October 2019

Page A39 OCTOBER 2019 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on A News Educational Bogati Urn Company Announces 2nd Annual Funeral, Mortuary Student Scholarship Recipient  B o o t h 1 5 7 5 Dr. Wolfelt Creates New Training on Educating Others about Grief SARASOTA,FL— Bogati Urn Company is proud to announce Phillip Vallelunga as the recipient of its 2nd Annual Bogati Urn Company Scholarship. Vallelunga, a second-year mortuary sci- ence student in the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Scienc- es at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI was awarded $1,500 thanks to his literal lifelong goal to join the funeral industry. Ever since his great-grandmother passed away when he was 10 years old - and his mother and grandmother had a negative ex- perience with the funeral home they chose - his mind was made up. “By seeing my mom and grandma so distressed… I then understood that funerals should be perfect, so every family has a chance to say goodbye without stress on top of their grief,” said Val- lelunga in his scholarship application essay. It was this story, his unwavering dedica- tion to the industry ever since, his heart- felt gratitude toward his many supporters, including his parents and the Walsh family for whom he currently interns at Golden Rule Funeral Home, and a glowing rec- ommendation from one of his teachers, that collectively caught the attention of Bo- gati’s scholarship committee. “Phillip’s instructor said he is ‘inspiring’ and ‘the incoming face of funeral service.’ After learning more about him, the schol- arship committee couldn’t agree more,” said Andrea Bogard LeBlanc, founder of Bogati Urn Company. “Phillip truly exem- plifies what this scholarship is all about in supporting and celebrating the next gen- eration in the funeral industry, and we’re proud to be a part of his journey.” Bogati Urns established the scholarship, which will provide funeral service or mor- tuary science program students annually with financial awards ranging from $500 to $2,500 per school year, in February 2018 as a way to give back to the industry that has helped the company grow. Applica- tions will again be accepted in early 2020 for the next scholarship opportunity. Bogati Urns is headquartered in Saraso- ta, FL and is a proud member of several industry organizations, including the Asso- ciation of Independent Funeral Directors of Florida; Florida Cemetery, Cremation & Fu- neral Association; Cremation Association of North America; and Pet Loss Professionals Alliance.  For more information on Bo- gati Urn Company, visit www.bogatiurns.com. Dr. Alan Wolfelt FORT COLLINS,CO— The Center for Loss and Life Transition announces two upcoming training sessions in Fort Collins, CO for those interested in becoming effec- tive grief educators, scheduled for July 20-23, 2020 and June 28-July 1, 2021. Entitled “Becoming an Effective Grief Educator” the four- day trainings, facilitated by world-renowned educator Dr. Alan Wolfelt, will enhance participants’ capacity to art- fully educate others on grief and mourning. Wheth- er the participant is inter- ested in training others in their organization, speaking publicly in their communi- ty, or just wish to feel more confident in passing along information to clients, col- leagues, or friends, this workshop will both inspire them and prepare them to be effective grief advocates. Using the “Ten Touch- stones” of his bestsell- ing book Understanding Your Grief as a framework, Dr. Wolfelt will step partici- pants though messaging and methods for educating oth- ers about the basics of grief, mourning, and healing. Dr. Wolfelt will also share practical insider tips on topics such as event formats, engaging audiences, creating teaching objectives, building relationships with potential spon- sors, and more. Included in the training materials is Un- derstanding Your Grief, written by Dr. Wolfelt. Author, educator, and grief counselor Dr. Alan Wolfelt serves as director of the Center for Loss and Life Transi- tion in Fort Collins, CO. A past recipient of the Associa- tion for Death Education and Counseling’s Death Educa- tor Award, he also serves on the faculty at the University of Colorado Medical School in the Department of Family Medicine. He is the author of numerous books on grief and loss including Understanding Your Grief and Grief One Day at a Time and he is often consulted by popular media sources on a variety of grief related topics. To reserve a seat in the training or to view a complete list of Dr. Alan Wolfelt’s educational seminars for be- reavement caregivers, visit www.centerforloss.com . “WHEN YOU’RE BUILDING A BUSINESS, IT’S ESSENTIAL TO FIND THE RIGHT PARTNER .” JIMDOBBINS SIMPLICITY LOWCOUNTRY CREMATION& BURIAL Foundation Partners Group 4901 Vineland Road, Suite 300 Orlando, FL 32811 Get in Touch 1-888-788-7526 FoundationPartners.com Our business was busting at the seams. We couldn’t keep up with our call volume and continue delivering the high level of service our families were accustomed to without a major change or addition to our business – that addition was Foundation Partners Group. Our firm needed a partner to provide us with more resources. We were a young business, and we didn’t have benefits, a legal department, IT, or marketing. After meeting with Foundation Partners, it was clear they were a great fit. Today, the business is thriving. There are new opportunities not only for myself, but also for my staff. Having a true partner walk with us every step of the way is invaluable to us.