Month: September 2024

When a loved one passes away, it’s important to remember them with love and respect. While navigating loss is often emotionally challenging, there are many practical decisions that must be made. One of these is the choice of clothing to dress the departed in for their viewing and funeral service. Many families choose to dress their deceased loved ones in the outfit they would have worn in life. This can be a comforting gesture and a way to honor their unique personality and style. If the departed had specific instructions or requests, it’s always a good idea to honor those wishes. However, not all families have this information to draw on and may need help in deciding what kind of clothing would be best for their loved one. In this article, we will explore some of the key considerations for choosing burial clothes and offer some helpful tips. When choosing burial clothes for a loved one, consider their lifestyle and personality. Were they someone who tended towards formal attire or was their style more laidback and casual? Did they follow particular cultural or religious customs? If they did, honoring these traditions can add a profound layer of meaning and respect to their funeral ceremony. Many people find it comforting to dress their loved one in a favorite pair of jeans or a tee shirt they enjoyed wearing in their lifetime. Likewise, it can be very moving to have them dressed in the soft and comfortable robes they might have worn as night gowns or pyjamas in their later years. These kinds of clothing can symbolize how much they were loved and cared for in their lifetime and are a powerful way to remember them. Alternatively, some people prefer to have their departed buried in an ensemble that is more reflective of their final journey. In the past, this might have been a full-length dress or suit, but now there are also plenty of options that mimic these types of garments. These types of clothing are typically made from soft, silky fabrics that feel comfortable against the skin. They are designed to be easy for the funeral director to dress the departed in and come in a wide range of attractive colors and sizes. Some are also designed to be trimmed with embroidery or other decoration that can commemorate the departed. Clothes with metal, rubber or plastic are usually unsuitable for burial because they can cause damage to the casket. Clothes that are too tight can be uncomfortable on the body and may become blotchy after embalming fluid has been applied. For this reason, it’s a good idea to choose loose-fitting clothing for the departed. If you need guidance in navigating the delicate process of selecting burial clothes for your loved one, don’t hesitate to reach out to family members and friends for support. In addition, a skilled funeral director can provide valuable input and understanding during this difficult time.

When it comes to preserving wedding gowns, many brides opt to keep their gown as a keepsake or pass it down to the next generation. Others participate in the popular “destroy the dress” trend, taking their wedding gown out for a swim or allowing it to be artfully slashed. But wedding gowns can have a much longer life when they’re donated to a charity, according to Zola, a wedding website. The site lists several ways brides can give their dresses a second life, including passing them on to family members or donating them to local thrift stores or charities. Some of the charities that accept wedding dress donations have a singular focus, like breast cancer, or are meant to help women who can’t afford a traditional wedding gown. In the US, Goodwill accepts almost any item of clothing and sells them in its thrift stores at a discounted price. But wedding dresses aren’t usually accepted because they are a bit more difficult to store and maintain than most other items. And one wrong move could rip the delicate lace or pull the beads apart. That’s why it’s important to make sure your dress is in great condition before attempting to donate it, explains Beth Chapman, owner of The White Dress by the Shore. The first step is to contact the organization to check their specific donation requirements. For example, most charities and thrift shops that resell gowns will only accept ones that were designed within the last five years. Another option is to contact a bridal store in your area to see if they have a gown donation program. For example, the Brides Project in Ann Arbor, Michigan, accepts wedding dresses and sells them to raise money for free programming for families impacted by cancer. Its gowns must be from the last five years to be accepted, but the charity offers a tax deduction for donors. The faith-based organization Adorned in Grace accepts wedding dresses for sale in its shops in Oregon and Washington. The sales proceeds are used to support its youth mentoring programs, outreach events, and more in its fight against human trafficking. Other organizations that accept gowns include Brides Against Breast Cancer, which sells wedding dresses and other bridal accessories to benefit early breast cancer awareness and detection. And Wish Upon A Wedding, which helps military brides and their families by offering free wedding gowns to them during Operation Wedding Gown twice a year. Brides Against Breast Cancer and Wish Upon A Wedding also offer online donation forms. And for a more global impact, you can send your wedding gown to Oxfam, which is an international organization that strives to reduce poverty through fair trade and fighting injustices and inequalities.

