Transcript
Speaker: Welcome to another episode of the Glam Reaper podcast.
Speaker: I'm your host, Jennifer Muldowney, aka the Glam Reaper herself.
Speaker: And today I'm back talking to the modern mortician and we are talking not-for-profit funeral homes.
Speaker: Were they a thing before?
Speaker: Can they be a thing for the future?
Speaker: Let's find out.
Speaker: Hi everybody and welcome to another episode of the Glam Reaper podcast.
Speaker: I'm your host Jennifer Muldowney and on today's episode I have the gorgeous and fabulous modern mortician back in the booth.
Speaker: Well in my booth, I'm in a little booth today.
Speaker: She's in a forest apparently.
Speaker: So I love it.
Speaker: Actually that would be quite cool.
Speaker: We might send you to a forest and let's do a podcast from there.
Speaker: Anyway, please welcome Melissa.
Speaker: Hi, good morning.
Speaker: Good morning.
Speaker: How are you?
Speaker: I'm clearly fresh out of the shower as I was just telling you about my 30 day yoga challenge, which I must be insane to be doing, but sure look.
Speaker: I don't know how you do it.
Speaker: I can't even do a five day meditation challenge in the morning.
Speaker: Get up and I'm like, no.
Speaker: Well, the meditation, they, that, they, they're hard.
Speaker: Meditations are hard.
Speaker: I, I think I can do like at one hour, I can even do a 90 minute hot yoga class, but five minute meditations.
Speaker: It's like nothing will start off the brain.
Speaker: Yeah, no, no, no.
Speaker: But tell us, we're not here to talk about yoga.
Speaker: You h ave a very exciting new adventure.
Speaker: We had you on before, talking all things green and kermit, obviously.
Speaker: But we're focusing on, there's a new project on the horizon.
Speaker: in the works.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: I'm shocked at first, but also excited to say that I'm in the process of opening the first not-for-profit funeral home and conservation burial park for people and pets in Pacific County, Washington.
Speaker: Wow, that's a mouthful.
Speaker: Okay, as you Americans say which I love, let's unpack that.
Speaker: Okay, so oh my god, is that not, I don't even think there's that in its totality in the US, is there?
Speaker: Not at all.
Speaker: No.
Speaker: So tell us what that, obviously, okay, so it's humans and for pets, which is amazing because I think that's becoming more and more prevalent.
Speaker: People want to go with their pets and I don't know if that many cemeteries that allow it or, you know, they'll allow specific cases, aka if you're like Mariah Carey or somebody, you'll get privileges.
Speaker: But so that in and of itself is great.
Speaker: Tell us then more about the burial, the preservation and then the not-for-profit.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: So the initial goal was to have conservation burial land for people and pets where it would be affordable, because that was the biggest hindrance for families.
Speaker: When you gave them the options, if they wanted natural burial, the cost of a plot usually could price them out if, if finances were an option or a factor.
Speaker: Um,
Speaker: So I was like, okay, well, if we can create the conservation burial land where this land is protected for nature, for animals and for the people and pets buried there, if we knock that out, that's going to help people that can't afford, you know, final dispositions.
Speaker: But then I was like, I have started three funeral homes for three other people.
Speaker: Every time I've left that business, I felt gross about what transpired there from the time I joined to the time I left, where in the past, maybe corners were cut because of time, or I'm not paying you to do this, or the family didn't pay me for you to do this.
Speaker: I was like, let's take the money off the table, right?
Speaker: and make it a community project where the money from the funeral home benefits the conservation park and the funeral home for everyone.
Speaker: But then, you know, anybody can use it that's in the area.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: Amazing.
Speaker: I mean, it's like, you know, I joked a bit mind blown earlier just because, you know,
Speaker: It's not that everybody in the funeral space is profit conscious, but a not-for-profit is definitely highly unusual, if rare, if I don't know of another one, to be honest.
Speaker: How do you envision... So has this started, this project?
Speaker: The non-profit paperwork has been filed with the state and federally.
Speaker: So we are gearing up.
Speaker: I have every intention of being able to...
Speaker: have our first storefront by spring of 2023, and then hopefully land before the end of the year.
Speaker: Wow.
Speaker: And where are you getting your money from then?
Speaker: Are you fundraising?
