There are many things you can do to support a friend through their loved one’s final service. Many people send flower to funeral homes, and that’s always a nice thing to do. However, you might want to send a sympathy card with some money in it to let them know you are there to help however you can. Money is always well received as the family can use it for the final services, or to make a donation in their loved one’s honor. Here are some details that can help you put together a nice tribute to the person who passed away.
You are going to want to donate whatever you feel comfortable with. There’s really no set amount. Think about how much you might spend on flowers, if you were sending those, and send the money instead of buying the flowers. Most people will spend $20-100 and that can help give you a guideline of how much you might want to spend. Any amount you feel you can afford is going to be appreciated.
You can send the money to the funeral home with the family member’s name on the envelope and they will pass it along to you. You can also send the card directly to the family members if you have their address and want to mail it to their home. You can even bring the card along with you if you are going to attend the funeral service. There is usually a basket to place cards in at a table in the back of the room.
You will want to make the check out to the family member you are sending it to and they can cash it and distribute it as they feel led. It makes it easier for them to decide what to do with it when they can easily cash it and then do what is necessary with it.
If the family has asked for people to make donations somewhere specific in lieu of sending flowers, that can be a nice thing to do. Even if the family hasn’t specified a place for a donation, you can send money to a charity you feel the person would appreciate. Let the family know what you have done so they know how you honored their loved one. You can also give the family money and let them know that you’d like them to donate it to a charity of their choice in honor of their loved one. It will get somewhere special through them, that way.
When you think about supporting a family working with funeral homes on final services for a loved one, sending money and a sympathy card is a popular thing to do. Contact the professionals at Hopler & Eschbach Funeral Home if you want other ideas or need help coming up with amounts and other details.