| we hear that a family member or friend has passed, | | | | A spiritual sympathy gift basket can help a mourning |
| we want to do or say something that is meaningful to | | | | family find closure. Fill the basket with packs of tissues, |
| the family. Sometimes actions speak louder than | | | | books on prayer and grieving, and journals with pens |
| words when it comes to expressing our condolences | | | | to record their feelings. For the in-between moments, a |
| for another’s loss. Giving a sympathy gift | | | | portable CD player with soothing music will bring |
| basket will speak volumes to the loved one’s | | | | calmness to the wounded heart. Include symbols of |
| family. | | | | faith like cross pendants, and/or rosary beads if they |
| Condolence food gift baskets should be filled with | | | | are Catholic. |
| items that are not readily perishable. The family will | | | | If the family has pets, they will need care. Save the |
| receive lots of food, mostly perishable items that need | | | | family a trip to the store for pet supplies. A sympathy |
| to be refrigerated. Offer them gifts that they can | | | | gift basket full of pet foods, toys, and grooming |
| partake of at anytime without having to worry about | | | | supplies will keep the family from worrying about their |
| spoilage. Homemade items that can sit in a cool dry | | | | pets. |
| place such as zucchini, banana, or other loaf breads | | | | A unique idea for a sympathy gift basket to show |
| need to be wrapped in foil so they won’t | | | | your condolences is a “celebration of |
| sweat. Include paper plates, plastic silverware and | | | | life” basket. If the friend or family member was |
| napkins. Give them utensils that they can throw away | | | | close to you, there should be pictures of them in photo |
| so they don’t have to worry about washing | | | | albums you own or tokens of special times you |
| dishes during their period of mourning. Choose | | | | shared. Gather these things together in a gift basket |
| applesauce, fruit cups, snack bars, small bags of chips, | | | | for the grieving family. Frame the pictures in a collage |
| and individually bottled water and juices that need no | | | | frame or individual picture frames of varying sizes. Ask |
| refrigeration. Small snacks may be all they want or | | | | others who knew the deceased to provide a few |
| need to keep up their strength, so provide as many as | | | | memorabilia to the basket as gifts of sympathy. Each |
| you can. | | | | person should include a letter telling how they knew the |
| When the time comes, the family will want to send | | | | deceased. Include funny stories and how the |
| thank you cards to those who helped them during their | | | | deceased affected their lives. Include a scrapbook of |
| bereavement. A sympathy gift basket filled with | | | | the person’s accomplishments in life, leaving a |
| everything needed to make this task easier would be | | | | page free for each of their immediate family members |
| appreciated. Include cards, pens, stamps, return | | | | to add their reflections to the scrapbook. |
| address labels, note paper, and envelopes. Most | | | | The need to provide sympathy goes beyond the |
| families place a picture of the deceased on the cover | | | | funeral. The period of mourning is unpredictable. Gift |
| of the funeral program. Minimize the picture and make | | | | baskets of food, favorite memories, and household |
| copies with the birth and death dates to include with | | | | necessities help the family to heal after their loss. |
| the thank you cards. | | | | |