Speaker: Is that... Yeah.
Speaker: So everything that comes from the Naughty Coffin gift shop that I have is funding this preliminary startup.
Speaker: costs, all the paperwork that has to be filed, you know, creating the website, different things like that.
Speaker: This next year up that we're doing, I'm actually doing a presentation to many community members coming up the 1st of December.
Speaker: And there are tax write-offs available.
Speaker: There are sponsorships available where they can have a section of a park named after them.
Speaker: So we're developing out all of these little options for the initial raise with the community.
Speaker: But then, you know, we still have our community of funeral directors online that are involved with this, which there's pretty impressive names too.
Speaker: I'll just send people to my website to learn who they are as, as it grows out.
Speaker: That's www.theend.green.
Speaker: But yeah, it's just really exciting to see how this is going to work.
Speaker: Um,
Speaker: There's possibility that some of the land could be donated to us from timber companies that are out here that have harvested that land and are regrowing new growth on it.
Speaker: There's so many opportunities out here.
Speaker: And the big goal is to take this model after it succeeds here and replicate it in other parts of the United States where it's needed.
Speaker: And so, I mean, and I'm sure part of what you're going to do in the future is going to have to be fundraising and fundraising.
Speaker: you know, the community events and stuff like that.
Speaker: I mean, it's, I guess what you're aiming for is something is, is a service for the community built by the community.
Speaker: Have you got your team in place?
Speaker: Are you sort of CEO and, and, you know, you're, you're going to get, you know, how, how have you planned, you know, your marketing?
Speaker: Is there going to be embalming offered at all?
Speaker: Or is that going to be off the table?
Speaker: It's actually not going to be offered at all.
Speaker: At some point when we have a full facility and not just a storefront, we may consider bringing in green embalming chemicals.
Speaker: Maybe.
Speaker: That's not even something I'm even concerned about at the moment.
Speaker: It seems like the tides are changing out in this direction where people aren't electing for that.
Speaker: And if they do want that, there is a funeral home that can provide that service.
Speaker: I'm definitely focusing on more family involvement, more sustainability, and I don't know how...
Speaker: I'm not sure the best way to describe this.
Speaker: Like, so a lot of people maybe that are in the funeral industry that have businesses are building up their wealth for generations so they can retire and do all this.
Speaker: For me, I just want to have a place to live and die.
Speaker: And the best way to do that is to build this community around myself where I can have that place to live and die.
Speaker: And then other directors or other death doulas or other people that feel the same way that I do that see maybe in their community, there could be more would get our support to go there.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: Right.
Speaker: So this is kind of, this is really, um, I guess, uh,
Speaker: you know, not necessarily a pet project, but this is a project for you.
Speaker: This is something your heart needs to kind of do to your purpose, if you like.
Speaker: That's kind of a twee word that's thrown around.
Speaker: It's kind of become trendy now, but this is your purpose.
Speaker: I mean, you've been advocating for green,
Speaker: for the longest time and for definitely as long as I've known you and so this I guess makes the obvious next step and to have the first non-profit there is no other non-profit in Ireland or in Ireland we're not in Ireland we're in the US good lord I'm clearly already at home in Ireland for Christmas there is no other not-for-profit funeral home in the US is there
Speaker: I don't think so.
Speaker: No, there's not.
Speaker: In fact, I found that information out at the National Funeral Director Convention from another attendee.
Speaker: There's only one in Australia.
Speaker: There are cooperative funeral homes in the U.S. And I definitely applaud People's Memorial for being one of them and leading the way.
Speaker: And yeah, it's just exciting to think that this is a first.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: But that makes it even more important to me because I remember years ago, other people saying, I'm going to do this.
Speaker: I'm going to make a not-for-profit funeral home.
Speaker: And then it never happened.
Speaker: So I was like, well, is it impossible for this to happen out here?
Speaker: What are the laws?
Speaker: And then I was like, it's not impossible.
Speaker: It's just takes a lot of freaking paperwork and it takes a lot of people.
Speaker: And I landed in an area where the people were,
Speaker: want this and the people are eager to get involved.
Speaker: Like it's just serendipitous.
Speaker: And then on top of that, you want to hear some crazy stuff?
Speaker: Always.
Speaker: All right.
