In This Issue

We have revamped our committees!

 

Conference & Events:

TBD

 

Education:                  Susan Oppie & Cassandra Yonder

 

Fundraising:  

TBD

 

Finance:                        Lynn Barnett

 

Legislative:

Peg Lorenz

 

Membership:           

Zalene Corey &  

Sarah Crews

 

Public Relations:

Lee Webster &

Sarah Crews

 

Many hands make light work, as home funeral guides know. If you'd like to be part of any committee, you can join any time by contacting the chair. Go to About Us on our website for contact information. Welcome!

 

March, 2014

 

      We hope you find in this newsletter upcoming conferences, educational opportunities, information and connections that will advance the important work you are doing to bring funerals back home. Send us your news!

Thanks to Mary Woodsen for revisiting the statistics she first published in 2001 that have helped spread the word about eco-friendly burial practices! 

 

Here are some new stats:

- 4.3 million gallons of embalming fluid (827,060 gallons of which is formaldehyde)

- 64,500 tons of steel

- 20 million board feet of     hardwood for caskets

- 1.6 million tons of concrete

 

Learn more and include in your presentations:

Burial Statistics         Cremation Statistics

 and we have heard!

The survey results gathered from our members clearly favored holding a major conference every other year, and exploring options such as virtual conference opportunities as well as in-person. If you are interested in helping shape the next conference slated for 2015, please contact anyone on the Board. You can find all contact information for Board members on our website's About Us page.

Featuring

Order of the Good Death's

Caitlyn Doughty

 

And our own NHFA members providing demonstrations and presentations!

 

http://www.funerals.org/conference

Friday night screening of

A Will for the Woods

 

Saturday Conference with 

panelists, demonstrations, open forum 

• Discover the web of green(er) burial options
• Learn the practicalities of how to do a natural burial
• Discuss current practices and what families want
• Network with professionals who provide natural burial choices
  Go to EventBrite.com for tickets
  Contact Merilynne Rush for more information at 734.395.9660, mrush@afterdeathhomecare.com or visit
  www.AfterDeathHomeCare.com
  Download the poster and spread the word!

The EDRS in your state may inadvertently be preventing families from caring for their own dead by denying them access to death certificates and burial transit permits.

This new system allows state and town officials (medical examiners, doctors, hospitals, nursing homes, hospices, funeral directors, town clerks) to file death certificates directly into an electronic system. Unless specifically written, these new regulations may effectively deny families access to a paper death certificate and burial transit permit. To read more about EDRS, click here. And contact the Legislative Committee to learn what you can do to help.

JOIN OUR DIRECTORIES ANY TIME!

Our new directories are up on the website and waiting for you to join. It's easy! Just send information to nhfa.paper@gmail.com:

Name of Individual(s) * Name of Organization * Town or City, State

Phone * Email * Website * Directory or directories

* A jpeg. photo head shot, or logo for groups

 

JOIN OUR MONTHLY TELECONFERENCES

Don't miss the chance to talk with other home funeral advocates and ask questions person-to-person on our monthly teleconferences hosted by Heather Massey. The call is free and you can join every second Sunday at 8 p.m.

• March 9
• April 13
• May 11
• June 8
• July 13
• August 10

NHFA IN THE NEWS

Don't miss reading about NHFA as we enjoy more exposure in the mainstream press. Go to Resources>>Written & Visual>>Articles, Interviews, and Videos for recent home funeral features and/or The Press Room. And let us know about articles in your local newspapers, TV or radio stations!

 

We are happy to have you as a friend of the NHFA. We appreciate your support and look forward to working together in 2014 to advance the understanding of home funerals across the country.

Sincerely,
National Home Funeral Alliance