Contacting Family and Friends

Those closest to the honoree should be notified by you, a family member or close friend of the family. You can do this by phone or in person. If they were members of a church, club or other organization, contact one person they knew well and ask them to let others know within the organization.

Keep everyone informed

People will want to know more information about how they can show their support. Consider creating a free Heart2Soul Community to post information about the services, organize food calendars and stay informed about your decisions regarding the services. Don't feel pressured to create the site before making the calls. Ask for their email address and send them a link when it's up or have them search for your site. Once they've logged in, they will receive notification every time you add new information.

Some people who will need to be notified are:

• Close friends and family
• Employer
• Social organizations
• Church
• Clubs
• Schools
• Alumni associations
• Other people you will need to notify are:
  Lawyer, insurance carrier, veterans office, doctor, executor

Using Technology

The Internet and social media have revolutionized our lives in ways we never imagined. Shopping. Banking. Dating. It is no surprise, then, that the Internet and new technologies are also changing the way we mourn and ritualize death. This is one of the reasons we created Heart2Soul: To help people navigate online funeral information and connect from all corners of the world.

Peggy Post, director and spokesperson for The Emily Post^® Institute, says it's OK to use technology to communicate the news of a death with friends and family, but there are two things you should keep in mind when informing others:

• Whenever possible, tell people closest to the honoree in person or on the telephone.
• To avoid hurt feelings, wait until an announcement has been made before sharing the information on a social networking site such as Facebook.

Heart2Soul Community

The Heart2Soul Community is a free, online community. It is designed to help communicate details regarding funeral services to family members, friends, colleagues and distant contacts all across the globe. Family members and guests who sign in to the community can share photos and videos and sign up for email alerts to receive up-to-date service information. Messages and condolences can be left on a customized guestbook. You can even sign up to deliver a meal or volunteer to help the family with errands.