Corona Funerals

Todd Meierhoffer joins us to talk about how the coronavirus has affected funerals.

>> by now you probably realized funerals are looking much different than they used to.

It hasn't been easy for families but one local family is attempting to step in and head out in any way they can.

Todd meyerhoffer is with us.

It's very difficult to gather family and friends for a funeral.

How have you been dealing with the hurdle in the past weeks?

>> jodie, no different than any other business not only in our community but our nation.

We're all faced with the same struggles and challenges.

Something i think you know a lot of people don't want to think about in these times that families are experiencing deaths.

Loss of loved ones and we all know this is probably one of most traumatic and difficult times in anyone's life.

To think you have a loved one die and not be able to have your friend and maybe even family across the country come to pay their respects to something that is not normally part of our normal thinking.

So we certainly have been able to take advantage of technology.

Live streaming services have been extremely popular.

Obviously families understand the circumstances that we're all faced with this.

It's not something that's exclusive to anyone or inclusive to anyone.

And it has been nice for families to be able to live stream services.

We actually have the ability to digitally record services so families can actually shut those off and recording is saved via our website.

Meyerho meyerhoffer.com.

That's such a blessing for so many.

The other blessing you're helping out with the grief care fund.

6.6 million people filed for unemployment just this week.

Can you tell us how you're stepping in and helping families?

>> absolutely.

And again, this is a struggle for everyone.

And i would be remiss if i didn't say that our industry is affected.

In the day, you know, people think that the funeral industry is recession proof.

We are no different than the rest of our community.

When people have difficulty paying bills and making what they need to survive, we're affected.

But we're able to do something that's a little different than a lot of people in our industry in the terms of actually looking out the window.

Our family owning the area.

We have a little more flexibility in terms of how we are able to charge.

And the great care fund allows basically our family making the first donation and that donation could be, will be discounted services.

It could be discounted grave spaces and something our family thinks is very important for families to be able to take advantage of considering knowing that this is the most difficult time in anyone's life, not to mention the underlying circumstances that we're all faced with.

>> yeah, you say the emotional strain is hard right now and you're so right.

I know you never turned a family away.

From our community.

Thank you for being with that and running your business that way.

We're going to go ahead and put up information on the screened regarding the grief care fund.

Families are encouraged to call 816-212-3366 to donate and help with the fund.

>> absolutely, it's 100%.

One last thing and jodie as we all go through this and you see the comments on facebook.

That's the greatest thing we can all have is that we are in a crisis and we will come out stronger and better as a community.

It's really opened up i think a lot of people's eyes that we're all here together working together.

It's every industry.

Manufacturing restaurants.

Bars, we are all family-owned businesses in the community and working together to help each other.

>> todd, thank you so much for joining us.

Look forward to seeing you in the studio hopefully sooner later.

>>