Courtesy photo.
Tradition Also Served as an Important Gateway for Hospice of Santa Barbara to Better Serve the Latino Community
SANTA BARBARA — Many of those who have lost a loved one are looking for ways to manage their grief and Hospice of Santa Barbara (HSB) helps to navigate this often-painful journey in a variety of ways. This may include grief counseling, support groups, and healing modalities such as poetry and art. All of Hospice of Santa Barbara services are free to everyone.
Day of the Dead (Dia de Los Muertos) has become an increasingly popular holiday in the United States as it is seen as a valuable way to reconnect with those who have died and relieve grief in an individual and shared ritual of celebration. Dia De Los Muertos is a two-day holiday that reunites the living and dead, November 1 and 2. Families create ofrendas (offerings) to honor their departed family members that have passed. These altars are decorated with bright yellow marigold flowers, photos of the departed, and the favorite foods and drinks of the one being honored. The offerings are believed to encourage visits from the land of the dead as the departed souls hear their prayers, smell their food and join in the celebrations!
Day of the Dead is a holiday for celebrating death and life where mourning is combined with celebration.
HSB first became involved with Dia de Los Muertos in the early 2000s as the organization was actively reaching out the Santa Barbara Spanish speaking community through some of the local Catholic churches and public and private housing organizations. HSB found that sponsoring Dia de Los Muertos events was a natural way “in” to start having the conversation about the grief and end-of-life support for the Spanish speaking community as well as those who identify culturally as Latino. The organization also found out that it had plenty to learn from the Latino community about how to approach death and dying in different ways. Since that time, HSB has adopted the important annual tradition of creating a Dia de Los Muertos Altar every year at their offices. They invite friends, families, staff and the community to present offerings on the altar.
Through years of community relationship building, staffing, language and cultural training, HSB is proud to offer all its free programs and services in Spanish and that are culturally appropriate, by professionals and trained volunteers who are part the greater Santa Barbara Latino community. The HSB team of counselors also specialize in the needs of families with minors. They offer individual, group and family sessions.
Staff and volunteers go through comprehensive training and are an integral part of the Patient Care team. Volunteers improve the quality of life of people impacted by a serious illness and their families, for example in:
- Company for the patient
- Relief for caregivers
- Support with practical things such as transportation to medical appointments, help with household tasks, errands, and much more
- Grief Assistance
- Beloved Bear program for children
- Medical Anticipatory Directives Instruction
- NODA Program (No One Dies Alone / Nadie Se Muere Solo)
- Reminiscence of life
Hospice of Santa Barbara
Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, Hospice of Santa Barbara provides professional counseling, support groups, and patient care services free of charge to individuals and families who are grieving the death of a loved one or experiencing the impact of a life-threatening illness. Hospice of Santa Barbara also provides counseling in our offices and on seventeen local elementary, junior and high school campuses to children and teens who are grieving the loss of a loved one. For more information about Hospice of Santa Barbara, including volunteer opportunities, call (805) 563-8820 or visit www.hospiceofsb.org/