OCTOBER 2009 NEWSLETTER

SEPTEMBER MEETING recap -

Harriet Bartnick spoke to us about how to Become a Savvy Consumer:  Alternatives to the “traditional funeral” 

Today’s economic and environmental situation is causing many families to reevaluate funeral options. Total costs for a funeral and burial can easily exceed $9,000, not including the environmental impact.  Harriet Bartnick, President of the Funeral Consumers Alliance of the Triangle (FCAT), provided us with information on how you can honor the life of your loved ones in an appropriate and affordable way.  Topics included: environmentally friendly options for body disposition, funeral myths, comparison shopping, and why AARP and the Funeral Consumers Alliance don’t recommend prepaying funeral expenses.  We learned how FCAT is defending your consumer rights both on the local and national level.  You can get more information at the Final Matters website: http://www.fcat-nc.org/

 Harriet is owner of Final Matters Inc. and publisher of the Final Matters Organizer.  In addition to her volunteer work with the Funeral Consumers Alliance, Harriet also serves as an AARP NC Health Specialist and on the AARP advocacy team.  She has recently been selected to participate in UNC’s Senior Leadership Institute.

Bill Kapella provided us with music for our meeting which included a recognition of Kai and Amy Young's wedding anniversary in August.

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