Town Hall Seattle, Northwest Center for Creative Aging, and Known Wishes present

Understanding VSED (SOLD OUT)

Name: Understanding VSED (SOLD OUT)
Start: 2026-05-04T19:30:00-07:00
End: 2026-05-04T19:30:00-07:00
Location: The Mehdi Reading Room

Choosing the Path Toward a Peaceful Ending

Date:: Monday, May 4
Time:: 7:30 pm PDT
Cost:: $10 – $35 Sliding Scale

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Venue

: The Mehdi Reading Room
: 1119 8th Ave
Seattle, 98101 United States + Google Map

Event Format: In-Person

EVENT NOTES
Doors for this event will open at 6:30 PM. Town Hall events are approximately 75 minutes long.

Headshots of Kate Christie, Lashanna Williams, and Rebecca Crichton

Science

When someone chooses VSED, (Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking) the experience touches everyone around them. Kate Christie, author of The VSED Handbook, will speak candidly about her personal experience with VSED in her family. She will be joined by Lashanna Williams, director of A Sacred Passing and steward of A Place to Die, a Volunteer Care Advisor from End-of-Life Washington, who will share what it looks like to walk alongside individuals and loved ones during this process.

Together, they’ll illuminate the emotional landscape of VSED, the practical steps that help families feel prepared, and the ways community support can transform a difficult decision into a peaceful, intentional final chapter. This event is hosted by The Northwest Center for Creative Aging and KnownWishes.com.

Rebecca Crichton, Executive Director of NWCCA will moderate the conversation.

Author Kate Christie grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan. After high school, she studied women’s history at Smith College and creative writing at Western Washington University. Currently, she lives near Seattle with her wife, three young daughters, and the family dog. To join Kate’s mailing list and receive email notifications of new releases, giveaways, and other news, visit katejchristie.com/mailing-list. To read first chapters of any of Kate’s novels, visit her author website at katejchristie.com.

Lashanna Williams is the director of A Sacred Passing and steward of A Place to Die. Creating space for belonging is at the core of their work, from teaching medical professionals to working with youth, from shrouding a community member to hand-grinding herbs for tea. Lashanna lives and works in the intersections of death, art, education, and love. As a member of multiple community and national boards, she gathers, guides, and supports efforts to remain purposeful, creative, sustainable, and free from the anti-Black patriarchal western structures currently in place.

Rebecca Crichton, Executive Director of Northwest Center for Creative Aging (NWCCA), brings wisdom and purpose to her work with the aging community. She retired from a 21-year career at Boeing as a writer, curriculum designer, and leadership development coach. Her Encore Career uses her knowledge and experience to offer programs and resources related to Creative Aging in the Seattle area. NWCCA collaborates monthly with Town Hall Seattle. She facilitates Wisdom Cafes for the King County Library System and writes a regular column for 3rd Act Magazine.

Trained as a Hospice Volunteer, Rebecca continues to teach and facilitate Grief and Resilience support groups for several organizations. Rebecca has master’s degrees in child development and organizational development and is a Certified Coach.

Presented by Town Hall Seattle, Northwest Center for Creative Aging, and Known Wishes.

Events are offered for informational, entertainment, and educational purposes only. Read Town Hall’s Program Content Policy.