July 2021

Page B11 JULY 2021 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on B www. vischerfuneralsupplies.com BATESVILLE,IN— Batesville has committed $200,000 in funding for new programs to benefit funeral professionals in the U.S. and Canada in recognition of the care and compassion they provided in helping the more than 600,000 fami- lies who lost loved ones to COVID-19. These “Honoring Lives” funds, a tribute to the company’s mission, will be distrib- uted to major trade and professional or- ganizations in support of a variety of pro- grams – from research and education to grief support and self-care. “Batesville’s roots in funeral service go back more than a century, but I cannot recall a time when funeral professionals were asked to carry such a heavy burden for so long,” said Chris Trainor , presi- dent of Batesville. “We have been in- spired by their courage and tenacity and are grateful to be in a position to give back to those who have already given so much.” As a partner to thousands of funeral homes throughout North America, Bates- ville understands the mental and physical stress funeral directors have faced in dealing with an unprecedented number of deaths, while adapting to ever-changing health and safety restrictions. The company saw its volume increase by nearly 30 percent at peak periods of the pandemic. Its manu- facturing and service teams worked over- time and weekends for more than a year to try to keep pace with the surge in demand for burial caskets primarily driven by esti- mated higher deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic. “COVID-19 has made a permanent impression on all of us, but as we be- gin the recovery process, it is vital that we come together as a community and make investments in the future of funer- al service and funeral professionals,” said Trainor. “A lot of professional programs and other activities got put on the back Batesville Donates $200,000 to Honor Funeral Professionals’ Work During Pandemic and to Fund New Programs in a Post-COVID World N01 18-gauge Military Casket with Marine Corps Medallion The company is working with lead- ers from the following organizations to identify the areas of greatest need and de- termine how the Honoring Lives funds will be directed: Cremation Association of North America (CANA), Funeral Service Foundation , ICCFA Educational Founda- tion , National Funeral Directors and Mor- ticians Association (NFDMA), Selected Educational Trust , Funeral Service Associ- ation of Canada (FSAC), Ontario Associa- tion of Cemetery and Funeral Professionals (OACFP), and the Ontario Funeral Ser- vice Association (OFSA). Honoring Military Veterans at ICCFA Batesville pledged to donate $500 to the “Journey to Serve” initiative recent- ly launched by the ICCFA Education- al Foundation and the Funeral Service Foundation and another $100 for every N01 18-gauge military casket ordered with a Family Choices Image medal- lion in the company’s virtual booth dur- ing the ICCFA convention. Journey to Serve is aimed at recruiting veterans for employment throughout the death care profession. “We believe every life tells a story and none are more meaningful than those of our veterans who dedicated themselves to protecting our freedom,” said Jenn Parvin , vice president of marketing and technology for Batesville. “Journey to Serve is a remarkable program and we are proud to lend our support in this small way.” The NO1 collection provides a dis- tinguished way to honor a life of ser- vice. Units are available in Neopoli- tan, Sydney and Midnight colors, with rich black or navy velvet tailored interi- ors and embroidered medallions repre- senting the U.S. Armed Forces. Families can create a custom Image medallion to complete the look or choose from a col- lection of display and keepsake medal- lions and corner designs representing their loved one’s branch of service. Jim Price , Chair of the ICCFA Edu- cational Foundation and Lee Wiensch , Executive Director of the Funeral Ser- vice Foundation said, “The funeral pro- fession does a great job of honoring fallen veterans through memorializa- tion and products that demonstrate re- spect for their service. Our Foundations launched Journey to Serve as a way to welcome veterans to careers in death care that provide a meaningful way to continue their commitment to the val- ues that we all hold dear. We are grateful for Batesville’s support of the Journey to Serve initiative and invite you to learn more at www.JourneyToServe.com. ” Batesville (www.Batesville.com) , a wholly owned subsidiary of Hillenbrand, Inc. (NYSE:HI), is a recognized leader in the death care industry in North Ameri- ca, offering a comprehensive portfolio of burial and cremation products, memori- alization options and innovative technol- ogy solutions. For more than 125 years, Batesville has supported licensed funer- al professionals in helping families honor the lives of those they love.® burner last year, and this is one way we can help rein- vigorate our industry.”