Free Presentation, Reception September 27 at the Cress Center
MADISON, Wis. (Wednesday, September 18, 2013) — When Amanda High joined the Cress Funeral & Cremation Service staff as a Wisconsin licensed funeral director earlier this year, she brought with her a wealth of knowledge about serving veterans and current military members. Not only is her husband on active duty in the Army, she once lived in the Washington, D.C. area, where she had been a funeral director and coordinated many funerals for U.S. servicemen and women.
One of the things she’s learned is many veterans do not fully understand the benefits available to them and their families, especially when they move to a different state or community. After doing some research on what resources and benefits are available in Wisconsin, she worked with Cress Vice President Carey Cress Fose to organize an educational event for veterans.
“Serving Those Who’ve Served Us” will be held Friday, September 27, at 1 p.m. at the new Cress Center, 6021 University Ave., Madison. The informational event and reception will cover health care and enrollment benefits, educational benefits, state and federal financial benefits, and state and local resources to which veterans can turn.
The event will feature four guest speakers: Dan Connery from the Dane County Veterans Service Office; Kent Falstad from the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs; Joe Naylor from the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital; and Steve Dykes from the American Legion Department of Wisconsin. Once the speakers are done, there will be a question-and-answer period, followed by a reception with hors d’oeuvres and refreshments.
“The event is not at all related to funerals,” High said. “It’s designed to give back to our veterans for all the sacrifices they made. We want to make it easier for them to find the information they need by being an additional resource to them.”
Cress has been part of a program called Veterans Funeral Care for more than 10 years, but High helped Cress Fose realize that Cress could provide a great service by expanding the focus to go beyond funerals and pre-planning, Cress Fose said.
“We really just want to put the spotlight on the benefits available to veterans once they return home,” she said. “Some veterans feel the government is not here for them once they return. They can deal with red tape and delays at times. We are simply facilitating this opportunity for veterans to meet representatives from local veterans organizations face to face, and to familiarize themselves with all that they’ve earned.”
The offices and organizations that serve veterans struggle with reaching their target audience, so when they were approached by High about speaking at the upcoming event, all were eager to partner with Cress, High said.
“Our event really fits in with the Cress Center’s mission of serving as a place for our community to connect, remember and share life’s special moments,” Cress Fose said. “By providing these types of services, we hope to make the whole community stronger. We’ll be continuing to work on finding ways to bring people together.”
Veterans who attend the event at the Cress Center will receive a gift of appreciation. They may sign up to attend by calling High at 608-238-8406 or emailing ahigh@cressfuneralservice.com.
About Cress Funeral and Cremation Service: Cress Funeral and Cremation Service is a family-owned company with eight locations in Dane County, and has a long legacy of helping and supporting those experiencing bereavement. Cress understands that a family needs someone to turn to in a moment’s notice — knowledgeable, trustworthy professionals who truly care, and have the ability and resources to offer exemplary services. Many things have changed since the business began in 1869, but what remains at Cress is a commitment to being there every step of the way for the people in our communities. For more about Cress, visit www.cressfuneralservice.com or call 608-238-3434.
