October 2021

Page A4 OCTOBER 2021 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A By Nancy Weil November 11 is a day set aside to honor those who have served in the United States armed forces. What began on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, Armistice Day has evolved over the years to include all veterans. It is a day of ceremony and parades. On the Veter- ans Administration website, it is heralded as, “A cel- ebration to honor America’s veterans for their patri- otism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.” As October arrives this is the perfect time to assess your involvement in the veteran community in your area. Perhaps you assist with your town’s Veterans Day events. If not, now is the time to find out what is be- ing planned and see how you can get involved. When I was selling pre-need, I would look through my lead file and call every veteran that I had listed. Ex- pecting a sales follow-up call they were shocked when I said the following: “Veterans Day is coming up and I know you served in the [branch of service]. I wanted to thank you for your service to our country and invite you to attend the Veterans Day event being held on [date and time] at [location]. I would love to see you there so that you can be recognized for your service.” No sales pitch. Just a sincere thank you and an invita- tion to attend the Veterans Day event. However, it is what you do on the other 364 days of Random Musings the year where you have the opportunity to continue to honor those who have served. Arranging military hon- ors, listing veteran resources on your website, assisting families in the necessary paperwork to handle a veteran’s funeral and ordering a veteran marker or medallion is all necessary, appreciated and expected of funeral homes and cemeteries. But do you go the extra step for veterans? Do you even know what that would look like? Consider the look on a child’s face when you take a look at their parent’s DD214, share that their father was awarded a Bronze Star and then explain what that means. If a Navy Captain calls your funeral home or cemetery, do you understand how that rank differs from other branches of the military? Are you able to capture that funeral when a widow calls to tell you that her husband was a UDT and you respond, “It would be an honor to take care of an old frogman”? Take a look at your Veterans Benefits sheets and con- sider when was the last time these prices were updated and when you last reviewed it with your staff. Knowing what the VA will pay a veteran’s family to help offset fu- neral and burial costs and sharing this information with the family can alleviate some of their stress. Even better – picking up the phone and helping them make an ap- pointment with their local Veterans Services Office so they can fill out the paperwork needed in order to re- ceive this money. Now is the time to hold a staff meeting to evaluate your funeral home or cemetery’s veteran programs. Then brainstorm on ways you can take what you are doing for veterans and their families even further. What do they expect from you? What do they need from you? How does serving a veteran differ from serving a non-veteran? Do you have veterans on your staff? Have you asked them for their input? There is so much that you can do for veterans that goes beyond what the typical funeral home and cem- etery provides. Make this year the Veterans Day where you can share with your community all of the ways, both old and new, that your funeral home and cemetery takes care of veterans and their family. Is There More You Can Do to Honor Veterans Beyond November 11? If you are looking for new ideas or if you want to train your staff to serve veterans better... The Order of the Golden Rule (OGR) and Jim Rudolph , owner of Veterans Funeral Care , Clearwater, Florida, have teamed up to offer an educational webinar full of ideas you will not find anywhere else. Available in OGR’s Learning Library , “ Become the Go-To Funeral Home for Veterans” will teach you steps you can take to engage veterans, not just on November 11, but every day of the year. Learn more at www.OGR.org/VFC Serving as Member Resources Director at the International Order of the Golden Rule, Nancy Weil brings her years of experience working in the funeral industry to funeral directors across the globe. Her professional experience includes serving as Director of Grief Support and Community Outreach at Veterans Funeral Care in Clearwater, FL and at eleven cemeteries in Western New York. Nancy travels throughout the country offering presentations on how to reduce stress, combat compassion fatigue and offer support for those who are grieving through her company, The Laugh Academy. With certifications as a Grief Services Provider and Grief ManagementSpecialist, FuneralCelebrant, Soul InjuryAmbassador and Laughter Leader, Nancy is uniquely qualified to bring new perspectives into how to best meet the needs of the families you serve. For more information on how Nancy can help you and your company grow, visit her website: www.TheLaughAcademy.com or email Nancy@TheLaughAcademy.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 Bay Memorials 321 S. 15 th St. • Escanaba, MI 49829 • (906) 786-2609 • Fax (906) 786-2692 Zerbel’s www.baymemorialsbabycaskets.com PROPORTIONALLY SIZED FOR MISCARRIED, STILLBORN & NEWBORN BABIES Burial Cradle caskets SM Available in 10”, 20”, 30” allowing you to tastefully care for even the smallest baby with all the compassion every parent desires for as low as $46.00 THE ULTIMATE 1000 LIFT™ & THE STEPPER Solo Transfer in the prep room and on removals Electrically lifts and lowers on stairs! PATENT PENDING SAVE YOUR BACK 1-800-628-8809 WWW .MORTUARYLIFT. COM � � � VIDEOS ON WEBSITE pel, two arrangement rooms and a pri- vate viewing room. Services will include custom funeral planning for all religions and cultures; transportation planning for the return of a deceased loved one to their home state or country for burial; selection of memorial keepsakes; online obituaries; and pre-planning. La Paloma also works with all cemeteries. La Paloma was created to bring trans- parency to the funeral industry and pro- vide simple and affordable choices for complete funeral services and crema- tion packages. Prices are available on the company’s website at www.lapalomafu- neralservices.com with no hidden fees. “One big frustration we have heard time and time again from grieving fam- ilies is how difficult it is to find pric- es for funeral services online. During an emotional time, families shouldn’t have to search and listen to a sales pitch for funeral packages,” said Ryan Bow- en, owner of La Paloma Funeral Ser- vices. “I built the company on trans- parency, and with this new location, we are excited to bring these services to the Summerlin area.” On the pet side, La Paloma provides cremation services for animal members of the family, large or small. Whether a pet dies at home or at a veterinarian’s of- fice, La Paloma Pet Cremation will come pick up furry, feathered or scaled com- panions and provide a loving, respectful cremation with remembrance packages available for the family. A family-owned business, La Paloma Funeral Services opened in Southern Nevada in 2006 and also has one loca- tion in Northern Nevada. La Paloma Pet Cremation also is located in St. George, UT. For additional information, call 702-935-7900 or visit the websites at www.lapalomafuneralservices.com and www.lapalomapetcremation.com. La Paloma Funeral Services and La Paloma Pet Cremation opens second Las Vegas Location La Paloma Funeral Services Ribbon Cutting LAS VEGAS,NV— La Paloma Funeral Services and La Paloma Pet Cre- mation are celebrating the opening of two new loca- tions in a single building at 2551 S. Fort Apache Road, on the southwest corner of Sahara Avenue and Fort Apache Road. The new lo- cation will offer the same services as La Paloma’s east side location – at 5450 Stephanie St. – to residents of the Summerlin area. The 5,500-square-foot, Summerlin-area location will offer an on-site cha- www. nomispublications .com