132 | COMMUNITY Hope & Sons Funeral Directors T T Alexia Anderson Milestone reflects a legacy of care Hope & Sons Funeral Directors has a team of 20 people working in various roles. Hope & Sons Funeral Directors has spent more than 130 years providing compassionate service to families in need within the Otago Community. This milestone reflects a legacy of care and dedication, something that would not be possible without those working behind the scenes, manager Andrew Maffey said. “We have a unique team of very experienced, qualified, knowledgeable, caring, dedicated professionals covering all aspects of funeral service. Our goal is to assist families to make funeral arrangements as stress free as possible for them.” And, the workload to make that all happen is not light. “There is a huge amount of work that goes on in the background to assist families with organisation leading up to a funeral,” he said. Hope & Sons Funeral Directors has a team of 20 people working in various roles to assist, including those in mortuary care, funeral arranging and directing, administration, graphic design, catering, bereavement support, and crematorium operation. “Anything funeral related we will do our best to accommodate.” He said the care and respect of the person that has died is a core value and front of mind for the team at all times. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the funeral profession, like many, had to adapt quickly and faced significant challenges, particularly with fluctuating restrictions. “It was very challenging, particularly with the constant changing of restrictions moving through the different levels. We adapted accordingly and did the best we could for families given the restrictions and I couldn’t be more proud of the team and the way they responded.” Due to Covid restrictions, livestreaming became an invaluable tool, ensuring people who were not able to attend a funeral in person, did not miss out on paying their respects. “I think it was hardest for families dealing with the death of a loved one during the toughest of restrictions - Level 4, where no gatherings were allowed, but again, people were incredibly understanding and made the best of the options available to them.” Andrew said while restrictions were no longer enforced, livestreaming, which was improving all the time, had remained a helpful service for those unable to attend a funeral due to travel or illness. The funeral profession is one the team at Hope and Sons is honoured to be a part of. Andrew said people place a large amount of trust and confidence within the team and in return clients receive true dedication from each and every staff member. “We often work long, sometimes unusual, hours. We are available 24/7 [and] obviously dealing with upset, grieving people on a daily basis takes a special kind of person.” And, despite the emotional toll, the profession offers profound rewards. Among them are the trust and confidence that people place in the organisation, building relationships with people from all walks of life, and the variety in the role, where no two days are the same. Hope & Sons Funeral Directors predominantly offers its services throughout Dunedin, as well as other parts of Otago and Southland when required, ensuring that every farewell is as meaningful and stress-free as possible. 137 years of care and connection within the Otago Community hopeandsons.co.nz • o ice@hopeandsons.co.nz 03 455 5074 • 0800 555 074 We take pride in looking after Hope & Son’s diverse fleet of exceptional vehicles. 586 Kaikorai Valley Road | 03 478 8808
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