Ambler Funeral Home | Urban Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Ambler PA

Upper Dublin Charity, KPRG Movement Raises Funds for Spinal Cord Injury Victims and Research

urban — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 16:51:54 +0000

The Urban Family has partnered with Upper Dublin High School Senior’s Katie Paul and Rachel Gordon who established the KPRG (KeePRevolutionizinG) Movement, a nonprofit organization supporting the Travis Roy Foundation which supports victims and research of Spinal Cord Injuries.

The Urban family is familiar with the impact that a spinal cord injury can have on a life. Skip’s older brother, Anton was 16 years old when he suffered a life changing C 5-6 compression spinal cord injury during a water accident in 1970.

In Honor of Father’s Day, the Urban Family is supporting the KPRG Movement initiative. Katie Paul and Rachel Gordon are two energetic Upper Dublin High School Seniors whose lives were changed after reading the autobiography, “Eleven Seconds” by Travis Roy. They have channeled their energy to make a difference in this world. Their enthusiasm and commitment are contagious. These two young adults putting their energy into changing the world.

You too can help in 3 simple ways:

1. Like the Urban Funeral Home Facebook Page and we will donate $1.00 for each new fan prior to midnight Sunday, June 16th, 2013 (up to $200).

2. View Katie and Rachel’s video here. Another non-profit organization called Postitive Tracks will make a contribution for each view of their video and promises to match every dollar made by KPRG to the Travis Roy Foundation.

3. Sharing this post with your family and friends we all can REVOLUTIONIZE the KPRG Movement.

Together we all can make a difference.

Sincerely,

The Urban Family

Supporting Upper Dublin Local Charities

urban — Thu, 16 May 2013 00:22:05 +0000

The Urban Family are proud sponsors of the 2013 Upper Dublin Triathlon…supporting our Local Charities.

The Upper Township states, “100% of the net proceeds will be donated to charities serving the Upper Dublin Community. Beneficiaries will include the Upper Dublin Education Foundation as well as other charities selected by the Upper Dublin Board of Commissioners. Almost$20,000 was raised for area charities in 2012.”

Our 2012 Team: Andrew Urban, Johnny Loftus and Peter Urban 3rd place All Male Team!

Grant sponsored to Liberty Lutheran Children and Family Services

urban — Wed, 08 May 2013 16:25:32 +0000

The Urban Family was proud to sponsor a York Children’ s Foundation Grant to the Unaccompanied Refugee Minors program, operated by Liberty’s Lutheran Children and Family Service (LCFS), which serves refugee children that have been separated from their parents or guardians overseas and have been legally admitted to the U.S. for care and protection. Funds will be used to support the educational needs of these children through after-school programs and activities, mentoring support, and a driver’s education program for youth that helps them to learn the driving skills necessary for employment and achieving future independence. Learn more about the journey of a refugee - watch Victoria’s story

Click here to see how you can help.

Children and Grief

urban — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 01:19:03 +0000

Alan Wolfelt, Ph.D. shares “Grief Gardening Tips” from his book Companioning the Grieving Child: A Soulful Guide for Caregivers http://www.centerforloss.com

Happy Easter or Passover

urban — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 19:14:09 +0000

Whether you are Christian or Jewish, celebrating Holy Week or Passover, this week brings families and friends together to worship and celebrate life. For some, this is a life that is dearly missed, and for others it is a life full of possibilities. No matter where you are on that continuum we wish you peace in balancing the the joys and sorrows of each and every day. The Urban Family

Funeral Home Secures Grant for Peter’s Place

urban — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 02:54:00 +0000

Skip and Dolores Urban from the Anton B. Urban Funeral Home in Ambler presented a $1000.00 grant check to Denise Paul, Group Specialist, and Carrie Miluski, Executive Director of Peter’s Place. Funds will be used for peer support groups for grieving children and their care givers; and a community outreach program bringing grief support and education to schools.

