May 2019

Page A36 MAY 2019 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on A Phone: 877-770-TIES (8437) Fax: 276-466-3474 E-mail: customerservice@tiesforyou.com www.tiesforyou.com STYLISH MATCHING TIES FOR PROFESSIONALS Any Size Group or Organization Call 651-450-7727 to request a wholesale catalog, Our Extra-Large Cremains Bags (13”x 15”) are perfectly sized for the Standard Plastic Human Service Urn. or visit UrnBags.com to order some bags. Just $2.90 each*. * Bags sold in multiples of 10 Choose from Black, Blue, or Burgundy 2019-2020 BLACK BOOK Of African American - Multicultural & - International Funeral Home Resource Guide Nation’s Premier Industry “Go To Book” Over 3,000 Firms Funerals of the Famous Hall of Fame Funeral Homes & Their History Shipping and Consulates VIP Funeral Home Ads Certified Funeral Home Suppliers Mortuary Colleges Educational Articles & Much More! Only $59.95 Includes Shipping NFDA Addresses Tragic Deaths in New Public Service Announcements BROOKFIELD,WI— When a loved one dies under tragic circumstances, some families choose to not have a funeral. They may be embarrassed and worried what others will think due to how their loved one died. Re- gardless of how someone died, there are, very often, memories worth commemo- rating. The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) has released the two public service announcements (PSA) that encourage families to memorialize their loved ones, regardless of how they died. These PSAs are part of NFDA’s Remem- beringALife.com consumer outreach and education initiative. When someone dies of an overdose, it can lead to strong emotions, especially among children. The PSA “When a Parent Dies of an Overdose” shows that having a funer- al gives the family, particularly children, an opportunity to remember their loved one and the good times they had. Families may not always agree with the life decisions made by a loved one, espe- cially if they involve illegal activity. The second PSA, “Remembering A Good Friend Who Made Bad Decisions,” dis- cusses the importance of coming together to reflect on a loved one’s entire life histo- ry and remembering happier times. “It’s important to remember that the cir- cumstances under which someone dies do not define who he or she was as a per- son. Every life is worth remembering,” said NFDA president Chuck Bowman, CMSP, CFSP, CCO. “Funerals are a time for those grieving a loss to share their grief and commemorate the life of the person they knew and loved.” These PSAs are the first in a series that will address the value of meaningful funerals and the role of the funeral director. The first two PSAs were created by NFDA through a grant from the Funeral Service Foundation. Why Address Tragic Deaths? Unfortunately, each year, thousands of people from all walks of life die under trag- ic circumstances, such as an overdose, sui- cide, violence or accidental death. Families may experience a wide range of emotions, ranging from shock, numbness and an- ger to guilt and helplessness. It may be difficult to talk about the death with others. As a result, they may feel compelled to quickly move on and try to forget about the death and their grief. They may feel, given the circumstances of the death, that a funeral is inappro- priate. However, in most cases, relatives and friends want to be able to show support and help console those who are grieving and strug- gling with the death. While many families think of funerals as for the deceased, funerals are, in fact, for the living – to allow time for family and friends to share their grief. This type of gather- ing is important regard- less of how an individual dies, but takes on greater significance when a death is tragic. A funeral direc- tor can help plan a tribute that beautifully reflects the life of the person the fam- ily knew and loved. Using the PSAs in the Community NFDA is sharing the public service announce- ments with consumers on the RememberingALife. com website and social me- dia sites. There is also in- formation on Remember- ingALife.com about how families can work with a funeral director to com- memorate the life of some- one who dies tragically. The PSAs are also avail- able to NFDA members for use in their communi- ty, such as by posting them on a funeral home website, sharing them on social me- dia, using them as part of a community presentations News Association ContinueD Continued on Page A37 PO Box 5159 Youngstown, OH 44514 Fax 1-800-321-9040 press_releases@nomispublications.com www.nomispublications.com Send Us Your News!