year at the Walk, Iowa City Hospice Bereavement staff provide a Time of Remembrance, as a way for attendees to honor the memories of loved ones they have lost, and as an opportunity to carry their loved one’s spirit forward.
• There will be a table down in the Iowa City Hospice garden area of Willow Creek Park, with opportunities to commemorate a loved one and obtain a token to carry their loved one forward.

How can I participate?
• Stop down at the table in the Iowa City Hospice garden area any time before the Walk begins.
• Write a loved one’s name on a ribbon and tie it on our wreath.
• Grab a token to remember your loved one and carry it with you as you complete the Walk.
• Join us for a reading and conversation at 12:30pm.

For more information:
Contact: Ed Moreano at 319-351-5665, or ed.moreano@iowacityhospice.org, or visit our web site at http://iowacityhospice.org/walk-for-dignity/ to learn more about the Walk for Dignity event!

Our Fall 2025 Memorial Service and Butterfly Release took place on Sunday September 7, 2025.

Please click the picture below to view the video on our YouTube channel!

We offer support groups and workshops to help you navigate your journey with grieving the loss of a loved one.

Grieving the loss of a loved one can be painful, isolating, and lonely. Iowa City Hospice’s grief support services are available to anyone who is grieving the loss of a loved one, regardless of whether the person was in hospice care. We can also assist with other challenging transitions. There is no cost for any of the bereavement services provided by Iowa City Hospice.

• Grieving Your Loss:
  • A professionally led support group for persons who have experienced the death of a loved one.
  • The group meets the 2^nd and 4^th Wednesdays of each month.
    No pre-registration is required.
  • In-Person Session:
    • Time: 5:30 – 6:45pm
    • Location: Iowa City Hospice, 1526 Sycamore St, Iowa City

• Understanding Your Grief (individual sessions):
  • Professionally led one-time sessions open to adults who have experienced the death of a loved one. You may attend either or both session(s).
  • “Open to the Presence of Your Loss”: Is it possible to heal in grief? Yes – and it means being completely one with what we’re experiencing and not holding it at arm’s length.
    • Date: Wednesday April 1
    • Time: 5:30 – 6:45pm
    • Location: Iowa City Hospice, 1526 Sycamore St, Iowa City

• • “Dispel a Dozen Misconceptions of Your Grief”: Misconceptions deny us the right to hurt and authentically express our grief, cause unrealistic expectations about our grief experience, and make us doubt or judge ourselves unfairly.
    • Date: Wednesday June 3
    • Time: 5:30 – 6:45pm
    • Location: Iowa City Hospice, 1526 Sycamore St, Iowa City

• Individual and Family Support: Our Bereavement Staff remain available to you for individual and family bereavement support and information. They are readily available for:
  • In-person support and information
  • Phone support and information
  • Video Conference support and information
  • Support and information via email

Thanks to a generous donor, we offer remembrance candles to caregivers and loved ones on the one-year anniversary of the patient’s death. Read more about Yahrzeit candles and their meaning. We invite you to stop by the office to pick up a candle!

Memorial Services

• Honoring Memories: A butterfly release event to remember loved ones. Join Iowa City Hospice staff for a time of remembrance for loved ones who have died. The event is typically in early September at The Celebration Farm in rural Iowa City. Friends and families can submit the names of lost loved ones to be read during the ceremony.

• Time of Remembrance: Memorial Service. Join Iowa City Hospice staff for a time of remembrance for loved ones who have died. The event is typically in conjunction with the Walk for Dignity event for Iowa City Hospice, the last Sunday of April, at Willow Creek Park in Iowa City.

Also, we encourage you to explore events sponsored by Lensing Funeral and Cremation Service, including:

Breaking Bread A monthly dinner for those who have experienced a loss. Breaking Bread is not a support group, but does offer a safe, supportive environment for grievers to share a meal and socialize. 5:30 – 7:00pm, the third Wednesday of each month. Please call Lensing Funeral & Cremation to make your reservation.

Support Group An informal, in-person space for individuals to process their grief and connect with others walking through grief. 5:30– 6:30pm, the third Tuesday of each month. Please call Lensing Funeral & Cremation to RSVP.

For additional support information, please visit our Downloadable Resources page.

For more information, please contact a member of our hospice team at 800-897-3052, toll-free, or info@iowacityhospice.org.

We would be honored to serve you.