It’s an interesting, unprecedented time for the world. And for our new Alliance.
We would have never realized it during the January 2020 inaugural Board Meeting of the Funeral Consumers Alliance North Carolina (FCANC) held in Greensboro.
Launching a new state organization in the spring–the result of merging three regional chapters in our state–seemed like perfect timing for a new beginning.
Protecting consumers is now more important than ever, especially when price gouging is happening with everyday items we buy like toilet paper and disinfecting wipes.
As a grassroots, all volunteer, 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, we are focused on funeral consumer education and advocacy. We are dedicated to protecting a consumer’s right to choose an affordable funeral and help stop potential price gouging of funeral services and goods.
The COVID-19 pandemic is not only affecting the way we live, but also how we die. When there are local and state mandates preventing gatherings of more than 10 people, traditional funeral and memorial services are not happening. And a new phrase, like social distancing, has been added to our vernacular–distance grieving.
Joshua L. Slocum, executive director of Funeral Consumers Alliance, the national organization in which our state chapter is affiliated, has created a video where he discusses options for distance grieving. While self-isolating in his home office in Burlington, Vermont, he also addresses some of the anxiety everyone is feeling but not openly discussing for “fear of making other people nervous or because they feel morbid.”
Slocum’s The Daily Dirge March 25 blog post titled Funerals Postponed is also a good resource for those who want facts to alleviate their fears about dealing with death and end-of-life gatherings during a pandemic.
Some may think launching a new organization during a pandemic is bad timing. We think there’s no better time for North Carolinians to have an advocate and resource such as Funeral Consumers Alliance North Carolina.