The initiative includes resources to help funeral service professionals engage families and communities in the powerful conversation about the important role funerals and memorialization play in the lives of grieving youth.
Inman Shipping Worldwide, the experts in the transportation of human remains has added the Funeral Service Foundation Youth & Funerals booklet link on their website homepage. The Funeral Service Foundation’s Youth & Funerals initiative equips funeral service professionals with tools to navigate the deeply personal question, “Should my child attend the funeral?” Available resources include an e-book and video that funeral homes and organizations can embed on websites and share on social media platforms at no cost. A booklet customized with a firm or organization’s logo and business information is also available for purchase.
The tools, available online, help debunk the common myths that prevent youth from attending or participating in funerals; offer age-appropriate language and advice on discussing death and funerals with youth; and give suggestions for youth preparedness, empowerment and involvement in memorialization. More than 300 funeral homes have leveraged the online resources and nearly 40,000 customized booklets have been ordered since the initiative’s 2018 roll out.
The video, which features Good Grief CEO and childhood grief expert, Joe Primo, has received nearly more than 125,000 views. “With practical tips and testimonials, the Youth & Funerals initiative provides families and communities with a deeper understanding of how to support, and, perhaps most importantly, empower grieving children,” said Primo.
The initiative underscores the Foundation’s mission to support funeral service in building meaningful relationships with the families and communities it serves. Made possible by the generosity and vision of Foundation donors, the initiative also provides a natural link to strengthen and grow relationships with organizations outside of funeral service.
Dave McComb, CEO of Inman Shipping Worldwide and Funeral Service Foundation Trustee states, “The Youth & Funerals initiative is a wonderful tool to assist funeral professionals and the families they serve and putting this link on the Inman Shipping Worldwide website is another way we can help to get this information seen and used.”
“From grassroots sharing across social platforms, to taking the initiative out into the community, we’ve seen the initiative gain momentum over the last year,” said Foundation Director of Communication, Kelly Manion. “Professionals from within and outside funeral service have embraced the tools and are truly helping carry forward the Foundation’s vision of an improved end-of-life experience for loved ones and their families.”
About Inman:
Since 1978, Inman has become the expert in the shipment of human remains domestically and internationally! Inman has over 450 representatives throughout the United States and abroad. We guarantee our domestic price and the quality of service that we provide. Being the oldest continuous shipping service in the United States, we are often copied, but are never equaled. Funeral directors have called on us with complete confidence for many decades. Whatever the assignment, we will perform it in the manner you would expect. For more information: visit www.shipinman.com or contact us at (800) 321-0566.
About the Funeral Service Foundation:
Since 1945, the Funeral Service Foundation has served as the profession’s philanthropic voice. As the charitable arm of the National Funeral Directors Association since 1997, the Foundation receives operational support from NFDA and donors across the profession to help advance its mission to support funeral service in building meaningful relationships with the families and the communities it serves.
