May 2021

Page A28 MAY 2021 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A with the company since 2012. “My fa- ther has helped me to understand the re- sponsibility we have to our community as service providers,” she says. “He’s always willing to make concessions for grieving families. He really cares about their expe- rience. And encourages us to operate with a spirit of excellence.” Brittney says that as long as she can re- member, they’ve referred to what they do as a ministry of service. The community members they serve deserve to be com- forted by funeral directors that care, and that is the goal of Vaughn Greene Funeral Services. They aim to provide the commu- nity with professional services, spacious facilities, and updated equipment. “At the foundation, we are servants, and whatever we can do to make a family’s experience less burdensome, that’s what we’ll do. And as the need evolves, we will work to antici- pate and meet it,” says Brittney. One of the catalysts that has caused Vaughn Greene Funeral Services to evolve and change was COVID-19. Like funeral homes across the country, the pandemic hit the firm hard. Brittney notes that ev- erything changed in an instant, resulting in the most challenging season of her career. “The traditions that have become in- grained in the grieving process and that mean so much to families became heav- ily restricted and, in some cases, impossi- ble to facilitate,” says Brittney. “We, along with families, were faced with the decision to hold services or keep people safe. The affection that we show families in times of loss – the handshake, the embrace - be- came a health hazard and the connections that we make with families felt compro- mised.” Brittney notes that as frontline workers, they saw firsthand the impact of COV- ID-19 and the way that it was dispropor- tionately affecting the African American community. They followed all rules and restrictions and monitored the regulatory board’s and public health officials’ com- ments and guidelines to stay up-to-date on all safety protocols. Some of the steps taken by the firm in- cluded limiting guest capacity, reinforcing operational capacity with additional staff, utilizing virtual meetings and arrange- ment conferences, mandating masks, pur- chasing hand sanitizer, implementing temperature checks, live streaming ser- vices, as well as using electronic signatures and document exchanges. Vaughn Greene Funeral Services contin- ues to adapt in the face of the pandemic. “We are still looking forward to the day when COVID-19 is no longer at the fore- front of everything we do. But the sugges- tion of a return to normalcy feels naïve,” says Brittney. The firm has evolved and their traditions have changed. They’ve been forced to ad- just, just as the whole country has recre- ated what is normal. They’ve facilitated Zoom funerals and provided take-home repast, but have learned valuable lessons from the pandemic. Brittney points out that their operations standards have become more structured in order to handle an increased volume with- out compromising the level of service. Their technology, as well, has evolved. Brittney says that their technological ca- pacities have improved to allow the firm to provide more options to families who wish to celebrate a loved one with a non- traditional service. “Celebrations may look different in the future, but our mis- sion will always be to ensure that they do not become less meaningful,” she says. As an industry leader, the firm has of- ten seen other funeral homes imitating their matchless service and culture of dis- tinguished care for grieving families. “I see other funeral providers attempting to do what we do,” says Mr. Greene. “That’s very satisfying because it means we’ve made an impact on the industry. We have served the consumer by transforming the way funeral services in the African American commu- nity are delivered. They should never be a commodity transaction. Each life repre- sents someone near and dear to surviving family and friends, and that’s always been the foundation of our business philosophy.” Brittney explains that she’s grateful for this calling to serve and uplift God’s peo- ple. She realizes the importance of the leg- acy that her family has built for the com- munity. “This year has been tough for so many people, especially communities of color – the losses are simply unimagina- ble,” says Brittney. “I’m just blessed to be able to work in an essential role during a pandemic – I can’t tell you what it means to be able to contribute during this time.” Vaughn Greene Funeral Services Continued from Front Page F uneral S ervice F oundation and ICCFA E ducational F oundation Team up to Launch Veteran Recruiting Initiative, Benefitting Entire Deathcare Profession Sense – And How to Find Great Hires.” Registered event attendees received a free PDF copy of Rosser’s book, The Guide for Human Resource Professionals to Regarding, Recruiting & Retaining Military Veterans. “The men and women who serve their country and have successful military careers exhibit certain skills and traits – such as ded- ication, perseverance, and organizational ability – that are also well-suited to the fu- neral profession,” said Rosser, whose organi- zation has helped more than 400 of the For- tune 1000 and many smaller organizations design and execute veteran recruitment and retention programs that get results. Bob Arrington, founder and president of Arrington Funeral Directors in Jackson, TN and Jay Dodds, president/COO of Park Lawn Corporation hosted the one- hour event, which showcased valuable re- cruiting tools and featured a question-and- answer session with Rosser. “Encouraging military veterans to deploy their talents into all areas of our work ben- efits the entire profession,” said Dodds, IC- CFA president, and Funeral Service Foun- dation trustee emeritus. “Professionals across the funeral service spectrum found value in the program including cemeteries, cremation facilities, funeral homes, suppli- ers, mortuary science programs, and nation- al, state and regional funeral associations.” “The veterans on staff at Arrington Fu- neral Directors brought value to our firm and comfort to the families we serve,” said Arrington, Funeral Service Foundation immediate past chair and 2015-16 NFDA past president. “We were honored to have Rosser join us for this exciting event and help us learn how we can engage our mili- tary heroes in our profession.” The tools featured during the launch event are available free of charge to all fu- neral service professionals. The founda- tions are working with the Funeral Service Association of Canada (FSAC) to roll out Canadian-specific materials this summer. Since 1945, the Funeral Service Founda- tion has served as the philanthropic voice of the funeral profession and has identi- fied as the charitable arm of the National Funeral Directors Association since 1997. Donors and volunteer leaders, profession- wide, support the Foundation in its mis- sion of investing in people and programs to strengthen funeral service and lift up griev- ing communities. For more information, visit www .FuneralServiceFoundation.org. The ICCFA Educational Foundation, founded in 2005, seeks to make educa- tion accessible to the future leaders of the deathcare profession. It does this by award- ing scholarships to the educational programs of the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association, as well as advanc- ing initiatives designed to promote the pro- fession and support the individuals who an- swer the call of service. To learn more, visit https://iccfa.com/educational- foundation/ Continued FROM FRONT Page I nv i tat i on s • ya r d s i gn s • pos t e r s s tamp e r s • S e at i ng Ch a r t s • T i ck e t s B u s i n e s s Ca r d s and Forms • l a b e l s P romot i ona l I t ems • Acc e s sor i e s 8570 Foxwood Court Youngstown, Ohio 44514 800-321-7479 info@boardmanprinting.com www.boardmanprinting.com Now offering a Personalized Memorial Line custom greet ing cards • funeral programs • memor i al inv i tat ions t-sh i rts • magnets • prayer cards • Canvas Pr ints • full color banners Members of the Funeral Industry Save 10% Every Day! Call today for your FREE Sample Kit