Funeral Consumers Alliance of Western Massachusetts

The 2008 Annual Meeting of the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Western Massachusetts
featured a talk on Bringing Green Burial to Western Massachusetts by Mark Harris, author of Grave Matters: A Journey through the Modern Funeral Industry to a Natural Way of Burial. He presented "a visual tour of this country's growing green burial movement."

Green burial, also called natural burial, is the most ecologically friendly way of disposing of one's body after death. It is also more traditional than the type of burial conventionally used today, as prior to the 1860s bodies were buried without embalming, steel caskets or concrete vaults. The talk was followed by Q&A, a short business meeting, and book signing.

MORE on our new special page:
Green Burial in Western Massachusetts, Questions and Answers

Read a Boston Globe article on Green Burial in Massachusetts
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2009/03/05/going_green/

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New Link on the LINKS PAGE
Obituaries Help
http://www.obituarieshelp.org/obituaries_hub.html
Obituaries Help is a helpful resource (maintained by volunteers) for a person
looking for guidance in composing obituaries, expressing condolence/sympathy and more.

Check out the following:

SPEAKERS NOW AVAILABLE FOR YOUR GROUP
On the topic of "What to Know ... Before you Go"
- see details on the PROVIDERS PAGE

FUNERAL HOME PRICE SURVEY 2008
Now available in association with our Funeral Home Listings

Check out our Links Page:

Recently added article on Home Funerals: In this Smithsonian article, the author compares funerals, and "discovers the surprising satisfactions of a home funeral."
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/39458992.html

Did you know . . . ?

• Most individuals never share their funeral or burial wishes with their family members. FCAWM members receive forms and instructions on how to communicate this information, sparing relatives from difficult, expensive decisions.

• The average cost of a conventional funeral in the U.S. is now over $6,500 — before you get to the cemetery!
FCAWM members learn how to purchase simpler services for a fraction of the cost.

• Embalming and fancy caskets are not required for cremation or burial.
FCAWM members avoid unnecessary procedures and expenses by pre-planning.

• Your safety deposit box is a poor place to store your funeral instructions.
FCAWM members learn who to notify before the time of death.

• When a body is not displayed, memorial services can be held almost anywhere.
FCAWM members learn about various options, including community halls, churches, synagogues and parks.

FAQ - Questions we have been asked about FCAWM

Q: Is the book Dealing Creatively with Death (14th edition) still available?
A: Yes; contact FCA in South Burlington, Vermont, at 1-800-765-0107.

Q: Does FCAWM hold final arrangements documents that might have been filed in the past by members of the late Springfield Memorial Society?
A: It is not clear to us whether this organization ever did maintain such files, but we do not have any files of that kind now.

Q: Does FCAWM have any special or discount arrangements with funeral providers for its members?
A: No; our priority at this time is to provide pricing information from area funeral homes through our biennial survey.

Planning Ahead - THE NEED FOR ADVANCE PLANNING

Have you considered what immediate decisions must be made by your family when you die?

Have you and your family discussed these decisions and arrived at an understanding?

Do your present plans provide for memorial or funeral arrangements that you and your family would really want?

If your answer to any of these questions is “no,” you may not be facing the eventuality of death realistically. When death occurs in a family that has done no advance planning, the survivors may accept conventional and costly funeral arrangements because of social pressure, emotional stress, or lack of time.

Planning ahead is the most loving gift you can give to your family and friends. By making plans now, you can make your last wishes known and ease the burden on your survivors. Then, instead of having to figure out what you might have wanted and how to pay for it, your family can focus on grieving their loss and celebrating your life.

About Us - FUNERAL ADVICE YOU CAN TRUST

The Funeral Consumers Alliance of Western Massachusetts is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to helping our neighbors make funeral or memorial arrangements that are dignified, meaningful and affordable.

We achieve this goal through consumer education outreach, including group presentations, funeral home price surveys, our newsletter and other printed materials, and individual consultations. We serve primarily residents in the four counties of Western Massachusetts: Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire.

Founded in 1959 and incorporated as the Springfield Memorial Society (later known as the Memorial Society of Western Massachusetts), we changed our name in 2001 to emphasize our consumer focus. FCA of Western Massachusetts is one of over 100 similar groups across the country, supported by our affiliation with the national Funeral Consumers Alliance, Inc. (http://www.funerals.org) whose national office is in Vermont. This affiliation allows reciprocal arrangements for members who travel in or move to other parts of the country.

We are run solely by volunteers, and have no attachment to the funeral industry or any religious group. Our membership is open to all.

We can provide information that you will need for advance planning and that will help you to put your beliefs into practice. We do not presume to change or interfere in any way with existing beliefs or ceremonies.

Other than information, we provide no services. We do not, ourselves, provide funeral or memorial services, care of the body, disposition of human remains (burial, cremation or donation) or any type of insurance, trust, or other financial arrangement to cover the cost of such services. Nor do we normally negotiate on behalf of individual consumers with those who do provide such services.

We do not charge for the information we provide. We ask only for donations to help our Alliance cover its costs. Because we do not have 501(c)(3) status, donations are not generally tax deductible. A donation does entitle you to the benefits of membership.

The Membership Page describes the benefits of membership and provides links to the application form as well as a list of helpful brochures that are available.

The Providers Page presents information about funeral homes, crematories, and retail casket outlets serving Western Massachusetts and an introduction to the basic information you should have before contacting these providers as part of planning final arrangements for yourself or others. Learn how to arrange for one of our members to speak to your group on the topic of "What to Know ... Before you Go".

The Links Page provides access to the wealth of information including that on the national Funeral Consumers Alliance website. Both our federal and state website links include very helpful consumer oriented sections in addition to the actual regulations and laws which govern what funeral directors, crematory and cemetery operators can and cannot do in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Additional links lead to information on many other topics related to end of life issues.

Current Trustees
Don Bourcier, Wilbraham
Ted Ennis, Amherst
Cecelia Lewonchuk, Springfield
Joan Pillsbury, Gill
Will Thayer, Springfield
Sandy Ward, Holyoke

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