Page A26 march 2023 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A 1-888-792-9315 • mymortuarycooler.com Scan QR for our website Cots not included MODEL # TR3 Triple Cot Roll-In Mortuary Cooler AMC N W FAST SHIPPING AVAILABLE ON SELECT PRODUCTS Free Supplies. FREE Operator Training Video. Settlements can now be used to purchase cremation supplies from our affiliate company, New England Cremation Supply. Customer Loyalty Rewards Program Family Owned and Operated since 1995 Cremation Metal Recycling 800-664-8365 cremation metal recycling - responsible recycling charitable foundation cmr@metrocast.net www.cremationmetalrecycling.com Trusted, premier supplier of cremation supplies, funeral home products, urns, cemetery products and services throughout New England, New York, and America. Family owned and operated since 1995 800-664-8365 necremation@metrocast.net www.necremation.com not had to outsource anything, including social media,” she said. As for funding the group’s activities, “We’ve done a few of pass the hats,” Creger said. The group also has received support from companies and associations, including the ICCFA, which offered two scholarships for Death Care Collective members to attend its next Dead Talks event. “We are incredibly grateful to Nadira Baddeliyanage, executive director of the ICCFA; Jim Price, president and chairman of the ICCFA Educational Foundation, and everyone from ICCFA,” Creger said. Others have supported their cause as well, she said. “We had a gathering for coffee at the NFDA Convention in Baltimore, and we had a few companies pitch in money as sponsors, and they were acknowledged as sponsors of the event,” she said. “There may be more opportunities for involvement and things like that down the road.” While Creger has been asked about whether the organization will eventually collect dues, that’s something she’s not too keen on. “We want to be a place for strong, confident women and leaders in the industry, but I also want it to be a place for women who maybe aren’t feeling so strong or confident right now and who feel they don’t have a place where they belong,” she said. “Maybe there are women just starting out who don’t feel like they have anyone to turn to. We don’t want them to feel like, ‘Gosh, now I have to pay to be part of a group to help me out.’ We want everyone to feel welcome and included.” Already, she feels the collective is making a meaningful difference. “We had one gal say she was thinking about leaving the profession, but she found this group and decided to stay because she knows she’s not alone and that she is not the only one struggling,” Creger said. Helping women succeed in the profession and sharing with them the possibilities that death care has to offer is part of what the collective is all about, Creger said. “Women are naturally empathetic and compassionate, and when you hear this is something you can do for a living, many women are so drawn to that, but a lot of women, I think, never consider it,” Creger said. Continued from Page A23 The Deathcare Collective is Making its Mark “But just like anything, the more people you see that look like you that are doing something interesting – it just opens the door to more of that. To get more women into the profession, we need to make sure it is safe. They need more training and support. The more we understand that as a profession, the better we will do.” As to what she has personally taken away from being a member of the collective, Creger said it has reiterated that when it comes down to it, “relationships are the most important thing – that is everything,” she said. “Without those relationships, no one gets anywhere,” she said. “No one is successful on their own – and there is no exception to that rule. If you have big dreams, reach out to someone who can help you get there. Find people who can make you feel safe and be honest with you and build those relationships. There is never a time that won’t pay off.” Moving forward, the Death Care Collective plans to hold at least a virtual event every month, such as the one it organized on negotiating. Books will still be a topic of conversation, Creger said, but probably on a quarterly instead of monthly basis. “Going forward, we want all of our discussions to be informative – we want our members to leave and take something with them,” she said. Also, anytime members of the collective find themselves at an in-person gathering or convention, they will take that opportunity to connect, Creger said. The collective also plans to co-sponsor various events, lending marketing support to spread the word about events women in the profession should consider attending, Creger said. It may also contribute content and offer speakers to share insights about the profession as needed, she said. Thomas A. Parmalee is the founder of FuneralVision. org, which aims to help death-care professionals honor the dead and comfort the living. SEND US YOUR NEWS! PO Box 5159 Youngstown, Oh 44514 1-800-321-7479 info@nomispublications.com Download Instantly www.NomisPublications.com Save on Shipping! Your Rea l Source . Anywhere . Any t ime . Read Funeral Home & Cemetery News Electronic Version Search Online Directories Like 2023 DIGITAL DIRECTORY Available now
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Nzg4MQ==