Dec 23, 2013
As we at ASD celebrate Christmas, we wish you and your family the same joy and happiness that we experience this time of year. ASD understands that funeral directors work around the clock and aren’t able to pause and enjoy life as often as others. That’s why planning in advance is critical for our company. Christmas, New Years Day and the entire holiday season is fully staffed with backup support to ensure that you enjoy those days knowing that your phone lines will be protected.
As a company that operates 24/7, 365 days a year, we are always focused on the needs of our clients and their callers no matter the time or date. We also strive to create a welcoming and fun office atmosphere for our employees. During this time of year, it is important for us to ensure our staff can enjoy the holidays and celebrate.
Here are some of the ways our office is celebrating Christmas this year:
Angel Tree Program
For the 4th consecutive year, ASD employees have collected more than 50 toys for the Angel Tree Program. The Angel Tree Program was created by Children’s Choice, a non-profit adoption and foster care agency in our area, to ensure that children in need receive Christmas gifts. ASD employees purchased a present for a child who might otherwise not receive any. Employees selected a paper angel with a child’s name, age and his or her Christmas list. This cause is very near and dear to our hearts and we love how involved our staff is every year!
ASD’s New Christmas Trees
Last year, we updated the landscaping at our building to replace a row of 30-ft aging pines that posed a threat to our employees and their vehicles during storms. We then planted 9 Blue Spruce trees, along with several other trees and plants, to decorate the outside of our building. This year for the first time, we were able to decorate the ASD Christmas trees with lights and before long, mother nature decided to add some final touches.
Here are some photos of the trees outside our building lit up from snow and Christmas lights:
2nd Annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Weekend
For the second year, ASD staff wore their favorite “Ugly Christmas Sweaters and Sweatshirts” this past weekend to celebrate the holidays. Help us decide which one of our employees wore the most creative getup. Vote for your favorite now on our Facebook page. We will announce the winners later this week.
Client Gifts
We want to express our gratitude for all of the visits, gifts and cards we received from so many funeral professionals this time of year. At ASD, we know that the best present we could receive is the gift of wonderful clients and we couldn’t be more appreciative of your thoughtfulness and generosity. Here are a few ways ASD clients have made the holiday season even more enjoyable for our employees:
Kevin Lyons and Bobby Condon, Directors of Kevin M Lyons Funeral Home in Glenolden, PA stopped by our office to visit and catch up. They also brought a large tin of gourmet candy for everyone to share.
Funeral Director, John Barrett, from Barrett Funeral Home in Tenafly, NJ sent us these yummy homemade cookies!
Thank you to our friend and client, Jack Carr, from Carr Funeral Home in Wallingford, PA, for stopping by to visit us and for bringing this box of delicious, gourmet candies for our staff.
Funeral Director, Jay Gilbert, from Gilbert Funeral Home in Whitehall, PA was thoughtful enough to send us this gorgeous Poinsettia center piece and sugar cookie bowl.
These candies came all the way from Chicago from our friends at The Wolniak Funeral Home.
ASD’s Christmas Luncheon
Every year, the ASD team comes together for our Annual Christmas luncheon. At this year’s luncheon, ASD’s Founders, Martin and Barbara Czachor, talked about the evolution of the company since ASD was established in 1972 and we celebrated 2013’s important milestones. It was truly a special day for everyone in attendance. Here are some photos from the day:
ASD’s Owners, The Czachor Family. From the left: Martin Czachor, Sr. (ASD Founder), Barbara Czachor (ASD Founder), Kathy Kelley (Treasurer), Martin Czachor, Jr. (Vice President) and Kevin Czachor (Vice President)
ASD’s Finance and HR Team. From the left: Dara Dix (Accounts Receivable Manager), Sandy Palmore (HR Administrator), Kathy Kelley (Treasurer & Family-Member Owner) and Carla Jones (Administrative Assistant)
ASD’s Operations Manager Team. From the left: Sharon Batten (Operations Manager), Linda Haas (Operations Manager), Jennie Brown (Operations Manager) and Ric Cusumano (Operations Director).
ASD’s Sales and Customer Service Team. From the left: Mary Ann Carlisle (Business Development Manager), Kevin Czachor (Vice President), Lauren Kress (Project Manager), Juan Silva (Lead Creative Designer), Sue Fritz (Project Coordinator), Stephanie Bradford (Sales Office Manager), Jason Bathurst (National Sales Manager) and Jessica Fowler (Public Relations Specialist).
ASD’s Supervisor Team. From the left: Supervisors, Susan Daleandro, Kathy Blythe, Jen Hoban, Rachel Keys Taylor, Sandy Ellmore, Bill Leighton, Lori Bongiovanni, Nadine Fredericks, Will Chicola, Donna Twitty, Renee Mancer, Ann Hodgson and Sue Norbeck.
ASD’s Technical Team. From the left: Gary Foster (Senior Systems Engineer), Kristine Soderland (Technical Analyst), Martin Czachor, Jr. (Vice President) and Bill D’Orazio (Electrical Engineer).
Click here to see more photos from ASD’s Christmas Luncheon.
A Special Holiday Cake
Last year, ASD Call Specialist, Gary, blew everyone away when he brought in a beautiful cake made by his wife, Colleen. The cake was adorned with a photo of our building and a special message to employees. This year, Colleen (of Colleen’s Bake Shoppe in Marcus Hook, PA) wowed us once again with a special holiday cake with a personalized note for our employees. Every one appreciated this kind and unexpected gesture as well as the delicious cake.
ASD’s 2012 Christmas Cake
ASD’s 2013 Christmas Cake
How does your funeral home celebrate the holidays? Leave us a comment and tell us about your own holiday traditions and favorite ways to embrace the Christmas spirit!
About The Author
Jess Farren (Fowler)
Jess Farren (Fowler) is a Public Relations Specialist and Staff Writer who has been a part of the ASD team since 2003. Jess manages ASD’s company blog and has been published in several funeral trade magazines. She has written articles on a variety of subjects including communication, business planning, technology, marketing and funeral trends. You can contact Jess directly at Jess@myASD.com
