THE KIT

Rhonda Neighbourly Lead from Hastings Central

Hi Neighbours and Friends,

Nice to see the sun shining in Hastings today.

Hooray for the school holidays!
I love having the kids at home.

Hey, talking of kids, I wonder if you have thought about doing a job for your kids to help them stay well if you die?

As a funeral celebrant, working with adult children when their Mum or Dad has died has opened my eyes to all kinds of things that families struggle with. Apart from the obvious grief of the loss of a parent, I see the next biggest hurdle is 'knowledge and time'.
There are so many things that as parents we 'know', but if we die, our kids may need or want to find out, and it takes them hours and hours, and sometimes they still can't find the answers.
And sometimes they get it wrong and it takes even longer to change the decision or information.

The same applies to your spouse. If you die, your spouse has to make many decisions and some of them, they might know, but others they might not know.

However, you know, or you can think about it and make a decision.
For example, I had a family recently, and they had arrived from out of town as their Mum had died. They didn't have a clue which funeral home to phone. They had no idea of which undertaker to call. So, they made a decision. The chosen funeral director and funeral home did a great job. The parent had been embalmed, clothes for parent had been selected, casket chosen, flowers, date and time for the funeral all set BUT the family had not realized that the funeral home they had chosen was not attached to the chapel they wanted. They had no idea that the chapel they wished to use belonged to a particular funeral home.

So no you can't use a funeral director from one funeral home and then 'borrow' the chapel belonging to another funeral home. It is like you can't turn up to The Mission for Dinner and ask Elephant Hill to deliver your dinner. The children had looked in the Will to see what the parent had wanted. All it said was to be cremated. That was it! Nothing else. So, then the family decided to 'flip-flop' between funeral homes. This way they got the chapel they wanted.
The stress, anxiety and clear extra upset were all huge.

It had not dawned on me that people didn't know that some venues like the Sailing Club, the Havelock North Function Centre, or a church if you belong to that church, can all be used by any of the funeral directors, but funeral chapels belong to individual funeral homes, and if you want to use one of them, you must use their funeral directors. This extra upset and stress could have all been saved if the parent had left their instructions and wishes clear.
So, my plea is simple- if you are a spouse or a parent, or you are on your own and your friends will have to make decisions about what to do when you die, please make sure you have your instructions for them to find and tell them where they are. At the very least, go and visit the funeral homes, get prices and work out whom you like and which funeral home you want to go through.

And please, write down the names of your parents, and where you were born! If you wish to do more than this and provide excellent quality information that almost every family needs - I have created a handy dandy KIT that has everything that I can think of that will make life so much easier for your family if you die.
Buy one, fill it in, and tell your family where it is.

A bit like your earthquake KIT.
Pack it, Park it, Put it on a shelf, and it can be Pulled out when it is needed!
Doesn't mean the house has not flooded or fallen down, but it does mean you have your torch, water, batteries, and emergency blanket, food etc. to help you get through.

Same thing with THE KIT. Doesn't mean you have not died!
But it will help your loved ones to stay well and get through in a much safer way.
If you would like The KIT, they are in three different colours (while in stock), *Turquoise/Blue/Silver
*Light Pink
*Green

Full Price is $25
Discount till the end of October for Neighbourly $20 - please say "Neighbourly"
For two people living at the same address, $5 extra for the secondary document required. The rest can be shared.
Collect in Hastings CBD - bring cash with you
Enquire about delivery costs. Internet banking or cash.

The KIT is extensive and has the scaffolding all there for you to fill in.
The feedback from the KITs has been positive.
There are 4 documents inside that give you all kinds of information.
Knowledge is power, and it means you are in control of what happens.
Moreover, it takes a colossal burden off your family and friends.

To Order please:

Email: RhondaDiprose@gmail.com
Text: 0278299984

Have a good weekend.
Blessings
Rhonda Diprose
Funeral Celebrant Hawke's Bay