There are several services we provide, free of charge, to help you cope in the days
and months ahead.
BEREAVEMENT AFTERCARE
You will be contacted about a month following the funeral by our grief specialist,
Bonnie Stachowski, MSW, LSGW. She is a licensed social worker and hospice volunteer
and she provides bereavement aftercare to the families we have served. She will
be contacting you by telephone and she can schedule a visit, if you desire. Her
purpose in calling is just to see how you are doing. She is calling to listen to
you, so feel free to let her know if there is anything in particular that you are
concerned or confused about. If there is another member of your family that you
feel would benefit from a call from her, just let her know.
ANNUAL CHRISTMAS SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE
For the past several years, we have held “Light a Candle of Love”, a
Christmas Service of Remembrance. It is usually held on the first Sunday of December,
except when that is Thanksgiving weekend, when it is moved to the following Sunday.
Every person whose funeral or memorial service was arranged through us, as well
as every St. Michael’s Hospice patient, is recognized and a family member
may light a candle in their memory. We have found that this service is more helpful
to you after some time has passed, so those funerals that occur after November 1st
are remembered at the service the next year. You will receive an invitation, which
we ask you to pass on to all of your family members.
WEEKLY RADIO PROGRAM
For over ten years, we have sponsored a weekly radio program, “Music &
Memories”. This program is now broadcast every Sunday morning at 8 a.m. over
KASM radio, 1150 AM in Albany. The program features inspirational music and each
week we recognize those who died in the coming week of the previous year. We also
invite listeners to call or write to have their loved one remembered on the program.
You will receive an invitation to listen about a week before the program airs.
“COME UNTO ME”
Several local business sponsors collaborate with us to provide a book of scriptural
lessons relating to grief and bereavement, entitled “Come Unto Me”.
You should receive your commemorative volume in about three weeks.
CHILDREN’S GRIEF CONNECTION OF MINNESOTA
We are proud sponsors of Children's Grief Connection, formerly known as Camp Amanda-Minnesota, a nonprofit organization
providing grief programs for children and teens in partnership with Minnesota's funeral directors. The mission of Children’s
Grief Connection is to bring hope and healing to Minnesota’s grieving children. All of their programs and services are provided
FREE of charge. The Hearts of Hope Camp (age 5-12) and Teen Retreat (age 13-18) are for children and teens who have experienced
the death of a parent, sibling or significant person in their lives. If you know of a child that would benefit from attending these
FREE camps, please contact us for more information.
As part of our commitment to Honoring Life’s Memories, Patton-Schad will donate $20,
in that person’s memory, for every funeral service during the year to Children’s Grief Connection.