Speaker: So yesterday I had to give my maiden name to someone that's in the community and
Speaker: And they go, did you know so-and-so?
Speaker: Turns out, out of all the people in the world, there's like maybe 30 unfreds out there, because when my last name was unfred before I changed it to meadow, there's a man out here that was very prominent in the community that was an unfred.
Speaker: It turned out to be my grandfather's cousin.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: No way.
Speaker: Out of all the places in the U.S., I could have landed to start this.
Speaker: It's crazy.
Speaker: That's the universe working mysterious ways.
Speaker: Why did you change your name?
Speaker: I don't think I actually ever asked you.
Speaker: So, Unfrid was my mother's last name.
Speaker: When she divorced my dad and they separated, she gave us her last name.
Speaker: So, growing up, people made fun of me for that last name.
Speaker: Humphrey Bogart was one I got, or Unfrid Bogart.
Speaker: Oh, gosh.
Speaker: So as I got older, I was like, you know, I'm already 43, knocking on 44.
Speaker: I was like, I don't plan on getting married to anybody and I want a cool name.
Speaker: So I'm going to give myself a cool name.
Speaker: And I didn't.
Speaker: So I changed my last name.
Speaker: So you actually just changed it.
Speaker: Like there's no, there's no attachment to medals.
Speaker: It wasn't your dad's last name or anything.
Speaker: Oh, it is very cool.
Speaker: The cool part to that name was growing up every Sunday, my grandparents would take us to a small neighboring town and we'd pass a little community called Meadow.
Speaker: And that's where I initially caught it.
Speaker: And I was like, man, I wish my name was Meadow.
Speaker: Well, now it is.
Speaker: Oh my God.
Speaker: I love America.
Speaker: America's wild.
Speaker: Be whatever.
Speaker: I love it.
Speaker: That's interesting because I was wondering that after I met you at the NFDA and
Speaker: you know we we you touch said that you um had changed and I walked away thinking god that must be you know her other parents name or something you know similar that's what I was kind of assumed um and because friends might have done that too and I thought oh isn't that so cool though that it's like emma
Speaker: it matches modern mortician yes also my company my events planning company is Muldowning Memorial so look at us M&M's all over the place M&M's M&M's party yes ooh with little Grin Reaper scythe on them yes you're what I'm getting you for the holidays that's going to be a that's going to be one of the fundraisers we do for you
Speaker: So you're based in Oregon?
Speaker: No, I'm in Washington, but right on the Oregon coast.
Speaker: The only thing that separates me from Oregon is the Columbia River.
Speaker: Like I can see Oregon, so I can serve the community of Oregon too.
Speaker: I mean, anybody in that area.
Speaker: But there are several really good funeral homes on that side of the river that they can just bring them to me.
Speaker: They can just come on over.
Speaker: I'll have to make a visit.
Speaker: I do have to...
Speaker: Oregon and Washington are, and Seattle actually, are the kind of three that are on my list.
Speaker: And so maybe 2023 is my year that I do another interstate trip.
Speaker: I did one very many years ago, nearly 20 years ago, I did a cross country and then the Pacific Coast Highway.
Speaker: So I think I need to do another one, but different, yeah, cover some different states.
Speaker: So we'll have to come and visit.
Speaker: Well, this is amazing news.
Speaker: Thank you so much for sharing it with us.
Speaker: We will watch this space.
Speaker: Please share all and any updates with us and we'll share it with you.
Speaker: Please go to, we'll put all the information, Naughty Coffins to help Melissa fundraise for this not-for-profit funeral home and preservation site.
Speaker: And yeah.
Speaker: And what was the website?
Speaker: It was www.theend.greens.
Speaker: Yeah.
Speaker: And then I've already got an Instagram set up for it.
Speaker: It's at the end dot green.
Speaker: Well, we shall watch this space.
Speaker: Thank you so much for joining us once again.
Speaker: I can't wait to have you out walking the space and doing your podcast.
Speaker: I can't wait either.
Speaker: We're going to have to make that happen.
Speaker: Definitely.
Speaker: Definitely.
Speaker: 2023.
Speaker: I want to, I want to dig some earth.
Speaker: Yes, you can.
Speaker: Thank you so much, Melissa.
Speaker: you
