Ana-Maria Funeral Director

22/05/2024

What a lovely way to start the day!Thank you to the wonderful staff at Zenders for hosting us.

02/05/2024

Breast Cancer Op Shop

25/04/2024

Dress up and decorate your bike to join us in celebrating Dutch Week with our Orange Bike Ride. A fun event for all ages.

24/04/2024

LEST WE FORGET

12/04/2024

It has been a hard day with three baby boys needing our service and another baby on its way who we are waiting on a call out for.

My thoughts go out to the parents of twin boys who I saw last night and then to a family I visited early this morning.

All three boys were much wanted and loved little babies that grew their angel wings too soon.

Thinking of both families as they spend their final moments with their babies before they say farewell.

Andrea xx

11/04/2024

I have had many CPR classes over the years but was never told this…..
Have you ever thought about it ❤️
When you are alone and have a heart attack. What are you gonna do then ?
A rarely good post that can't be shared often enough:
1.
Take a 2 minute break and read this:
Let's say it's 5:25 pm and you're driving home after an unusually hard day's work.
2.
You are really tired and frustrated.
All of a sudden your chest pains. They are starting to radiate in the arm and jaw. It feels like being stabbed in the chest and heart. You're only a few miles away from the nearest hospital or home.
3.
Unfortunately you don't know if you can make it..
4.
Maybe you've taken CPR training, but the person running the course hasn't told you how to help yourself.
5.

Interesting post Shared by Karissa Rafael. Thanks for sharing 💖

How do you survive a heart attack when you're alone when it happens? A person who is feeling weak and whose heart is beating hard has only about 10 seconds before losing consciousness.
6.
But you can help yourself by coughing repeatedly and very strongly! Deep breaths before every cough. Coughing should be repeated every second until you arrive at the hospital or until your heart starts to beat normally.
7.
Deep breathing gives oxygen to your lungs and coughing movements boost the heart and blood circulation. Heart pressure also helps to restore a normal heartbeat. Here's how cardiac arrest victims can make it to the hospital for the right treatment
8.
Cardiologists say if someone gets this message and passes it on to 10 people, we can expect to save at least one life.
9. FOR WOMEN: You should know that women have additional and different symptoms. Rarely have crushing chest pain or pain in the arms. Often have indigestion and tightness across the back at the bra line plus sudden fatigue.
Instead of posting jokes, you're helping save lives by spreading this message.
❤️ COPY (hold your finger, click on the text and select copy, go to your own page and where you normally want to write, select finger again and paste)
Great to know!!

05/04/2024

It has been very a heavy time this week. My mind is still with the family I met this morning, of a little girl not yet left her parents arms. My bench is still full from Easter Weekend with the moulds of three beautiful bubs Andrea and I met. And right at this moment Andrea's back at the hospital again for another family who's bub was born still earlier today.
It's been a difficult week, and our thoughts are with all these families navigating this time. We're also thinking of the staff at the front line, particularly those in NICU, who have grown genuine connections and relationships with both parents and babies in their care, who are struggling with the emotional toll this must take on them too.
Our hope is that you're all loved and supported at this time.
x Jen

11/03/2024

16/02/2024

Exciting news alert! This year Balloons Over Waikato is raising funds for True Colours Charitable Trust, supporting children with a serious health condition and their families.
Not only can you make a donation when you go to the Balloons events, you can also enter a raffle to win some incredible prizes kindly donated by our community.
Enter through the link below, or use the QR code on the poster. Please share this with friends, family, neighbours and co-workers - not only does this support an incredible charity, but you can be in to win!
https://giv2.net/2/PSDtTjrN

14/01/2024

Some great advice for those who wish to help someone struggling!

Grief Groceries!
I saw this letter today- as a funeral directors son, I have been around this for years. This is some of the best advice I have ever seen.

“Hey there, Thanks for writing. I’m really glad your friend has you in her life.

I get it. Grief is a funny thing. It’s the time in our life when we most need help, and also the time when asking for help is so hard. Not because we are ashamed to ask for help, although that happens sometimes too. But mostly because our brain just sort of shuts down.

When my Dad died, I looked functional. But I wasn’t OK. Not at all. And when the news got out, the ton of people flooding me with calls, texts, and DM’s was overwhelming. I really couldn’t function. I sat on the swing in our yard and just stared into space. People called and asked what they could do to help. I had no idea.

“Well, anything you need at all, let me know, OK?”

“OK”.

