Coordinating post death care and funeral/burial service is more complex for our small company than it is for those funeral homes who often have three or four funeals a day. This is partially due to the amount of time it takes working with our families in coming up with funding for the funeral and burial. Despite their $3,500 maximum payment, one county's allowcation of funds means deep cutting of funeral home charges, leaving us with about $100.00 per funeral after bills are paid! This  causes more trauma for the families than it does for us since they may not go one penny of the $1,400 alloted to them for funeral expenses (out of the $3,500)! If you feel lost trying to follow this, imagine being a family member and realizing how little you ahve to say about merchandise and services!

 

What we can't produce by funeral products and services we do make up in family connections. Family members are encouraged to put the make up on the deceased, fix his/her hair, and other hands on tasks that support the grief process while letting family know that they were able to "DO SOMETHING" for one last time.

 

When I think of St. Francis, living with the same poverty as the people the Franciscans served, I am honored that we are able to so closely follow in his footsteps. Each of the three of us gets along pretty well yet, we don't own so many of the extras that most of our contemporaries believe necessary to be successful in funeral service (huge homes, expensive cars, country club memberships, and the like).

 

We can all assist those who struggle when their is a death in their family. Cremation has left many people owning graves that have been in the family for generation upon generation and are no longer needed because family members are choosing cremation. Go to a place like Craig's list and list the grave for sale. You would be surprised how many inquiries you have. You might also consider simply giving the grave to the cemetery designating that it be given to a family in need.

 

 

Do these things in remembrance of Jesus the Christ, who taught us to reach out to our neighbor.