New England Donor Services: Dia de los Muertos Community Ofrenda

New England Donor Services (NEDS) will partner with Rhode Island Latino Arts (RILA) for Day of the Dead (“Día de los Muertos”) celebrations on Sunday, November 1st at the Southside Cultural Center in Providence. This free, bilingual (English/Spanish) public event from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET will feature a display of a traditional community ofrenda (altar) honoring deceased loved ones. NEDS will present an ofrenda with a photo collage and stories of organ donors to pay tribute to those who have given the gift of life through organ donation, while also raising awareness about the vital need for organ donors. 

Día de los Muertos is an annual Mexican observance, also celebrated throughout Latin America and in several parts of the U.S., where families remember and welcome the souls of their deceased relatives for a celebratory reunion. The observance is usually celebrated from October 31st to November 3rd. This year’s celebration with Rhode Island Latino Arts (RILA) will include the presentation of a community ofrenda, in addition to a Catrina Fashion Show, musical performances, art-making workshops, lectures, and more. The event will conclude with a procession to the nearby Grace Cemetery.