“We are happy to partner with the York Children’s Foundation to sponsor Peter’s Place. In the words of Alan Wolfelt, PHD, “It’s not really a question of ‘will the child feel or not feel,’ It’s a question of ‘when he feels, will he be able to express himself in the companionship of loving adults?” Pete’s Place provides this much needed support.

The York Children’s Foundation awards quarterly grants to non-profit organizations that work solely for the benefit of children when sponsored by a partnered funeral home. To learn more about grant opportunities please contact Dolores at 215-646-8556.

How to Talk to the Children and Teens in Your Life About the Newtown, CT, Tragedy

urban — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 21:42:40 +0000

How to Talk to the Children and Teens in Your Life About the Newtown, CT, Tragedy by Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D.
Once again we are faced with the traumatic, violent deaths of a group of innocent people, this time precious children in Newtown, Connecticut. I have been asked to provide some guidelines on how to communicate with children and teens about this tragedy. If you know of others who might benefit from this information, I invite you to forward this article to them.
First, it’s important to remember that children can cope with what they know, but they can’t cope with a reality they are over-protected from. As a father and as a counselor, I understand the instinct to want to protect children from such tragic news. But the reality is that many if not most of the children and teens in our lives (with the exception of the very youngest) have already heard about the recent school shooting from their peers, social media, or television. They have been exposed to the fact that 20 first-graders were shot by a stranger who barged into an elementary school. Many of them have also seen photos of the killer and of the children and teachers who were killed. Some may have read the horrific details of the massacre.
The point is, we cannot protect children from the tragedy, but we can let them teach us how they feel about it. As the caring adults in their lives, we have the responsibility to be available to them when they are struggling to understand what happened or if they have fears that the same thing could happen in their schools. We also have the responsibility to be honest with them within the boundaries of what is developmentally appropriate for a given child.
Listen (and observe), then respond
Watch the children in your life a little more closely this week and in the weeks to come. Notice if they are listening to news of the shooting, reading news online or in print, sharing stories that other kids have told them at school, or asking questions about the shooting. If it’s on their mind, or if you think it might be, then it’s your turn to ask a couple open-ended questions. “What have you heard about the school shooting that happened last week?” “Are the kids or teachers at your school talking about the kids who died in Connecticut?” You can also share your feelings: “I’ve been feeling sad about the children who were killed last week.”
Also watch for a change in behavior. Children who are more irritable or aggressive than usual or who are complaining of physical ailments uncharacteristically may essentially be telling you that they have absorbed some of the nation’s horror and anxiety about what happened at Sandy Hook Elementary.
When ignored, children and teens feel all alone in their grief. Respond to them with sensitivity and warmth. Use a caring tone of voice; maintain eye contact when talking with and learning from them. This commitment to actively listening tells children that their feelings will be respected.
Remember that often kids don’t want to have a long conversation about the tragedy. They don’t want to be “talked at.” But if they’re given the opportunity, many will tell you what’s on their mind, allowing you a glimpse into their reality. Respond based on what they tell you or show you through their behaviors. Use their words and level of understanding. Don’t over-explain. Keep it simple and honest and loving. Let them know you’re someone they can talk to about the tough things.
Also, some kids, especially younger ones, may truly not be concerned about the shooting because it seems like just another far-away story that doesn’t affect them. That’s why it’s important to listen and
observe, then respond. Allow for a discussion but don’t insist on one if the child isn’t telling or showing you she’s sad, anxious or perplexed. Let the child lead.
Safety first
If a child is expressing, verbally or behaviorally, that she is afraid, reassure her that you and the other grown-ups in her life are doing everything you can to make sure that she is safe. Because it’s true, it’s OK to say, “This kind of thing almost never happens. It’s a one-in-a-million situation. You’re protected.”
Teens are ready to handle the more nuanced truth, which is that safety can’t be 100 percent guaranteed in anything we do in life. Model living each day with boldness, resilience, meaning, and purpose for the teens in your life.
