It’s only September and November may seem like a long time away, yet for busy funeral professionals Veterans Day will arrive before you know it, so start planning now and be prepared when November 11 arrives. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- In September or October invite your local honor guard commanders to your funeral home in uniform along with their rifle team and take a photo of them that you can use to recognize their service. Be sure to make this about more than a photo op – have lunch together with the commanders and your staff.
- Use that photo near Veterans Day in social media posts or even an ad in your local newspaper to thank them for their service to their fellow GIs as each is laid to rest. Caption the photo: Served their country while in active duty and still serving their fellow veterans today.
- Spotlight veterans helping veterans by raising awareness of those who volunteer at your local VA, your local honor guards, rifle teams, suicide hotlines, VA Centers or other veteran-focused organizations.
- Make a list of the names of those volunteers and personally write them a thank you note on behalf of you and your staff.
- Make a donation to a local veteran organization from your funeral home or sponsor one of their events.
- Carve out staff time to allow them to volunteer a short time each month for a local veterans group.
- Invite all veterans you have in your pre-need files to your local Veterans Day event.
- Reach out to the families of the veterans you have served in the past year and let them know that you were honored to serve their family member and that you are thinking about them this Veterans Day.
- Post a list on social media or run an ad in your local newspaper with the names of every veteran your funeral home served in the past year.
- Consider holding a community remembrance service for all of the families you have served in mid-November, as the holidays approach, and recognize veterans as part of your service.
- Want to do something a little bit out of the ordinary? Consider helping out the canines who have served by supporting a charity that rehomes retired military dogs or transports them from their country of service back to their handler in the United States.
- Also look into ways to support charities that train and place dogs with veterans to serve them as their emotional support animal or service dog. You can find a list of some of these organizations here: https://iheartdogs.com/10-nonprofits-that-help-k9s-and-veterans/
No matter how your funeral home honors veterans this Veterans Day, just do something to show your admiration and respect to all who have served our country through their military service.
“America’s veterans have served their country with the belief that democracy and freedom are ideals to be upheld around the world.” John Doolittle