When a family loses a baby, whether it be in the womb or shortly after birth, it is one of the most devastating experiences they will ever have to endure. Oftentimes, the loss is sudden and completely unexpected. This heartbreak creates an internal poverty that leaves them feeling suffocated and hopeless. NICU Helping Hands has found a way to provide some comfort to families with the gift of beautiful infant burial gowns called angel gowns. These are made from wedding dresses and are offered to hospitals, birthing centers, funeral homes, and directly to families in need of a final dress for their precious angels. A few years ago, Hillary Grubbs, a neonatologist at Baylor All Saints Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas, started her own nonprofit organization to provide the gowns for bereaved parents. Grubbs’ effort was fueled by the desire to give back after her own experiences with miscarriages and stillbirths. In just a few months, she and a handful of volunteer seamstresses have repurposed more than 2,500 wedding dresses to create the angel gowns. The dresses are not only a source of solace to the grieving families, but they also serve as a reminder that their babies were loved and will always be remembered. Grubbs and her team work tirelessly to ensure the gowns are distributed as widely as possible to hospitals, birthing centers, and funeral homes all across the country. Each wedding dress yields between 12 and 20 angel gowns. In the US alone, 1 in 4 women experience a loss during pregnancy or soon after, and that’s why it is so important for people to donate their wedding dresses to the Angel Gowns Project. The process is simple and easy: Step 1: Donate your dress online. Step 2: Receive an email with instructions on how to package and ship your dress along with a short information sheet. Step 3: Your dress is safely shipped to your amazing seamstress in Guatemala or the United States where it is repurposed into an angel gown. Step 4: Your beautiful gown is then delivered to hospitals, birthing centers, funeral homes and directly to grieving families – free of charge. At UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital in Long Beach, California, the tiniest patients and their families are cared for by a team of dedicated professionals who are committed to providing the highest quality of care. Offering the latest advances in pediatric sub-specialties, innovative therapies, and specialized emotional support, the hospital strives to deliver compassionate, family-centered care to each child and their family. In partnership with Angel Gowns of South Bay, NICU Helping Hands is pleased to be able to offer these beautiful angel gowns to our tiniest patients and their families. Pictured above are Liberty, Manager of Labor & Delivery and Silvia Noriega from Angel Gowns of South Bay making their first delivery of these lovely gowns to our NICU families.

If you decide to hold a funeral or memorial service for your child, there are many things that you can do to help make the experience as pleasant and as meaningful as possible. Children often have difficulty coping with the death of a loved one, so it is important that they are given the opportunity to grieve and say goodbye in their own way. If your child is old enough to understand, you should involve them in the preparation for the funeral or memorial service. This will allow them to see what the service will be like and can help them make a decision about whether or not they want to attend. It is also a good time to discuss your own religious beliefs about life and death, as well as what to expect during the service. When planning your child’s funeral, make sure to include any family members who will be attending. This will give your child a chance to meet and greet people they will be seeing during the service and can help ease them into the experience. If your child is old enough, you may want to consider inviting their friends and classmates to the service as well. This can be a wonderful opportunity for them to share memories of your child with each other and can help them feel less alone during their own time of mourning. A funeral is a difficult and confusing time for any child, but it can be especially hard for toddlers and young children. It is important to explain what will happen during the service and to listen to their questions and concerns. It is also a good idea to plan ahead and have an activity available for them to do in case they get restless or overwhelmed. Most funeral homes and cemeteries have a special room where you can invite family and friends to gather with the children and participate in activities that will be comforting to them. This can include coloring and crafts, writing a letter or poem, signing a photo frame, or even just having a snack. You should also ask a friend to help create and manage this space during the service so that you can focus on your child. Depending on the age of your child, you may also choose to have an open casket or urn at the service. If this is the case, it is a good idea to have someone available to answer their questions and help them feel comfortable when they approach the casket. This person can also reassure them that they are not afraid of touching their sibling’s body and that they have the choice to do so if they choose to. You should also plan for your child to be able to leave the service at any time if they begin to become overwhelmed. It is a good idea to have a designated adult who can take them out for a quick break or let them go back to their parents if they need to.

Whether you’re shopping for your own newborn or planning to help out with baby shower gifts, the right clothing is key. Newborns and infants need soft, breathable fabrics with minimal seams to avoid irritation. You also want clothes that snap or zip open so you can get them on and off easily, especially if your baby is fussy or has trouble sitting up or rolling over. One-piece outfits, including bodysuits, rompers and sleepers, make diaper changes quick and easy and hold diapers in place. They’re also easy to dress, especially with the addition of a diaper cover or a hoodie for extra warmth. Onesies are a staple item in any baby’s wardrobe. They’re available in many different styles, from simple solids to patterned prints. They’re ideal for layering, and some have features such as mitten cuffs or a built-in footie pajama to eliminate the need for socks or booties. Onesies with snaps in the crotch are easier to take off for diaper changes and when babies are ready to start crawling or walking. Rompers are another great one-piece option for daytime wear. They’re often roomier than baby tees and have features such as snaps on the legs for easy access when dressing, a lap tee neck to reduce the likelihood of slipping while breastfeeding, and an open back that makes it easier to put on a jacket or blanket for cold weather. Some rompers even have a hood and mitten cuffs for extra warmth. Babies grow quickly, so it’s a good idea to stock up on several sizes of each type of garment. Some newborns are larger than what the label says, so you may need to size up or down based on your baby’s weight and length measurements. Having some hand-me-downs from older siblings is also a good idea, as they’re often available in the same sizes as your baby and will last a long time. When it comes to shoes, sizing varies by brand, just as it does for clothing. For this reason, it’s a good idea to shop in person and try on some pairs. You’ll be able to eyeball the fit and feel whether they’re comfortable enough for your child. Look for clothing with minimal fasteners and no beading, threads, ties or attachments that can pose a choking risk. Baby shoes should be easy to slip on and off, while baby coats or snowsuits should have zippers or snaps that open from the top instead of buttons. If your baby has a skin condition such as eczema, it’s also important to keep this in mind when choosing clothing. Clothing with a low fire hazard label is another thing to consider, and you may want to choose fabrics that are also organic or eco-friendly.

