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Christian's Purpose

Mission: Christian’s Purpose is focused on providing funeral services, caskets, grave markers, and other services for newborn babies as well as children up to the age of 16.

Community Need: According to the CDC the fetal mortality rate in Virginia between the first 27-day gestation period is at a rate of 6.1%. This is .4% higher than the national average.  Christian’s Purpose exists to alleviate the financial burden and devastation funeral costs can create while a family is enduring one of the most terrible moments in their life. They also provide much needed resources to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the University if Virginia Children’s Hospital as well as other area hospitals for the purpose of grieving parents.

Primary Activities: The Family Funeral Relief program is designed to provide families with funeral services for their child. They work with area funeral homes as well as cemeteries to provide proper respectable services for families. This enables them to help families focus on the grieving process without having to make funeral arrangements which can be very overwhelming in these tragic circumstances.  The Butterfly Caskets program is designed to provide respectable quality caskets without families having to worry about money. They have partnered with casket and cradle makers to secure reasonable price on these products.  The Memorial Marker program provides grave markers at half the initial cost.  Depending on size, wording, and materials, these products can cost upwards of $5,000.

Constituents Served: Currently Christian’s Purpose serves any area that is covered by UVA Children’s Hospital including Nelson, Augusta, Albemarle, Greene, Fluvanna, Culpepper and Madison Counties which includes the cities of Charlottesville, Waynesboro, and Staunton. Everyone is eligible with proof of inability to provide a proper service or caskets. They are focused on newborns and children ages 0-16.

Program Details:  Christian’s Purpose intends to buy a supply of caskets and cradles to ensure materials are on hand for families. Waiting for a casket is not an option which forces families to bury their child in insufficient coffers. Sometimes, the unavailability of caskets forces families to cremate their child which in most cases goes against the beliefs and personal preferences. To cover the cost of funeral services, which include the cost to the funeral home, and cemetery plot as well as any fees that are associated with this process. The Memorial Marker program will have a separate fund as well for the specific purpose of providing a proper headstone or grave marker for the family.  Through these funds, they will have the ability to service their first five or more families in the area.

Amount Requested: $5,000

Operating Budget: $53,000

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