Hugs From Home, Celebrating Life Together in a Time of Separation

One of the most difficult effects that COVID-19 is having on society is how it disrupts the natural grieving process. Not only does the pandemic prevent people from being physically present with loved ones in their final hours, but it also interrupts the tradition of bringing family and friends together to celebrate life and say their goodbyes.

For the entire team at Van Orsdel, this is nothing short of heartbreaking, but we are continuously searching for new tools to help grieving people celebrate their loved ones in a shared, connected way, while still respecting the need for physical distancing.

One of the newest tools we’ve added to support this is a service called Hugs from Home.

Since physical attendance at services is now strictly limited, Hugs from Home offers loved ones the chance to share a token of their love and support. To participate, just visit our Hugs from Home landing page and complete the online form. Our team will transcribe your message of support on a handwritten card that’s then attached to a white balloon.

These beautiful white balloons fill our chapel as physical symbols of hugs, thoughts and prayers for the family in attendance. They will be able to read each and every one of your heartfelt messages and know just how many others are there with them in spirit, sharing the experience from a distance.

To help bring people together in their time of loss, we also have an online obituary section with digital guest books that you can sign from any device, plus options to send gifts, flowers and more. You may even call our office and have us add your name to the guest books.

Van Orsdel provides complimentary live streaming in certain areas of our buildings for family and friends that are unable to attend the funeral service. We also encourage the use of live streaming through social media channels as a means of allowing your loved ones view the service.

Again, our family and staff are here to serve, protect and honor each family as we have been for over 96 years. If you have any questions or concerns please feel to call any of our locations or send us an email. We will continue to post updates on new services and offerings as they are added.