Rhoney Funeral Home, Inc.

Topic: Ed Smith, Jr. FUNERAL SERVICE Time: Nov 13, 2020 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89284894677... Meeting ID: 892 8489 4677 Passcode: ed

Edward N. Ross Funeral Service https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81607801346

Niagara Falls NY - Community Event with Pumpkin Giveaway - Abate Elementary School October 28, 2020 Until 2pm, there is a FREE community event taking place at... Abate Elementary School. All children in attendance can receive items (gloves, hat, cider, donut, fire hat &badge, bread), including a pumpkin at the end. See more

Heart & Soul of the City - Heart Love & Soul Sister Beth Brosmer Center, home of the Daybreak program, was dedicated by a ceremonial ribbon cutting on Wednesday. (James Neiss)

Protect assets before entering a nursing home or assisted living..... First, any person applying for Medicaid/SSI can set aside funds for the sole purpose of paying their funeral/burial expenses as well as the funeral/burial of immediate family members - as part of the spend-down process to Medicaid/SSI eligibility. The funeral/burial funds set aside will not be counted as part of the individual's financial resources. A Medicaid/SSI eligible individual must first notify his... or her caseworker that funds will be set aside to pay their funeral/burial tax expenses. Second, New York State law requires that 100% of these funeral/burial funds be placed in an irrevocable trust account, ensuring they will be available when needed and used for no other purpose than what they were intended: for the funeral/burial of the account beneficiary. An applicant/recipient of Medicaid/SSI may also set aside funds in irrevocable funeral trust accounts for the following immediate family members: Spouse Children Step-Children Siblings Parents and spouses of those individuals listed above Please note that when the original purchaser passes away, the beneficiary (family member) becomes the new purchaser and taxpayer. If there is any excess money in the preneed account after the funeral and burial charges have been paid, the overage will go to the county where the decedent was receiving benefits. The funds used to establish an irrevocable preneed funeral account must be used only for reasonable and common funeral expenses for such things as professional services, transportation, facilities and merchandise, as well as cash advances to cover the cemetery and other related charges. FOLLOWING THESE STEPS WILL RELIEVE STRESS AND BURDEN AT A DIFFICULT TIME FOR FAMILY MEMBERS.

Bob Holtz Mass https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8840073608

Covid-19 How Our Funeral Home Is Responding We understand that coping with the loss of a loved one during the Covid-19 outbreak is difficult. We are taking all the measures necessary to keep the guests and staff at the funeral home safe and healthy while allowing for families to grieve the loss of their loved one.... It is in this effort, we ask that as few people come to the funeral home as possible. This means that ALL SERVICES, APPOINTMENTS AND VISITATION IS LIMITED TO IMMEDIATE FAMILY ONLY. Please remember that this is a difficult time for everyone and thank you for your understanding. FAQ's What Should I Do If A Loved One Dies? All that is needed is a simple phone call. Our staff is able to access any hospital or nursing home facility as well as a private residence. We would ask if you please call first instead of ‘walking in’ without an appointment. If your loved has been exposed to Covid-19, please make us aware of it immediately. Do I Have to Come Into the Funeral Home for an Appointment? No. We can make any and all arrangements in a phone conference, video conference or e-mail and any selections that need to be make can be made from our website. Can We Still Have Visiting Hours at the Funeral Home? Yes, we are still scheduling visiting hours at the funeral home. In accordance with the CDC’s most recent recommendations we are requiring families to make their visiting hours private, for immediate family only. We also ask families to be flexible when scheduling their services. We are staggering visitors and services, so as to keep the number of people within the facilities to a minimum. For those who are not attending services, consider visiting our memorial web pages to leave messages for the family, post pictures or videos, and view other tributes that may be there. Are Churches and Cemeteries Open? All churches have suspended funeral masses and services. They encourage families to schedule a memorial mass in the future. Some clergy will come the funeral home and/or cemetery and others will not. All the cemeteries are open but have various regulation such as, limiting the number of people and staying in their vehicles until after the burial or entombment takes place. What Should I Do If I, or My Loved One, has Coronavirus? If you are not feeling well, please self isolate yourself. Do not come to the funeral home. We can make phone/video arrangements at your convenience. If your loved one passed away with the Coronavirus, please make us aware of it immediately. We will NOT schedule visitation in an effort to protect everyone's health. We can arrange only: Immediate Burial or Entombment at a Cemetery or an Immediate Cremation. Thank you and please stay safe.