Choosing burial clothes is an important decision to make for a loved one who has passed. It’s a chance to honor their unique personality and beliefs. If you’re not sure where to start, try looking in their closet for items they enjoyed wearing. You may also want to consider their cultural background and religious beliefs when making your selections. A traditional suit: A well-fitting, dark-colored suit is a classic choice for a casket outfit. Choose a dress shirt with a crisp white or light blue collar, and match it with tailored dress pants in a complementary color. Top off the look with a conservative tie and polished dress shoes. For women, a formal blouse and skirt ensemble is another option that’s easy to coordinate with any type of suit. Opt for a simple, button-down dress shirt in a subdued shade like white or gray, and pair it with tailored dress pants. Add a belt to keep the outfit in place, and finish off the look with polished dress shoes. For men, a suit jacket with matching pants is another classic style that’s easy to coordinate with any formal outfit. Choose a neutral color, such as charcoal gray, navy blue, or black, and complete the look with a crisp white dress shirt and a conservative necktie. For an added touch, wear a matching pair of dark sunglasses and polished dress shoes. Burial gowns: Many funeral homes offer a variety of clothing options for their clients to choose from. For example, they may offer a linen shroud that’s suitable for green funerals at woodland burial grounds. This shroud is designed to resemble a hospital gown, and it features an opening that goes all the way down the back so the body can be easily dressed while lying in a supine position during preparation. There are also a number of companies that sell burial clothes directly to the public. For example, LH Design has 16 different colors of dresses in their lace styles and eight different shades of beaded pearl dresses. They also have a range of sizes to accommodate men and women of all shapes and sizes. Keep in mind that if your loved one is being cremated, it’s likely that any items of clothing you select will be destroyed during the cremation process. For this reason, it’s best to discuss any specific clothing requests with your funeral director. Some people prefer to have their loved ones buried or cremated in their own clothes. In such cases, it’s usually acceptable to have a few personal items placed in the casket, such as a favourite book or wedding ring. However, some clothing items can cause damage to the casket during the cremation process, so it’s essential that you check with your funeral home about what items are allowed.

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If you decide to donate your wedding dress, you’re not only helping a charity or giving a bride-to-be a chance at their dream gown — you’re also doing good for the environment. Clothing that is thrown away contributes to landfills, which releases toxic chemicals into the air and water, which, in turn, affect our health. According to GreenDrop, the production of new clothes and textiles accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions. In addition, discarded dresses take up space that could be used for something more valuable – like another gown for a second wedding, or a quilt for a new home. If you’re thinking about donating yours, here are some of the best places and organizations that accept wedding gown donations. Many bridal shops that offer preowned gowns for sale accept dress donations as well. However, before you drop off your wedding dress for donation it’s a good idea to have it professionally cleaned first. Not only will this make the dress look more attractive to potential buyers, but it will also help protect your gown from stains and other damages that might happen while in storage. Depending on the location, some bridal stores and charities require the gowns be no more than five years old and be in perfect condition. Before bringing your wedding gown to a store, check the website or contact the store’s client service to receive specific details on their dress donation guidelines. Some charities and thrift stores specialize in accepting wedding dress donations. For example, a shop that’s part of St Ann’s Hospice in Greater Manchester hosts speciality shops that sell both new and preloved gowns and attire. Proceeds from the sales support the hospice’s activities, making this a meaningful place to donate your wedding dress in the UK. Other charities that accept wedding gowns include Adorned in Grace and Operation Deploy Your Dress. Both of these groups work to raise money and awareness for sex trafficking victims and their families. They accept gowns for their online boutique and use the proceeds from sales to provide professional counseling and education to sex trafficking survivors and promote anti-trafficking efforts in local communities. The Angel Gown Program by NICU Helping Hands takes donated wedding dresses and turns them into memorial gowns for babies who died during or shortly after birth. These are then provided for free to grieving parents. The program is located across the country and works with talented seamstresses and tailors who volunteer their time to repurpose the dresses into infant burial gowns, bonnets, and other keepsake items for grieving families. A wedding dress is often the most expensive item in a bride’s wardrobe. For this reason, some people choose to keep theirs and pass it on to their daughters or granddaughters. This is a beautiful and thoughtful option, but it’s important to remember that it is ultimately your choice to donate or keep your gown. If you’re keeping it, just be sure to properly store it so that it stays pristine and safe in storage for generations.

