November 2021

Page A8 NOVEMBER 2021 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A By Linda Findlay Aftercare we saw packed venues at holiday events. The same holds true for support groups. What start- ed out as only two people showing up, progressed into many people showing up and having to split groups into two groups to provide the best support group ex- perience. I cannot count how many times this has been the case for me personally. More recently, the trend continues with online groups. A few people join and before you know it, there are many people who join. Does this happen for every single funeral home? My honest answer is no. I have not figured out the secret formula for why some funeral homes see growth in their efforts and others do not. In saying that, my rec- ommendation is to try, and planning ahead is crucial! I would not want good money to be wasted on a one- time effort. Aftercare is an ongoing effort to connect with and support grieving families and communities, through mailings, phone calls, grief support events, newsletters and presentations. Connecting and aligning with similar organizations inside your community can be of mutual benefit. It can help you become visible, expand your knowledge, stay current on the changing climate of the funeral and aftercare industry, and even solve mutual problems. Consider creating a local coalition of grief profession- als. This is an excellent way to learn what others are do- ing, share what you’re doing and discuss resources that might be lacking in your community and how to fulfill them. Below are some additional suggestions to get you thinking about what collaborations you may consider for 2022. PLAN 1. Identify your goals for connecting with other organizations. What do you want to accomplish? 2. List the organizations that make up your care community. • Hospice • Religious organizations • Therapists and counselors • Chapter leaders of national bereavement groups • Bereavement organizations • Funeral service organizations 3. Decide who to approach that will benefit you both. 4. Develop an outreach plan for each of the groups listed above. COLLABORATE AND LEAD 5. Invite organizations to cohost or cosponsor community workshops for widows, widowers, bereaved families, and other mourners. Ideas include: • How to organize your loved one’s belongings (cohost with a professional home organizer). • How to cook for one for widows or widowers (cohost with a personal chef or other organization). • Banking needs (cohost with a banker). • Managing household maintenance issues, cleaning, etc. (partner with a home maintenance and/or cleaning business). • Landscaping issues (invite local Scout groups or professional businesses). • Sponsor a movie night. Building Community Connections “The greatness of a community is most accurately mea- sured by the compassionate actions of its members.” —Coretta Scott King There is no better time than now to start planning for the new year. My hope is that 2022 will bring the long- awaited respite from all of the ways that our world has changed since covid. We have all been affected by this pandemic. Our beloved funeral industry has been greatly affected! I do know one thing for sure, our in- dustry has risen well above and beyond any expecta- tions – which comes as no surprise! I have great admi- ration and respect for every single funeral director. You have made a difference in the lives of the families and communities that you serve. THANK YOU! Begin to think about some ways that you can reach out to your community in 2022. A robust aftercare program should include building community con- nections. Not only will your families know what it is that you do to support them during their grief journey, your community will know as well. I have been working with funeral homes for so many years, I can say with certainty that your efforts to con- nect with families and communities are most success- ful if they are truly helpful and, most importantly, that your message is consistent. If a funeral home asks me to coordinate a holiday program, for example, my first suggestion is, “You would do best to commit to provid- ing this program every year.” I have personally been a witness to providing a holiday program in its first year and only a few people show up. As the years go on, more and more families show up, and (before covid) Linda Findlay is the founder of Mourning Discoveries, Grief Support Services. She is a 29-year career Aftercare Coordinator, a published author, and an advocate for bereaved families. She is the founder and co-creator of The Grief Cruises and manag - ing partner with The International Grief Institute. Linda can be reached at 315-725-6132 or Lf6643@yahoo.com. Visit www.mourningdiscoveries.com, www.thegriefcruises.com or www.internationalgriefinstitute.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 Columns online at I want to provide you with a simple way to help you get started with your Aftercare Planning for 2022. To help my funeral homes with their planning process, I have created an Aftercare Planner . I would be happy to email a copy of the file that you can use to get started. The aftercare planner is in an Excel format spreadsheet. This planner was specifically created to be used to map out a full year of family and community outreach. It is simple to use and I would be happy to guide you in its use as well. To receive your planner, please call me at 315-725-6132 or email me at linda@internationalgriefinstitute.com and I will email it to you. Get started today…2022 will be here before you know it! “Sharing Before I Die NM Festival events allows the public to visit funer- al homes and cemeteries without having to expe- rience a death of a loved one,” said Doyenne of Death® Gail Rubin, Cer- tified Thanatologist and coordinator of the festival. “The Festival incorporates outside-the-box activities to start important conver- sations and get people to take action.” Before I Die NM Festival topics included downsiz- ing, body donation, obit- uary writing, estate plan- ning, financial planning, grief, the “woo-woo” side of death, funny film clips for funeral planning and more. An Albuquerque- based talk about Abraham Before I Die NM Festival held in Person and Virtually Gail Rubin ALBUQUERQUE,NM— The Before I Die Festi- val concept excites and educates adults about end-of-life preparation, funeral planning and fac- ing our mortality. Funeral homes and cemeteries na- tionwide can now share virtual sessions of the Be- scenes tours. Businesses that promoted Festival events in their markets received local attendee registration in- formation for follow-up contacts. The Festival won the 2018 ICCFA KIP Award for Best Event. A portion of the sponsorship proceeds and registration donations from the Before I Die NM Festival are donated to 501(c)(3) charitable part- ner, Historic Fairview Cemetery. Established in Al- buquerque in 1881, the cemetery is the final resting place of 12,000 individuals. Their lives reflect the history of Albuquerque, NM and the United States of America. For more information on the Festival vis- it www.BeforeIDieNM.com. fore I Die NM Festival in their markets. The festival was held for the fifth consecutive year in Albuquerque and online, October 30 to November 2, 2021. Lincoln’s impact on mod- ern embalming and U.S. funeral services included a virtual visit to Lincoln’s Tomb in Springfield, IL. GatheringUs, specialists in facilitating in-person and virtual memorial ser- vices, hosted the national feed of virtual events. Fu- neral homes and cemeter- ies were able to host Festi- val virtual events in their facilities and conduct their own behind-the- www.nomi s publ i cat i ons . com Scan QR for our website 1-888-792-9315 • mymortuarycooler.com Mortuary Coolers starting at $4,499