Overview At this time, CDC guidance states, There is currently no known risk associated with being in the same room at a funeral or visitation service with the body of someone who died of COVID-19. However, the CDC also notes, People should consider not touching the body of someone who has died of COVID-19. Informational Articles: ... Dr. Alan Wolfelt: Dealing With Families During the COVID-19 Pandemic Glenda Stansbury, InSight Institute: Ceremonies to Celebrate Together From Afar: A Resource for Challenging Times Public Gathering Guidance On March 15, the CDC issued new guidance for mass gatherings recommending that for the next eight weeks (until May 10), organizers cancel or postpone in-person events that consist of 50 people or more throughout the United States. On March 16, the White House released The President’s Coronavirus Guidelines for America - 15 Days to Slow the Spread. Among these guidelines are that people Avoid social gatherings in groups of more than 10 people for the next 15 days (until March 31). It would appear this would impact funerals/viewings in that they would be limited perhaps to immediate family only for the next 15 days. After this 15-day period concludes, the restrictions would continue with the CDC's eight-week limitations on mass gatherings. As with any gathering or event, you should check with local health officials to determine whether there are any prohibitions on holding public events, such as a visitation or funeral. Some states or cities have begun restricting public gatherings; these restrictions take precedence. We encourage you to follow this guidance for the safety of all funeral home staff and the families you serve. What Can You Offer Families? As a funeral director, you are committed to helping families honor their loved ones in meaningful ways, while ensuring the safety of their family and friends. If federal, state or local guidance limits the size of public gatherings, there are alternatives you can offer: Have a private viewing for only immediate family and/or close friends. Delay the funeral and hold it at a later date. Discuss options for final disposition if you choose this option. Have a private viewing for only immediate family and/or close friends and have a large memorial service for all family and friends at a later date. Discuss options for webcasting the funeral so others can view from home (see webcasting information below for additional information) If a family is able to proceed with a small service, please be sure to advise them of CDC guidance, such as: encouraging those who are ill and or at-risk (e.g., elderly, immune-compromised) should be encouraged to stay home; and following healthy habits such as social distancing, hand hygiene, covering cough and sneezes, etc. You know your business and its capabilities best and should determine what options you are able to offer families while following recommended federal state and local guidance on public gatherings.

As you know, Governor Cuomo’s New York State On Pause Executive Order goes into effect on Sunday March 22nd at 8:00 pm. It includes the mandated cancellation or postponement of all non-essential gatherings of individuals for any purpose, and limits any concentration of people outside their homes to only workers providing essential services. New York State Department of Health has advised the NYSFDA that visitations and funeral services are considered non-essential gatherin...gs. Given these mandates and our commitment to ensuring the health and safety of our employees, and that of the funeral directors and the families you serve, our cemeteries have convened and are collectively instituting the following policy, effective Monday, March 23. Attendance at all interments, entombments, inurnments and cremations at our cemeteries will be limited to funeral directors only. If immediate family members choose to follow a funeral director into the cemetery for the burial, they can observe it if they remain in their vehicles for the duration of the burial service. The family can approach the burial site after all cemetery employees have left the area.

In lieu of recent broader government restrictions on public gatherings (no more than 50 people), Rhoney Funeral Home, Inc. will be limiting all funeral gatherings exclusively to family invitation. We understand these are concerning times with the current COVID-19 event and want you to know that we are taking extra measures to ensure the safety of everyone who walks through our doors. If you are not in a position to attend a family service, but wish to leave condolences to a... family or friend, you can easily do so online, at www.rhoneyfuneralhome.com and click on the deceased’s obituary page. We also have new procedures in place for handling deceased loved ones and are following all CDC protocols for safety. By following these guidelines, it will be safe for visitations and services to continue under the new gathering restrictions. Our facility, as well as community churches will remain OPEN for you to honor those who have passed. Most importantly, please be safe and take care, Michael

HELP US HELP YOU!!! In an effort to protect your firefighters and all emergency service workers; if you have to call 9-1-1, for any reason, we are asking that y...ou please let the call taker know if you are experiencing flu like symptoms!! We also encourage you to watch this video and follow the simple, personal, actions to help protect yourself from becoming sick. Thank you!! #NFFD #iaff #firefighter #EMS #safety #Coronavirus #COVID19 #BeAware