by Mary Matthews on 2015-08-14
Aug. 1 brought a hallmark move for a locally founded charity, The Unforgettables Foundation of the Inland Empire, with the opening of its first official satellite chapter outside of California in the United States.
Tuesday Aug. 4, the chapter of Southern Nevada officially elected officers at a meeting in Las Vegas. Other states are being targeted for chapters in the near future as part of a growth strategy plan promoted by the Redlands-based organization.
The Unforgettables has aided over 5,000 financially challenged families in North America struggling with the cost of a child's funeral. One aspect that makes the charity so important is that it's only such cause is to assist with burial funds for children who have passed away at ages 18 down to 32 weeks gestation for all reasons for childhood death, including cancer, car crashes and suicide.
Founded by Chaplain Tim Evans in the heart of the Inland Empire of San Bernardino County in 1999, and opening for business on Jan. 1, 2000, this nonprofit organization has won many awards for service.
Evans says, "It has always been a dream for me and The Unforgettables to expand across the U.S. to be located near Children's Hospitals. That's because the problem we've identified and met is to help parents with burial and cremation costs, a cosmopolitan endeavor. There's a need for our mission."
At a Bank of the West board room above the Vegas Strip, eight committed volunteers constituted the founding board. Mr. Glenn Abercrombie, General Manager of Palm Mortuary, a group associated with the Dignity Memorial Mortuary Company, was elected the first South Nevada chair of the board. Abercrombie was previously at Mt. View Mortuary in North San Bernardino as the area manager.
Devonne Rowlen, manager of Draper Funeral Home in Ontario and the current board chair of the Inland Empire and Founding Chapter, was at the gathering and added to the founding Las Vegas area board. She comments, "I'm really happy to see this big step happen now for The Unforgettables. The dream's always been there for us to expand. So, since we trust Glenn, it's perfect!"
As with other chapters, The Unforgettables' mission works because of cooperation with all mortuaries.
The Unforgettables Foundation also has a sister group, The Unforgettables Fund of Canada, which has operated in Toronto and Ottawa at children's hospitals in Ontario for over a decade.