A picture says a thousand words, and the photo above of Dignity Memorial’s new building is no exception. The new facility is situated on the grounds of Greenlawn Memorial Park, which is conveniently located just minutes from Mayfaire, Wrighstville Beach, and mid-town Wilmington. It’s been a long-term vision of the company to build the new funeral home on the current grounds of their cemetery.

By introducing a new facility onto the existing cemetery grounds, the community will have a convenient place to manage all aspects of funeral planning. The new, modern space includes expansive parking, a porte-cochere, and chapel. When planning the interior and exterior design, the professionals at Dignity wanted to convey a feeling of peace and solemnity upon entering.

The convenience that the new facility offers is what the team at Dignity is most excited about. Until now, the only option was to make service arrangements with a local funeral home and then ultimately drive to a cemetery. Now, guests will be able to do all of this in one place. Because the new facility is just a short walk to the cemetery, guests can easily transition from the chapel to the cemetery immediately following a service without having to drive to another location.

Another added benefit is that Dignity’s new facility is located close to our local hospital and Lower Cape Fear Life Center, which is where many individuals spend time before arranging for funeral services. Whether unexpected or expected, planning and arranging a funeral can be a stressful event with emotions running high. During this time of anxiety, limiting the time spent on planning and commuting throughout town is a comfort. This time allows for friends and family to process their emotions and focus their efforts where they are needed.

When deciding how best to honor a loved one, Dignity offers traditional funeral planning or personalized planning, which helps to celebrate individuals in a more unique way. While many prefer a traditional funeral, which includes a visitation, memorial service, and a casketed burial, Dignity knows that everyone is unique and different, so they also offer funeral planning on a more personal level. Creating a custom celebration of life rather than a traditional funeral offers a unique opportunity to be inspired by, and highlight, a loved one’s favorite pastime, passion, or memory.

Cemeteries are sacred grounds and offer a special place where individuals and their memories can be remembered. Thinking about which cemetery to choose and pre-planning for yourself or a loved one can feel overwhelming. Dignity’s personal planning guide is a helpful place to start the process. By making decisions and selections ahead of time, pre-planning can help minimize financial strain and alleviate emotional stress during a difficult time. Pre-planning your funeral services allows loved ones to be relieved of time and cost commitments during an already stressful time. Additionally, pre-planning provides piece of mind knowing that your specific selections and wishes will be reflected.

Preplanning and immediate need funeral arrangements aren’t the only offerings at Dignity. The team wants to continue care for individuals who are working through the grieving process by offering a grief counseling hotline that is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The process of losing a loved one can be so emotionally stressful that support can be needed well after the funeral ends. When experiencing loss, talking to others can aid in the healing process and the hotline allows individuals assistance with moving through the grief they are experiencing.
 
Providing the highest standard of care to families in our community is what drives Dignity Memorial to continue improving and adding to their services. Dignity’s team is equipped with hundreds of years of combined experience that all come together under one roof. Their professional team handles everything from planning personalized funeral services – which include, food, flowers, music, and mementos – to selecting a burial plot, mausoleum, or cremation niche. The team at Dignity is here to help every step of the way.

Michael Higgins is Sales Manager for Dignity Memorial®, which cares for more than 300,000 families each year through its network of more than 2,000 providers throughout North America. Learn more at www.dignitymemorial.com or call Greenlawn Memorial Park, Oleander Memorial Gardens and Coble-Ward Smith Funeral & Cremation Service, (910) 799-1686.