June 2020

Page A24 JUNE 2020 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on A 800-331-9093 For over thirty years Rick and Elizabeth Roberts have been supplying the funeral industry with superior quality handcrafted hardwood chapel furniture, still handcrafted by Rick & his craftsmen on a custom built to order basis. Large Baby Bier/Cremation Altar as the base of the Urn Carrier, offers multi-purpose functionality. Guaranteed 1 Unit in Stock on the 1 st of Each month! Urn Carrier Provincial Large Baby Bier/Cremation Altar RD/129 Cherry Queen Anne Formal Altar pictured with optional lighted Urn Riser Queen Anne Collection Introducing the Formal Altar New! Featured Products at robertsanddowney.com Pictured with Urn Carrier and Flag/Bible Holder Order Direct at 1-800-782-8249 Free UPS Ground Shipping www.mccordcasketsandvaults.com Craig Witzke Andrea Traunero to get involved. Can you imagine if every funeral home participated in this gift back to humanity,” stated Judah Ben-Hur , owner of Argos Funeral Services. In Ohio, Andrea Traunero of Traunero Funeral Home and Crematory in Tiffin knew there was going to be a need for facemasks for the public. “I knew that there would be a need, so I began to research how to make face- Continued from Front Page Funeral Industry Response to COVID-19 The supply end of the industry has felt the effects of coronavirus as well. Best Friend Tribute, Inc . of Flor- ida currently has no sales representatives on the road for the Infinity Urn Company . “Most of the manufactur- ers…have been shut down,” says owner Augie Bottiger . “We are just trying to serve our customers from our exist- ing inventory.” Body bags have also come into high demand. In some areas, stocks of standard and heavy-duty body bags are being depleted, resulting in the use of thin, lightweight, or economy bags, often requiring several bags per de- ceased to ensure durability and safety. Many manufacturers have increased the number of workers as well as the length and number of shifts, but still they are reporting backlogs of three to six months. Mopec , a nationwide leader in equipment manufactur- ing and supply distribution for the pathology, autopsy, and anatomy lab industries, paired up with material sup- pliers to increase production capacity. Across the country, companies are trying to draw peo- ple together while maintaining social distance rules. Domanicare , an award-winning text message-based af- tercare program, is offering 60 days free service. A new online tool, eFuneral Agent , allows preneed counsel- ors and families to connect without ever meeting face- to-face. And Tukios launched the SendHugs feature to allow friends and family members to send recorded video messages to the family of the deceased. Funeral directors and others in this industry must be aware of changes made in their local communities, their state and on a national level. From COVID-19 reference pages on their websites, to emails and webinars, local, state and national associations have worked tirelessly to keep not only their members, but, the entire industry informed. With help from the Funeral Service Foundation’s COV- ID-19 Crisis Response Fund, NFDA and the Founda- tion have teamed up to offer a free 12-page booklet enti- tled Grieving Alone & Together: Responding to the Loss of Your Loved One During the COVID-19 Pandemic . Nearly 900 funeral professionals – from licensed funeral directors to students and apprentices – have expressed a willingness to offer on-the-ground help to their colleagues during the COVID-19 pandemic. NFDA continues to add names to its roster of volunteers in anticipation of oth- er needs emerging in the days and weeks to come. The ICCFA Disaster Management Committee has compiled a list of ICCFA suppliers that are currently pro- viding personal protective equipment, disinfectant wipes, sprays, and hand sanitizer. This is the time of the year that networking and con- tinuing education normally takes place in person. The vast majority of the spring conventions have been post- poned or cancelled. CANA is responding to social dis- tancing restrictions by reimagining the upcoming Cre- mation Innovation Convention and Tradeshow with an online platform. Exhibits, networking, education, and fun packed into two days, while staying at home. As states begin to slowly emerge from the quarantine status, we as an industry must decide how to proceed in a country that has been severely hit with sickness and death. Our choices – whether it’s a single woman’s deci- sion to sew masks in her spare time or a funeral home’s choice to open up their atrium for viewings - can make a positive difference in a world of uncertainty. Visit www.nomispublications.com to subscribe to the monthly Funeral Home & Cemetery E-Newsletter or follow us on Facebook or LinkedIn for links to stories from across the country featuring funeral professionals working to help their community. masks,” said Andrea. “At first, I admit I thought that I could sell them, but I quickly realized that the need would be so great, that there had to be a way to distrib- ute huge quantities for free.” Andrea, her business partner and husband, Richard , along with a few friends formed a Facebook Group named Help- ing Hands in Seneca County. The group’s purpose is to of- fer help, in any form, to anyone who needs it. The group quickly became the headquarters of mask making, and An- drea became the organizer of that effort. Currently over 100 local volunteers are sewing facemasks and as of mid- May, the group had distributed over 22,000 masks. The local hospital receives 100 masks per day. Other recipients include nursing homes and medical offices, governmental offices, law enforcement agencies, fire departments, senior living agencies, and hundreds and hundreds of individuals. “As long as there is a need, and volunteers to sew, we will continue our mission,” Andrea said. Across the nation, funeral professionals aremaking chang- es in response to COVID-19. Faced with stay-at-home or- ders and social distancing laws, Brooks Cremation & Funeral Service of Ft. Lauderdale, FL limited services to direct cremations or direct burials with graveside services with up to 10 family members in attendance. Beyond that, the organization began counseling families about how they could use free platforms like Facebook or YouTube to have a Virtual Memorial Service. “We have chosen not to be the provider of these services because of additional costs in- volved for families. We have always served the market for those with a budget and that is more important now more than ever with so many not working or with no pay checks coming in,” said Jack Hagin , president of the firm. Like many funeral homes and crematoriums across the country, Brooks Cremation & Funeral Service now of- fers all forms and paperwork digitally. The only time that a family member must come in contact with a staff mem- ber is when picking up the cremated remains and certified copies, which can be done from the safety of their vehicle. The Candle Light Funeral Home , Catonsville, MD, also made some big changes during this pandemic. Craig Witzke , president of the greater Baltimore funer- al home, never planned to use the home’s atrium win- dow for viewings, but like many other funeral directors across the country, he knew that coronavirus changed everything. “You can’t have a funeral,” he said. “It’s heart- breaking.” Thinking it was tacky at first, Witzke realized that with no visitations allowed, the atri- um window would offer a safe place where families could see their loved ones and pay their respects at a safe distance, ei- ther from a vehicle or on foot. Word spread throughout the community. In one case, “The family didn’t know about the drive-through viewings, but the deceased did. It was one of her last requests,” states Witzke. Send Us Your News! PO Box 5159 Youngstown, OH 44514 Fax 1-800-321-9040 info@nomispublications.com FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS We welcome news of the industry. Send us information on your firm today!