C.A.N.D.Y Cafe

Creating Awareness and Normalising Death for Youth

C.A.N.D.Y. Café is a unique program designed to help young people and the adults in their lives navigate challenging questions about dying, death, and grief. Are these appropriate conversations for young people?
Absolutely! In fact, their mental health may depend on it.

When surveyed, 79.8% of parents stated they did not feel comfortable talking about dying- and death-related topics (including suicide) with their children.

About 'C.A.N.D.Y. Cafe'

C.A.N.D.Y. Café, part of HHA’s Death Education Programming, is dedicated to transforming intergenerational communication about dying, death, loss, and grief. The program aims to foster open and honest conversations between young people and the significant adults in their lives, with a focus on:

Educating Adults: Equipping parents, guardians, and caregivers with the confidence and tools needed to discuss sensitive topics related to dying and death with young people.

Empowering Youth: Providing young people with a clearer understanding of dying, death, loss, and grief, and helping them to process their emotions and experiences.

Facilitating Communication: Adults and young people learn essential skills for engaging in meaningful conversations about dying, death, and grief. These skills are then applied in their everyday lives, fostering more effective intergenerational communication.

Normalizing Conversations: Encouraging a cultural shift towards accepting and openly discussing death as a natural part of life.

Conversations about death can be difficult and are often avoided. However, just as birth is a fundamental part of life, so too is death. Our program helps to bridge the communication gap between generations by fostering an atmosphere of trust and respect, where both adults and youth can confidently explore and address their feelings.

C.A.N.D.Y. Café is designed for participants of all ages, offering various ways to engage with the material. We prioritize creating a safe and inclusive space, guided by our core values of respect and diversity. Through this program, we hope to build a community where talking about dying and death becomes a natural, supported part of life’s journey.

Post-it written by a young C.A.N.D.Y. Cafe participants.

After a C.A.N.D.Y. Cafe for youth event, one of our young participants expressed how they felt:

"Relieved

small weight lifted off my shoulders from letting go

comfortable

still have a fear of death."

How 'C.A.N.D.Y. Cafe' Helps

Workshop: How to Talk with Kids about Dying, Death & Grief

In this free 2.5-hour workshop, available both online and in-person in select areas, you'll learn how to have age-appropriate conversations about dying with the youth in your care - whether you're a parent, other guardian, or professional working with young people. You'll also gain insights into effective communication techniques to approach these discussions with openness, honesty, and understanding.

Certificate Program: Talking with Kids about Dying, Death & Grief

Designed for professionals working with young people and a pre-requisite for facilitating all HHA events for young people (including those facilitated by our partners), this online certificate program provides the tools and techniques you need to feel confident navigating conversations about dying, death and grief with youth in your care.

Death Café for Parents & Guardians

Engage in thoughtful discussions at our Death Café for Parents & Guardians, where you’ll explore the challenges and emotions tied to your own experiences with death, particularly from childhood. By sharing your own perspectives and listening to others, you’ll gain valuable insights into how these experiences influence your interactions with young people when discussing death.

Real Talk: Exploring Dying, Death & Grief with Young People

Real Talk is a dynamic discussion session, designed to facilitate open conversations among youth about dying, death, and grief. Participants are divided into two age groups - 10-13 years and 14-18 years - to ensure age-appropriate discussions. In this supportive space, young people can share their questions and experiences with each other, gaining insights and feeling empowered to navigate their feelings about these challenging topics.

While facilitators offer initial guidance and support, the conversations are primarily led by the youth themselves. This approach allows them to freely express their thoughts and emotions. The sessions also highlight the importance of connecting with significant adults in their lives, fostering deeper communication and support.

Hamilton Pilot

We are excited to announce the expansion of the C.A.N.D.Y. Café program within the Hamilton area, with a focus on building new partnerships to broaden our reach. We are specifically working to integrate C.A.N.D.Y. Café into Hamilton-area schools, responding directly to the needs highlighted in Compassionate Hamilton's 2024 "Living in the Gap" Report. This effort aims to address the critical gaps identified and ensure that young people and their families receive the support and education necessary to navigate these important conversations.

The 'C.A.N.D.Y. Cafe' Program Team

Terri Viola-Wilson

Terri is the Program Manager of C.A.N.D.Y. Café and HHA's Subject Matter Expert on Talking with Kids about Dying, Death, and Grief. A retired teacher with over 30 years of experience working with young people and their parents/guardians, Terri has dedicated her career to enhancing communication between children and their caregivers. In 2018, she conceptualized C.A.N.D.Y. Café, driven by her commitment to this mission. As the lead trainer, Terri brings a deep understanding of childhood trauma, youth grieving, and education, ensuring the program is meticulously designed to meet the unique developmental needs of each participant.

Sara Rodenhizer

Sara is a passionate member of the C.A.N.D.Y. Café team, where she focuses on developing content, creating promotional materials, and managing outreach for the "Talking with Kids about Dying, Death & Grief" Certificate Program.

Sara strongly believes that C.A.N.D.Y. Café can help prevent children from carrying the trauma of unresolved grief into adulthood. She is convinced that addressing the emotional complexities of youth grieving and going beyond surface-level discussions will ultimately improve the mental health and wellbeing of children, adults, and communities alike. Her goal is to help make C.A.N.D.Y. Café a resounding success, ensuring its impact is felt far and wide.

Get Involved

Work with Us

Are you an HHA-trained Death Worker or Candidate interested in educating youth and their caregivers about death? Or do you already work with young people and want to engage with them about these important topics? Join our facilitation team! After completing our Certificate Program, you’ll have the opportunity to lead workshops and discussion sessions with both kids and their caregivers.

Walk with Us

Join or support our "Crushing It For C.A.N.D.Y." team in this year's Moonlit Memory Walk fundraiser.

By joining or making a donation to our team, you will help ensure funds are available to provide critical resources to caregivers and communities, expand our programming for youth, and offer support to young people and the adults in their lives as they navigate the complexities of dying, death, and grief.

Support Us

Help make sure every young person feels comfortable talking about dying, death, and grief, and that the adults in their lives are able to meet them where they're at.

Together, let's create a world where discussions about death are normalized and navigated with confidence not fear.

Please donate today.

Is your organization interested in hosting our "How to Talk with Kids about Dying, Death & Grief" workshop or our "Real Talk" youth sessions for your clients, team or community? We’d love to collaborate!

Email C.A.N.D.Y. Cafe Program Manager, Terri, at terri@homehospiceassociation.com for more details.

Partner With Us

Our Partners

We are incredibly thankful for the meaningful collaboration and generous support of our partners!

1/3

Donate