September 2020

Page A25 SEPTEMBER 2020 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on A revenue. Big 3 sides. 12 square feet. 24 private niches. 85 community spaces. Outstanding ROI . Your Wilbert Granite Choices provider can prove it. Find them at https://tinyurl.com/granitechoices or call 1.888.WILBERT The numbers don’t lie: COVID-19 and Funeral Service Report Available for Free WALL,NJ— Kates-Boylston Publications recently pub- lished a 36-page report ex- amining how COVID-19 has affected funeral ser- vice. Due to the generous support of eFuneral and Homesteaders Life Com- pany, the report is avail- able to everyone – for free. The report, titled “COV- ID-19 and Funeral Service” examines how the global pandemic has forced funeral professionals to pivot toward technology and change the way they approach preneed. It also examines how firms are navigating restrictions, an increase in live stream- ing, the shortage in person- al protective equipment and more. “We continue to hear from our readers how much COVID-19 has affected fu- neral home operations, and so we reached out to the profession to find out how – and also to learn what they are doing to continue to serve families,” said Alli- son Sullivan, the longtime publisher of Kates-Boylston Publications. “Almost 250 responded, allowing us to share some great insights on how funeral profession- als are navigating the pan- demic.” “There is no way to over- state the impact this health crisis has had on the funeral profession as a whole,” said Steve Shaffer, Homestead- ers president and CEO. “This report gives us a better understanding of the scope and scale of that impact, while highlighting the en- couraging shifts we’ve seen toward creative problem solving and innovation.” “This report is full of helpful insights into the many ways the funeral pro- fession has stepped up with creativity and compassion to serve families through- out this crisis,” observed Luke Frieberg, president of eFuneral. “I hope that the thoughtful digital so- lutions many have started to offer will be the norm moving forward – rath- er than the exception – as more and more people be- come adept at and com- fortable with emerging new technology.” The report is filled with comments from survey takers, graphs and insights from some of the profes- sion’s thought leaders. It was originally published in two parts in Funeral Service Insider, a weekly electronic newsletter for funeral pro- fessionals, and it is now available as a free digital download. Visit https://kates-boylston. com/covid-survey/ to request a copy of the free report. With safety for today — and even more flexibility for tomorrow. With innovative products from Physicians Mutual ® and the Remote Preneed program from Precoa, you’ll have everything you need to grow and protect your preneed business. connecting We’re in new ways PhysiciansMutual.com/preneed | Precoa.com + PM3288 Preneed program not available in all states.