January 2023

Page A4 January 2023 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A LEASING OPTION AVAILABLE 585-330-5772 Work Smarter – Not Harder! .com Watch Our V i deos Onl i ne ! Reduce Lifting Injuries by Over 90% Injury Costs by Over 95% Missed Time of Work by Over 90% Increase Morale by 200% Affordable Automated Cargo Loading & Unloading System By Nancy Weil Disclaimer: I am re-running a slightly updated article that I wrote for last year’s January issue. This is because I truly believe that it is important to remind you about this opportunity to comfort the bereaved into the new year, get some free publicity and host a program where I have done most of the legwork for you. So read on… As we begin the year, we may still be recovering from the recent holidays. We could be reviewing the year that was (and what a year it was!) or we may be just trying to get through the day. However, it is time to start looking ahead to what I call the “forgotten holiday of grief.” Yes, Valentine’s Day. In grief work we help people through the holidays that fall from the end of November through January 1. Never do we consider that Valentine’s Day, the holiday that celebrates love, can also be very difficult for those who have lost a loved one. It may be a spouse, a child, a parent or anyone who was part of their Valentine’s Day celebration. No cards or chocolates are to be exchanged. No “Hallmark movie” moments will unfold. No one will even call and recognize that this can be a day that brings tears along with memories. You have the opportunity to address this, but only if you get to work on it now. Why not host a community remembrance service for Valentine’s Day this year? As long as the pandemic has waned and it is safe to gather (the latest covid wave has subsided), you can plan a program and invite the families you have served and your community to join together to recognize this forgotten holiday of grief. If it is still better to remain apart, you can put together a program and stream it live and then post it on your website Random Musings Serving as Member Resources Director at the International Order of the Golden Rule, Nancy Weil brings her years of experience working in the funeral industry to funeral directors across the globe. Her professional experience includes serving as Director of Grief Support and Community Outreach at Veterans Funeral Care in Clearwater, FL and at eleven cemeteries in Western New York. Nancy travels throughout the country offering presentations on how to reduce stress, combat compassion fatigue and offer support for those who are grieving through her company, The Laugh Academy. With certifications as a Grief Services Provider and Grief ManagementSpecialist, FuneralCelebrant, Soul InjuryAmbassador and Laughter Leader, Nancy is uniquely qualified to bring new perspectives into how to best meet the needs of the families you serve. For more information on how Nancy can help you and your company grow, visit her website: www.TheLaughAcademy.com or email Nancy@TheLaughAcademy.com. F U N E R A L H O M E & C E M E T E R Y N E W S w w w . N o m i s P u b l i c a t i o n s . c o m Monthly Columnsonline at al home or cemetery requesting coverage. Having few stories they can run to address Valentine’s Day, they will likely accept your request. Radio, television news and print media can all cover this event. Again, I can help guide you in how to pitch this story and what to do when they schedule your interview. February 14 is a Tuesday this year. You can host an event the weekend prior or even the evening of. I can help you with the pieces you need to create your event. You can provide comfort to the bereaved, get free media coverage and provide the promise of the lyrics that you will be there for those you serve “Always.” Happy Valentine’s Day! (Again) and social media channels. If you live where it is warm, you may be able to hold the program outside. No matter where you host this program, just being willing to offer it will open up opportunities you have not considered. I held an “Always” remembrance service near Valentine’s Day for many years. People were so grateful to have a space where they could take their pain of losing their Valentine and find comfort and hope. The service was a blend of poems, song (including Irving Berlin’s “Always”) and the reading of names. We closed by giving out chocolates, roses or other types of seasonal items. Full disclosure: the chocolates were the most appreciated! Here is where you are wondering how you will ever have enough time to pull this together and here is where I tell you how easy it can be. I have done most of the work for you! I have a templated service that you can adapt for your event. All you have to do is hire the musician/singer and recruit your staff to take part in the service. Send out invitations to everyone you have served in 2022, take the reservations, print the program book, buy the chocolate and you have a service ready to go. If you are streaming the service, then it gets even easier. No program book or chocolates needed. Although you can put together a small care package and invite people to stop by the funeral home and pick one up prior to your service. Be sure to reach out to your local media and ask for coverage prior to your program. Ask for help in letting your community know that you are providing a place to come to remember their missing Valentine. While Christmas finds hospices, churches and other funeral homes and cemeteries hosting a service, Valentine’s Day does not. The press will likely only be approached by your funerI’ll be loving you Always With a love that’s true Always. When the things you’ve planned Need a helping hand, I will understand Always. Days may not be fair Always, That’s when I’ll be there Always. Not for just an hour, Not for just a day, Not for just a year, But Always. — Irving Berlin “What a caring and professional staff!” “Steve and the staff at Settle-Wilder have provided quality and consistent service during not once, not twice but three of the most difficult times in my life.” New Smyrna Beach is a coastal town located about 15 miles south of Daytona Beach and about a one hour drive east from Orlando. Settle-Wilder’s two founders, first, Willis Settle and then T.C. Wilder established and maintained the level of service that earned them this recognition. Walter Johnson purchased the funeral home from the Wilder family and operated it for 40 years until his retirement. The legacy and tradition of Settle-Wilder continues with the long-term management team of Stephen Dambaugh, general manager and licensed funeral director in charge, Meg Seabury, licensed funeral director and embalmer and Janice Conrad, office manager. Together, they have a combined 45 years of service with Settle-Wilder Funeral Home. Families of New Smyrna Beach and all of Volusia County are fortunate to have these dedicated and caring professionals to call on when needed. Settle-Wilder Funeral Home and Cremation Service is owned by Capstone Services Group, owner and operator of quality funeral homes and cemeteries with locations in Florida, Virginia, West Virginia, Louisiana and Oregon. Capstone Services Group is fortunate to be in a financial position where they do not have to borrow from banks or other lending institutions and are completely debt free. This allows them to continue to invest in the businesses they own and more so in the staff and employees who are the key to each location’s success. Reach out to Richard Lee at 407-2575024 or contact him through their website at www.CapstoneFuneral.com for more information. Settle-Wilder Funeral Home and Cremation Service voted “Best Funeral Home” in New Smyrna Beach NEWSMYRNA BEACH, FL— The readers of weekly community newspaper Hometown News have spoken and awarded SettleWilder Funeral Home “Best Funeral Home” for 2022. Settle-Wilder is a full service, privately owned and operated funeral home that has been serving New Smyrna Beach and surrounding areas since 1931. All you have to do is read the testimonials to understand why this place is dearly loved.

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