They hung up. I stared into space some more.

I had no idea what to do. What I needed. I didn’t even know what to ask for.

Then a friend sent a text. This friend had met Dad once but didn’t really know him. But still, she knew I was hurting. I saw who it was and almost put the phone down without reading the text, but I saw the message and it stopped me:

Will you be home at 8:30 tonight?

What’s weird is this friend lives 12 hours away from me.

Yes, I replied.

“K.”

10 minutes later, she said, “Instacart will be there at 8:30. Open the door for them.”

“What?”

“Grief Groceries.!!”

When Instacart showed up, they put two large bags of groceries on my porch. Frozen pizzas. Ice cream. Oreo cookies. Tinned soup. Stouffer’s lasagna. A gallon of milk. Like that. Things I could heat up if I needed a meal, or pig out on if I needed fat and sugar. Sometimes, you just need to eat half a box of Oreos.

Notice she didn’t ask if I needed any food. I would have said no. She just asked if I would be home.

Grief groceries.

Another friend, who lives out of town, asked Renee to name a restaurant near our house where we like to eat. There is a local chain near our house that is sort of a deli. When we eat supper there, we spend about $25. Renee told her the name of the place.

An hour later, there was a gift card in my inbox for $250. Yes, that is a lot of money, and I understand not everyone can do that. But the wonderful thing was that because it was enough for multiple meals, we didn’t try to save it for “the right time”. We ate there that night, and take out from there several times a week for the next month on nights when I just didn’t have the spoons to cook.

Both of those gift-givers knew something I didn’t know – that when you are grieving, you don’t want to make decisions. No, that’s not quite it: You can’t make decisions. You hit decision fatigue really fast.

So, I guess what I’m saying is, don’t ask grieving people to make big choices or decisions. “How can I help” is a big choice. But “Can I take the kids this afternoon so you can have some time to yourself” is a much smaller one. “Will you be home tonight?” is a small choice. “What restaurant do you like” is a small decision. Just showing up to cut their grass because you noticed it needed cutting is loads better than asking, “Do you want me to cut the grass?” Or, “I’m going to Target. What can I get you while I’m there?” is better than “Can I run any errands for you?”

It won’t always be like this. If you stick around, eventually they will surface and ways to be helpful will make themselves known. But in the first few days, especially, it helps to remove as many decisions from their plate as you can!”

Original Words from: Hugh Hollowell Jr.

11/01/2024

17/11/2023

This evening, I had the privilege of attending a local funeral home to assist a family during a time of unimaginable loss. It was for a beloved little boy, cherished as a son and adored as a younger brother. In the quiet moments, I carefully crafted casts and ink prints for him. To his family these will mean more than just keepsakes; they will become tangible connections to precious memories, a reminder of the little hand they held and the love they’ll always share. May they be a source of comfort and strength in the journey ahead.

02/10/2023

Do you know of a community group that could use some funding? Waikato Sunrise Rotary have a funding round coming up - grants are generally less that $5,000 - with priority given to children & youth, education, and our local community.
Find out more here: https://www.waikatosunrise.org.nz/apply-for-funding/

02/10/2023

It's that time of year again! Good In The Hood has chosen our charity at Z Dinsdale to recieve a share of donations based on your votes! Your little token can make a big impact for Angel Casts.

23/09/2023

Survey reinforces importance of a funeral for mental health
21 September 2023

The Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand is reminding New Zealanders of the importance of a meaningful farewell for managing their mental health as part of Mental Health Awareness Week.

It comes after a recent survey of grief counsellors, conducted by the Grief Centre, shows that not having some kind of meaningful farewell has an overwhelmingly negative impact on the grief journey.

Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand Chief Executive, Gillian Boyes says her members have always known their families can better manage their way through the early stages of grief when they have an opportunity to say a proper farewell. Read more....https://funeraldirectors.co.nz/assets/Media-Releases/2023-09-21-Survey-reinforces-importance-of-a-funeral-for-mental-health.pdf

12/09/2023

Today is Angel Casts 10 year birthday.
On this day, a decade ago, a little boy by the name of Hiwinui was born. By chance I was asked by a midwife to make casts for his family.

It was my first ever request for an angel casting.
I was terrified, if I'm really honest. I expected to arrive and find overwhelming grief and sadness. Instead I walked into a room filled with overwhelming love. The love they had for their boy and their appreciation to have the opportunity to preserve his physical memory, inspired me with a whole new perspective.

