Nationwide (March 22, 2021) – Connecting mission-driven veterans to a profession that is driven by a mission to serve is at the heart of the joint collaboration between the ICCFA Educational Foundation and the Funeral Service Foundation. The two non-profit organizations have teamed up to launch “Journey to Serve,” an initiative aimed at recruiting veterans for employment throughout the deathcare profession. The initiative launches on April 22 with a live virtual event featuring a keynote from Value of a Veteran CEO on “Why Hiring Vets Makes Good Business Sense.”
“Our two organizations came together to address an ongoing challenge that funeral service professionals continue to face: recruiting and retaining capable, focused staff,” said Foundation Chair Anthony Guerra and ICCFA Educational Foundation President Jim Price in a joint statement. “Military veterans embody the same strength of character that so often defines a funeral service professional. Through ‘Journey to Serve,’ we are honored to connect veterans with meaningful work that aligns with the values at the core of their military service, and at the same time, provide the profession with the tools and resources to recruit and retain talented employees.”
Funded equally by both foundations, and endorsed by ICCFA and NFDA, the initiative features tools and resources to aid in veteran recruitment on a local, regional and national scale. A promotional video offers a sneak peek:
Virtual Kick-Off
Funeral professionals are invited for a first look at the initiative during a virtual kick-off event at 1 p.m. CST on April 22. Lisa Rosser, CEO of The Value of a Veteran will deliver a keynote on “Regard, Recruit, Retain: 5 Reasons That Hiring Veterans Makes Good Business Sense – And How to Find Great Hires.” Registered event attendees will receive a free PDF copy of Rosser’s book “The Guide for Human Resource Professionals to Regarding, Recruiting & Retaining Military Veterans.”
“The men and women who serve their country and have successful military careers exhibit certain skills and traits – such as dedication, perseverance, and organizational ability – that are also well-suited to the funeral profession,” said Rosser, whose organization has helped more than 400 of the Fortune 1000 and many smaller organizations design and execute veteran recruitment and retention programs that get results.
Bob Arrington, founder and president of Arrington Funeral Directors in Jackson, Tennessee, and Jay Dodds, President/COO of Park Lawn Corporation will host the one-hour event, which will also showcase valuable recruiting tools and feature a question-and-answer session with Ms. Rosser.
“Encouraging military veterans to deploy their talents into all areas of our work benefits the entire profession,” said Dodds, ICCFA president, and Funeral Service Foundation trustee emeritus. “Professionals across the funeral service spectrum will find value in the program including cemeteries, cremation facilities, funeral homes, suppliers, mortuary science programs, and national, state and regional funeral associations.”
“The veterans on staff at Arrington Funeral Directors bring value to our firm and comfort to the families we serve,” said Arrington, Funeral Service Foundation immediate past chair and 2015-16 NFDA past president. “We’re honored to have Ms. Rosser join us for this exciting event and help us learn how we can engage our military heroes in our profession.”
Those interested in attending the free virtual launch may register at Journeytoservelaunch.com.
The tools featured during the launch event will be available free of charge to all funeral service professionals. The foundations are working with the Funeral Service Association of Canada (FSAC) to roll out Canadian-specific materials this summer. More information about the exciting joint initiative is forthcoming.
About the Funeral Service Foundation – FuneralServiceFoundation.org
Since 1945, the Funeral Service Foundation has served as the philanthropic voice of the funeral profession and has identified as the charitable arm of the National Funeral Directors Association since 1997. Donors and volunteer leaders, profession-wide, support the Foundation in its mission of investing in people and programs to strengthen funeral service and lift up grieving communities.
About the ICCFA Educational Foundation – iccfa.com/educational-foundation/
The ICCFA Educational Foundation, founded in 2005, seeks to make education accessible to the future leaders of the deathcare profession. It does this by awarding scholarships to the educational programs of the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association, as well as advancing initiatives designed to promote the profession and support the individuals who answer the call of service.