 Before the Funeral
- Offer to notify the friend and family about the funeral
arrangements. Make sure you keep a record of everyone contacted.
- Bring prepared meals for the family.
- Recruit volunteers to help with house cleaning, dishes, and yard
work.
- Help answer phones and greet visitors.
- Keep a record of call and visitors.
- Help coordinate the food and beverages for family and friends
after the funeral .
- Offer to serve food and beverages after the services.
- Help with grocery shopping or recruit a volunteer to do the
shopping.
- Offer housing and transportation to and from the airport for out
of town friends and family.
- Make arrangements for extra seating for the gathering after the
funeral.
- Prepare a dish following the service.
The Day of the Funeral
- Help with direction.
- Provide transportation to those who need it.
- Offer to transport flowers after the funeral.
- Coordinate the volunteers duties such as preparing a buffet table,
- Make sure extra seating is set up.
- Help prepare and serve food and beverages.
- Help with the clean up.
- Be patient, loving and emotionally supportive.
Helping with Healing
- Help with the correspondence and Thank you notes.
- Talk about the deceased and encourage others to do so.
- Prepare meals for the bereaved and invite them to dinner often.
- Offer to go to the cemetery or place where the remains reside.
- Offer to help with yard and house chores.
- Offer to house sit if the bereaved desires to visit out of town
friends or relative.
- Offer to care for the children (if any) for a afternoon or
weekend.
- Offer to spend the night if the bereaved is alone.
- Give your support and encouragement with little cards.
- If the bereaved has a pet or pets offer to walk or care for them.
- Be prepared to support them during difficult periods such as
birthdays, anniversaries, holidays and anniversary of death.
- Listen to their concerns and help in the areas you can.
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