Many kids will find it helpful to review school safety and security procedures, and indeed, this is happening at schools across the country as I write this. Physically show them the security measures in place and step through the drills.
In the home, if a child seems to be regressing to the behaviors of younger kids—such as wanting to sleep with mom and dad, bedwetting, thumb-sucking, etc., these are signs that this child simply needs some extra attention right now. Don’t punish him for the regressive behaviors. Indulge them for now. And spend extra time with him in the coming days and weeks. Be available when he gets up, when he comes home from school, after dinner, and on weekends as much as you can.
Be the grown-up
We as a nation have been traumatized by the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary. The multiple, violent deaths of precious young children and the adults who cared for them can result in intense feelings of shock, fear, anxiety and helplessness. Some of us confront these feelings by obsessively watching TV coverage of the event or talking about it with anyone and everyone.
While it’s normal and natural for us to try to integrate the reality of what happened in these ways, this kind of exposure may be too much for children. So limit your media viewing and conversation about the tragedy in front of your children. Younger kids, especially, don’t need to know and aren’t developmentally mature enough yet to handle all the details.
Be calm, reassuring, and positive. Be the caregiver. If you need to talk about your own thoughts and feelings about what happened, find another adult to talk to out of earshot of the kids. Never lie to children or hide the truth from them, but do limit their exposure.
Older kids, especially teens, may, like many adults, work through their thoughts and feelings by engaging with the national media and conversation about the shooting. Try watching the news together with these teens and talking about what you see. Be careful not to reverse roles. Don’t display your own grief so much that the child is forced to take care of you instead of the other way around. Seek outside support for yourself if you need it.
Search for meaning … together
As we all struggle to understand what can never be understood, we naturally turn to rituals and faith. If you attend a place of worship and there is a message about the shooting during the service, this may be helpful for your older child to hear. Model prayer, meditation, singing, spending time in nature or whichever activities are helpful to you in connecting to your spirituality. Attending a service or candle-lighting in memory of the children who died may be helpful for your family.
Participating in activities that connect us as humans can also be meaningful at this time. Children of all ages can participate in activities like making cards to send to the surviving children at Sandy Hook Elementary or supporting children in need in your own community through volunteer efforts like food or toy drives.
If a child wants to talk about where the children who died “went,” be honest with her about your beliefs and ask her about hers. Encourage this conversation without feeling you need to know all the answers.
Thank you for being an adult who is committed to helping children learn to navigate our challenging times and emerge as resilient, communicative, and compassionate adults themselves. The world needs more communicators and compassion-givers. Perhaps if we work on these learned skills together, one day we will have no more need of articles like this one.
About the Author Dr. Alan Wolfelt is a respected author and educator on the topic of healing in grief. He serves as Director of the Center for Loss and Life Transition and is on the faculty at the University of Colorado Medical School’s Department of Family Medicine. A father of three, Dr. Wolfelt has written many bestselling books for and about grieving children and teens, including Healing Your Grieving Heart for Kids, Healing A Child’s Grieving Heart: 100 Practical Ideas for Families, Friends, and Caregivers, and Healing Your Grieving Heart for Teens. Visit www.centerforloss.com to learn more about helping children in grief and to order Dr. Wolfelt’s books

Memories are some of our most treasured gifts of the season

urban — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 00:03:20 +0000

Christmas 2012

Thanksgiving 2012

urban — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 16:03:35 +0000

From our family to yours, may your Thanksgiving Holiday be filled with the gifts of gratefulness and all Life’s Blessings. We wish safe travel to all.

Staten Island Storm Relief Aid

urban — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 15:53:43 +0000

A Fellow Golden Rule Funeral Home needs our help! The community around John Vincent Scalia Home for Funerals in Staten Island, NY has been decimated. The Funeral Home facility is providing warm shelter and hot food for many. They are in need of blankets, sheets, towels, wash cloths, ect… Please drop off gently used or new items to the Urban Funeral Home anytime before Friday, November 9th. Thank you for your generosity.