Page A4 - October 2013

Page A4

OCTOBER 2013

FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS

S ec t i on A

Filing and Storage Solutions for Funeral Homes and Cemeteries

Times-2 Rotary Cabinets: Office Storage for Directors,

Support Staff, and Grief Counselors

Aurora Storage Products has many storage solutions to help funeral

homes and cemeteries securely store documents, support material, and

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By Sherry L. Williams

Sherry L. Williams, RN, BA, GMS, GRS, is the president and

founder of New Leaf Resources a division of Sherry Williams En-

terprises, Inc. She was the co-founder of Accord Inc. and has been

involved in grief and bereavement training and services for the

past twenty-two years. She has an Associate Degree in Nursing

from the University of Kentucky Extension Program and a Bachelor

of Arts degree in Psychology from Bellarmine College in Louisville,

KY. Sherry is a nationally certified Grief Management Specialist

and has advanced certification as a Bereavement Facilitator from

the American Academy of Bereavement and is certified by the

Grief Recovery Institute as a Grief Recovery Specialist.

She has been a featured speaker for numerous organizations in-

cluding the National Funeral Directors Association and the Asso-

ciation for Death Education.

She can be reached by email at sherry@newleaf-resources.com.

Visit New Leaf Resources and Sherry Williams Enterprises, Inc. at

www.newleaf-resources.com

The Gift of

Aftercare

Here we go again, heading to the NFDA convention

and then right into the holiday season. It is a time of year

when everyone in funeral service is looking for new ideas,

new products and services. Everyone wants to enhance the

quality and richness of the services they provide. You may

also find yourself looking for ways to make your job a little

more fulfilling and enriching.

It is normal for all of us to get tired of doing the same

old things the same old way. That is why it is important to

remember that you cannot second guess what any family

you serve needs. You must always handle each and every

family as individuals with individual needs. It is not just

another funeral for them.

If you find yourself falling into this kind of mindset, look

for ways that you can continue to provide the same kinds of

services with a different slant. This is particularly true when

it comes to planning events around the holiday season.

I am hearing more and more, “I don’t know if I want to

do my holiday program again,” “Our numbers are down,”

“There are too many other people doing candle light-

ing ceremonies or memorial programs,” and “I just don’t

know if it is worth it.” Well, I can tell you from the per-

spective of those who are grieving that they can’t get their

hands on enough information to help them through the

holidays. They tell me all the time that they dread the holi-

days and move toward them with a lot of anxiety, doubt

and a great deal of sadness. They have also shared with me

that they attend multiple programs during the holiday sea-

son, just to connect with their loved one again and just to

know that someone else is remembering their loved one.

Whether one or ten people in your community are do-

ing some kind of holiday memorial, the holidays provide a

time for you to reach out to those you serve and your com-

munity in the best way possible. Holiday programs will

help you in terms of relationship building, positive adver-

tising and image building.

Ask yourself if you have just gotten tired of doing the

same old thing the same old way. If that is the case, then

• You can consider having everyone bring a gift to hon-

or their loved one that will be shared with the needy.

You can have family members place their gift under

the tree as you call the name of their family member.

After the program present the gifts to a local charity

or orphanage.

• There are many holiday booklets available to send to

the families you serve if you choose not to do a pro-

gram or find affordable brochures and gift bookmarks

that can be sent through the mail to the families you

serve if you don’t do anything else.

You see, you can do the same old thing – present a Hol-

iday Seminar and Memorial Program. Just add some-

thing new to it. Get your enthusiasm back, and help peo-

ple who are grieving at a time when they need it most.

Quit looking at numbers. Quit thinking that people

don’t need this anymore. They do! I can assure you of

that. I continue to work directly with grieving individu-

als who confirm that and beg for assistance during the

holidays. Don’t give up on them because you are bored,

tired, or just don’t want to go to the effort. This is one of

the best things you can do for your firm, your commu-

nity and yourself. This is a high emotional impact time

to reach out to your community and those you serve.

If you are looking for someone to help you spice up

your program, call me at 1-800-346-3087. I assure you, I

haven’t given up on the bereaved and I can certainly help

you with a program you will be proud of.

ask yourself if you are truly giving your full attention to the

project at hand. This is the twenty-second year that I have

been doing holiday programs and while I might get tired of

the program content and wonder if I am getting stale, I al-

ways remind myself that the information is only not new to

me. It is new to the people who come to the program seeking

information, support and encouragement.

You can still do the same old thing but add a different slant

to it. You can reach out to the community in a different way.

Open your program up to additional groups. Get your staff in-

volved in the concept and get motivated. Here are some sugges-

tions that might add new life to your holiday programs:

• If numbers are your major concern, consider networking

with other groups in the community and presenting a co-

operative effort. This can become an annual community