I was excited on Friday morning when I received some information from a reader of Funeral Director Daily.  You see, I started Funeral Director Daily a few years ago with the idea that it could be a network for those working in the death care profession to be able to access thoughts, ideas, and products that could help our care of our living clientele by finding out things we didn’t know about.

Most of my background is in management and operations so at times Funeral Director Daily is somewhat “business and finance” heavy.  Although I’ve tried to learn more about technology and other facets of funeral home operations to pass items from those segments on to readers also.

Last Friday morning Funeral Director Daily published this article that dealt with “bereavement” and, in specific, talked about one funeral director’s quest to get “Bereavement” and its effects taught in public schools in Great Britain.  The article pointed out that the movement has grown so far that in a couple of weeks Great Britain’s Parliament is going to discuss the subject.

Well, after that article went out one reader sent me an e-mail about efforts in America for the public to gain more knowledge about the issues and dynamics of childrens’ grief through the National Alliance for Grieving Children (NAGC).  Specifically, he mentioned to me the NAGC’s child bereavement Public Service Announcement (PSA) series.  You can access that series here.

According to the reader, the NAGC launched its campaign last December — that’s less than one year ago.  The same reader told me that the campaign has generated 41,978 television airings which were viewed by over 146 million people.  That puts the campaign at a estimated ad value (if paid for) of over $8.7 million.  That’s a lot of value and those people who had any part in the success should be thanked by all death care professionals for bringing these grief issues among our nation’s children to light.

You can access the National Alliance for Children’s Grief here.

A New Product for Children’s Grief —  That same reader enlightened me to a product called “Pollen”.  According to their website, which you can access here, “(Pollen) provides the tools caregivers need to help children work through their trauma”.

According to that website, Pollen was started by thanatologist and grief expert Michaelene Dowers.  Dowers is also a ten-year veteran funeral director and her resume indicates that she would be well-versed to have knowledge in grief endeavors.

As a funeral director I would suggest taking a look at the website of Pollen to see if there is some way that they can help you when you deal with those who may suffer from the emotions of grief.

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

Funeral Director Daily take — As I opened with in this article, I enjoy getting more information on the subjects that can help funeral directors, funeral homes, and cemeteries care for their clientele.  And, Funeral Director Daily has now became a trusted resource for those in our profession who are looking for products and ideas to make their service to their clients better.

If you have an idea or something that you would like to share I would love to hear from you.  To help you do so there is a “Contact Us” link at the very bottom of every page of Funeral Director Daily’s computer view and at the bottom of all material on Funeral Director Daily’s mobile viewings.

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ICCFA Educational Foundation Underwrites Children’s Grief PSA Campaign

Campaign Will Generate Awareness for the National Alliance for Children’s Grief Organization

March 5, 2024:  The National Alliance for Children’s Grief (NACG), in partnership with the ICCFA Educational Foundation, has launched a PSA campaign designed to inspire conversation about and drive passion for the issue of children’s grief in the United States.  The PSAs, created pro bono by Chad Vriezelaar of Go Live Media Group, show the faces of children’s grief through short, close-up vignettes. 

“Childhood bereavement is a concern for all communities across the nation. Experiencing the death of family members and others has a lasting effect on the child’s well-being now and in the future,” commented Vicki Jay, CEO of NACG. “These PSAs are a way of investing in the lives of children, adults, our communities, and the nation.  I am thankful that the ICCFA Educational Foundation has funded this important initiative.”

The campaign is patterned after the successful ICCFA Educational Foundations’s Final Responders PSAs that reached 127 million Americans and generated more than $6 million in earned media value throughout 2021 and 2022.  Current board member Jim Price, senior vice president of industry relations at Johnson Consulting Group, spearheaded the project for the National Alliance for Children’s Grief as he did for the ICCFA Educational Foundation’s Final Responders campaign.

“Many of our members assist the local support centers of the National Alliance for Children’s Grief in their communities,” commented Gino Marindino, president of the ICCFA Educational Foundation,  “This project allows us to build more broadly on this association on a national level.”

Each year, millions of children have a parent, brother, or sister die.  Grief can be hard, so these children need the support of people who care. The National Alliance for Children’s Grief (NACG) provides education and resources to anyone who wants to support them, especially children.

“As the proud sponsor of Roberta’s House, a family grief support center in Baltimore, MD, the March Funeral Homes know firsthand the effects of grief on children, teens, and adults,” added Annette March-Grier, co-founder of Roberta’s House and NACG Board Member.  “I am honored that the ICCFA Educational Foundation is supporting this effort to create awareness for children’s grief.”

The PSAs can be viewed at the NACG website –  https://nacg.org/nacg-psa/. 

About the National Alliance for Children’s Grief: The National Alliance for Children’s Grief is the only professional member organization specifically addressing issues about childhood bereavement and is comprised of a nationwide network of professionals, institutions, and volunteers who promote best practices, educational programming, and critical resources to facilitate the mental, emotional, and physical health of grieving children and their families.  Learn more at www.nacg.org.

About the ICCFA Educational Foundation:  The ICCFA Educational Foundation is a 501(c)(3) entity, and part of the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association (ICCFA).  The foundation’s sole purpose is to make education accessible to future leaders in the death care profession, thereby raising the standards of professionalism within the industry. The non-profit foundation supports the giving portion of ICCFA with the motto of “making education accessible to our profession’s future leaders.”