I drove home from the hospital that day with tears streaming down my cheeks, but the biggest smile on my face. That day, that experience, changed my life.

10 years on we have now provided free casts to 879 families in and around Hamilton & the greater Waikato. We have made over 10,000 casts, more than 1000 frames carefully crafted by hand, over 3,500 hand and foot ink prints, provided local hospitals with upwards of 5,000 nappies/gowns/booties/hats, hundreds of caskets/moses baskets, and spent uncounted hours talking, laughing, and crying with so many mums dad’s and grandparents.

This work is a true honour and I am so grateful to everyone who has helped us, through every stage of our growth, to build this little kitchen table project into a thriving charity at the heart of our community.

Thank you thank you thank you for a decade of unwavering support. Here's to growing and working together for another decade and beyond.

Happy heavenly birthday, Hiwinui. Your memory has touched more lives than you'll ever know. 💫

x Jen

18/08/2023

Tonight I was working late and Andrea phoned to ask if I could head up to the hospital for a call out. It’s Friday night and I was keen to get home after a long week but I paused and said, yeah sure thing. I knew the family I was about to meet, would have had a much longer week than mine….
We never know what we will walk into when we head into the room following the loss of a little Angel. Tonight was a little different in many ways.
Mum loved her music so I was treated to a range of music while I worked, she even asked about my music preferences and played one of my favourite songs.
Mum was fascinated and intrigued about every detail we discovered on her angel as I took the moulds of her little girls hands and feet. The extra pinky finger was a highlight for her. I agree… her little girl was just perfect.
Once I had finished the moulds, after chatting with Mum and Dad I dressed their little girl. Mum enjoys bee keeping… and when I offered the lovely nappies our followers have made for her to choose… the very first option had cute little bees on them! It was meant to bee….🐝
So the bee nappy, a pink crochet dress, a knitted green hat, white booties… then she was placed on a tiny handmade quilt filled with all the colours of the rainbow, surrounded by material hearts, duplicate tiny teddies and her ink prints… this little girl rested surround by love 💗 music 🎵 and the energy of a rainbow 🌈.
Mum can’t wait to get the casts back, she said seeing the extra little pinky in her daughters casts will be something she can look forward to.
Tonight I left the room with a little smile in my heart.
💕 Vicki.

15/08/2023

05/08/2023

30/07/2023

Our speaker last Friday was the very inspirational Jen from Angel Casts - who provides the most amazing service to families and whānau who have lost their child, or have a child in end-of-life care. We were very proud to name Jen a Paul Harris Fellow, recognising her extraordinary contributions to her community.

29/07/2023

This Place Might Seem Like Something Else, But It's Actually A Cemetery In Taipei, Taiwan.
Photo By: .nagy [IG]

28/07/2023

27/07/2023

Isn’t this just the sweetest angel pocket? Hand made and donated by one of our followers, it’s now on its way to lay a tiny wee bub to rest with dignity and love.

19/07/2023

Tonight after work I stopped in at a local funeral home to cast a beautiful little girl, just two months into her life here on earth. She had the most gorgeous long dark eyelashes. I was shown some photos of her taken only a few days ago and her eyes sparked and her grin lit up her whole face. Thinking of this sweet wee soul and all those who love and cherish her. Rest in peace little one. 💕 Vicki.

19/05/2023

It was a pleasure this morning to hand over a big fat cheque, and to share a delicious breakfast with the Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter Crew :)

19/05/2023

This morning Rotary Waikato Sunrise presented a cheque for $10000 to Westpac Helicopter Resue.

17/05/2023

Let me know If anyone is interested in attending the Quiz I am organising a group.

🥂 Join us this time next month for our Quiz Night & Charity Auction, held at Speights Ale House!

🍻 Wednesday 7th June.
Quiz starts at 7pm, with auction held at half time.

👩‍👩‍👧‍👧 Grab your workmates and come as a team (2-6 per table) or come alone and join my team! I totally need some team mates, don’t leave me hanging.

🎟 Get your tickets via our website:
www.angelcasts.co.nz/events

💵 $20 per person

🎁 We are still accepting product and service donations from local businesses who we will advertise as sponsors of the event. Please get in touch if your business can help. All proceeds to Angel Casts.

12/05/2023

12/05/2023

Another donation that we made recently was to Cure Kids for their research into the prevention, causes and treatment of Rheumatic Fever... a disease that is far too prevalent in New Zealand, and an issues in the Waikato Region...