For Immediate Release: August 19, 2019
Brookfield, Wis. – The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) has debuted two new public service announcements (PSAs) created to educate families about the importance of meaningful funerals and the value of funeral directors. These new PSAs are part of NFDA’s Remembering A Life consumer outreach and education initiative and are available for use by association members at no charge.
Individuals often have specific ideas about what they want at their funeral (or whether they even want a funeral), but who is the funeral ultimately for? How, if at all, should the needs of loved ones be considered when planning a service? In the “Funerals Are for the Living” PSA, we see two real families and a group of friends explore this and other questions.
When a member shares this PSA in his or her community, they will motivate family members and friends to get involved in the conversation and express their wants and needs as they begin the grieving process and inspire people who didn’t want a funeral to reconsider their decision.
Funeral professionals know the value a funeral can provide to families as they begin the grief journey following the death of a loved one. Funeral directors also know the value they provide in creating a meaningful experience. It can, however, sometimes be difficult to express this to a family. The “Value of Funerals & Funeral Directors” PSA shares this message in an eloquent way. Thoughtful words and imagery beautifully communicate the healing power of funerals and the important role funeral directors play in guiding families through the process.
When an NFDA member shares this PSA in his or her community, they will encourage families to have meaningful funerals, inspire families to incorporate creative elements into funerals and educate families about the important role of funeral directors.
Both PSAs also encourage people to visit NFDA’s consumer education site, www.RememberingALife.com to learn more about meaningful funerals and start the conversation. Two additional Remembering A Life PSAs will debut later this year.
These new PSAs complement the two others that made their debut during the 2018 NFDA International Convention & Expo. These PSAs, which targeted people who lose a loved one under tragic circumstances, encourage families to memorialize their loved ones, regardless of how they died.
When a someone dies of an overdose, it can lead to strong emotions, especially among children. The PSA “When a Parent Dies of an Overdose” shows that having a funeral gives the family, particularly children, an opportunity to remember their loved one and the good times they had.
Families may not always agree with the life decisions made by a loved one, especially if they involve illegal activity. The second PSA, “Remembering A Good Friend Who Made Bad Decisions,” discusses the importance of coming together to reflect on a loved one’s entire life history and remembering happier times.
NFDA is sharing all four PSAs with consumers on the www.RememberingALife.com website and social media sites. Consumers who, after viewing a PSA choose to visit www.RememberingALife.com, will find a wide range of information about planning a meaningful funeral. Consumers can also search for an NFDA-member funeral home using the “Find a Funeral Home” feature.
The PSAs are also available to NFDA members for use in the community, such as by posting them on a funeral home website, sharing them on social media, using them as part of community presentations or working with local or cable TV stations to run the spots as public service announcements on broadcast television. The PSAs may also, in certain circumstances, be appropriate to share with a family that is planning a service.
Funeral professionals can view the PSAs by visiting the NFDA website, www.nfda.org/psas. Association members who are interested in using any or all of the PSAs in the outreach efforts can find information about obtaining them on www.nfda.org/psas.
About NFDA
NFDA is the world's leading and largest funeral service association, serving more than 20,000 individual members who represent nearly 11,000 funeral homes in the United States and 49 countries around the world. NFDA is the trusted leader, beacon for ethics and the strongest advocate for the profession. NFDA is the association of choice because it offers funeral professionals comprehensive educational resources, tools to manage successful businesses, guidance to become pillars in their communities and the expertise to foster future generations of funeral professionals. NFDA is headquartered in Brookfield, Wis., and has an office in Washington, D.C. For more information, please contact 800-228-6332 or visit https://www.nfda.org/.
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Contact: Jessica Koth (NFDA), 262-814-1536, jkoth@nfda.org