‘Be a Beacon of Light’

Sabrina Young offers compassionate care as families grieve loss of loved ones

By AMY ROGNLIE | Photos by BECKY STINEHOUR and courtesy of SABRINA YOUNG

Sabrina Young is on a mission to make the world a better place. A U.S. Army veteran and single mom of five daughters, Young is all about caring for others, particularly through her role as director of Young’s Daughters Funeral Home and Bereavement Center. Not your typical funeral director or funeral home, Young views her role in the Central Texas community as a calling.

“When your heart’s really in it and you have a desire to serve, people can feel that,” Young said. “We’re not here just to ‘do a funeral.’ We strive to be a beacon of light in a time of need.”

To that end, Young’s Daughters is not just a funeral home, but also a bereavement center, which is unusual in the industry. Young offers grief classes and other resources at no cost, feeling that if there is any need surrounding grief and loss, she wants to meet it. In addition, she personally takes a group of people yearly to the national conference of Compassionate Friends, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people through grief. Young’s Daughters also sponsors bereaved children so they can attend grief camp.

“Our mission is to be with you before, during and after a loss occurs,” Young added. “We believe that every life is worth remembering.”

Unique to traditional funeral homes, Young’s Daughters also offers pet services including euthanasia, cremation and burial, knowing that pets are also part of the family.

And to Young, every life means every single life, even those who have no family. Every year, Young’s Daughters provides a dignified burial for 10 to 15 unclaimed veterans. As one of very few funeral homes that are willing to take responsibility for caring for those who have no means to pay for a funeral, Young receives calls from homeless shelters and justices of the peace from across the entire state.

“Being a community resource, we step forward. We always step up to make sure there is no veteran left behind, even if we must do a fundraiser to get them buried,” Young said. “Matthew 25:40, which states, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me,’ emphasizes that caring for those in need is a direct way of serving God. Doing a funeral service for a veteran or anyone else who died alone or in need isn’t just a job to me — it’s a mission as I seek to garner grace with God.”

In addition to caring for unclaimed veterans, Young does her best to meet folks where they are, noting that not many funeral homes offer financial aid. When she ventured to open her business, she wanted to offer an all-inclusive funeral home to all walks of life, offering low-cost options and meeting people where they are. She quickly realized that many people needed help paying for a funeral for their loved one.

To meet this need, Young and her staff fundraise all year and host an annual Walk to Remember, which is a fundraiser to honor lost loved ones and pets and is set for the second Sunday in December. Young’s Daughters’ other major fundraiser is Bikers for Bereavement, which takes place in August. Proceeds help those in the community who cannot afford a funeral.

In addition, Young offers free sessions to educate the community about the importance of end-of-life forms such as last wills and testaments, medical power of attorney, authorized agent forms, and pre-planning for funeral expenses. Personal appointments and notary services for the documents are also available free of charge at the funeral home.

In her spare time, Young is a service officer for VFW Post 1820, where she assists veterans with registering at national and local cemeteries, as well as filing claims, obtaining DEERS identification cards, and any other benefits they need. As a veteran combat military police officer, Young lives and breathes the “no soldier left behind” creed.

“Being a first-generation funeral home owner, I am not bound by ‘the way it’s always been done,’” Young said. “I’m able to stretch the boundaries to serve what the community wants and needs to truly honor everyone’s stories.”

The staff at Young’s Daughters want to help the community find ways to celebrate in meaningful and memorable ways, such as through the funeral home’s interactive “magic wall.” The 10×10 flat screen in the chapel is used to share life-sized photos and videos during a funeral.

Young encourages folks who are pre-planning their funerals to self-record a video to be shared with their loved ones and guests at their final farewell. Other ideas include a recorded biography of one’s life events, or maybe even a special recipe or joke. The wall brings your story to life in living color.

“I wanted our home to be a place where you walk in and you automatically feel welcomed,” Young said. “In the future, I want to expand our care center to be able to serve more than our surrounding counties and to keep enjoying the calling from God and serving others.”

GET IN TOUCH
Website: youngsdaughters.com
Phone: 254-401-1302
Facebook: Facebook.com/Youngsdaughters