The loss of a baby is the most devastating thing a parent can experience. For families whose infants have died before, during or shortly after birth, special garments called angel gowns can provide a moment of comfort and peace. The tiny dresses are crafted from donated wedding gowns and are gifted to grieving parents to use for their child’s final photographs, memorial services or burial. The gowns are handmade by volunteer seamstresses who transform bridal wear into one-of-a-kind gowns for infants lost far too soon. Hundreds of these gowns, which can also be used as cocoons and buntings, have been sewed by volunteers for babies who were miscarried, stillborn or died shortly after birth. The volunteers, who are all women, say that snipping and sewing their wedding dress for an angel baby is healing for them, too. After losing her son Noah in 2014, Haley Clark purchased a wedding dress that she never wore and was planning to donate it. However, she found out that another local woman — Colleen Angel, known as Grandma Angel — also makes little angel gowns out of wedding dresses for premature babies. Angel agreed to take Clark’s dress and sewed it into at least 16 tiny angel gowns, all with blue butterflies embroidered on them for girls or boys and matching fabric hearts or bow ties. “They were perfect,” Clark said of the gowns. “They were so soft and just beautiful. I knew that’s what Noah would have wanted.” Clark’s gowns were delivered to Baptist, UAMS and Ouachita Memorial hospitals in Camden. The angel gowns are made by volunteer seamstresses all over the world. In the United States, there are more than 60 volunteer groups. Some are national, others are small, neighborhood-based groups. Several of them are run by mothers who have suffered the same loss and want to help other families. One of the national groups is the Angel Gowns of America, which has an international program, as well. In the international program, donors can follow the beautiful journey of their donated dress to a developing country (Guatemala is currently the destination) and even virtually meet with the seamstress who has created the angel gown for them. The international program also allows donors to keep some of the dresses to donate locally, as well. The American group has two local chapters in Michigan — the NICU Helping Hands and the Angel Gowns of South Bay. The NICU Helping Hands group at Sparrow has been making angel gowns for years, and members recently honored Kalahar by giving her $500 for the work she does on behalf of local families. For Mayo Clinic nurses who have had to care for children and their families dealing with the loss of a newborn, the gowns are a source of comfort and hope. “When you lose a baby, it’s heart-wrenching, and you feel this internal poverty,” says nurse Lynn Gaber, who works in the cardiovascular surgery ICU at Mayo Clinic. “When we can give these gowns to parents, it helps them to feel like there is some sort of purpose.”

When a baby or child passes away, the decision to hold a funeral service or memorial is one that needs careful consideration. It is a very emotional and sensitive process that can be especially difficult for young children. This article discusses how to plan a child funeral to make the experience as comfortable and meaningful for the family as possible. During the planning process, it is important to ask your child what they want. This will help them understand that they are able to choose their level of participation. It will also allow you to set realistic expectations about their ability to handle the event. If they do choose to attend, it is recommended that you appoint someone they trust as their “funeral buddy.” This is a trusted friend or family member who will be there for them throughout the services and activities and will help explain what they are experiencing. This person will be able to take them outside or into the hallway for a quick break if they are struggling. It is also a good idea to give them a small token to carry during the services like a butterfly, bracelet or stuffed animal. This will allow them to connect with their sibling during the services and later serve as a reminder. Consider a small ceremony that is held at home or in a location that feels special to the family. This can be a time for family and friends to come together to share photos, memories, anecdotes and reminisce. It can also be a chance for people to pay their respects to the baby or child. It may be helpful to include readings during the service from a favorite book, the lyrics to a lullaby or hymn, a poem and letters written by parents or other loved ones. It can also be a great idea to include a slideshow with special photos of the baby or child, a poster, prayer cards and more. Disciple Press can provide you with these and many other customized printing options to help make your service a special one for all who come. Children are often afraid that they too will die or that they will somehow cause the death of another person. It is a normal and natural fear for them to have. During the planning process, it is important for parents to reassure them that they will not be left alone and that they are loved. This will help ease their fears and give them the peace of mind they need to continue to grieve in their own way. Then, it is just a matter of finding strength to put the plans into action.