Help Honor Caren Wiener's Final Wishes
Donation protected
Hello family, friends and strangers.
My name is Alyssa Wiener. I run a small business out of Westport, CT creating rainbow hair for all walks of life.
My mom, Caren Wiener, is at end of life. She’s been in hospice at home to try to remain comfortable, but time isn’t on our side.
Caren is 64, a native of Pleasentville, NY, and is a retired special education teacher. She has been on disability since 2017.
My mom’s health issues have ranged anywhere from a collapsed lung to a heart attack, from an enlarged heart to lung cancer, to a broken back. Words can’t describe how strong and resilient she is.
This time is different.
Caren is suffering from COPD, osteoporosis and hypercapnia (her body is having trouble converting carbon dioxide into oxygen, resulting in toxic levels in her bloodstream.) This has been an ongoing battle for years.
In February 2024, her pulmonologist said there’s nothing else we can do, and referred us out to palliative care.
Our family has had our fair share of hardships in relation to finances; hospital bills for her radiation of previous lung cancer upwards of $400k, and that is just the most recent.
I am starting this GoFundMe to hopefully pay for the funeral and memorial she deserves.
As per our Jewish heritage, there are a few very important traditions that must be followed, specifically by a Jewish funeral home and Jewish cemetery.
I have priced everything out to the best of my ability.
- Double Plot (so my father also has a resting place next to her): $8480
- Rabbi fee: $850
- Funeral home collectively: $6270
included in above:
• Tahara room (a Jewish burial tradition that involves washing and purifying the deceased body. The process of tahara is considered one of the greatest mitzvot in Judaism.)
• Traditional plain pine resting place
• Traditional Shroud
• Transportation including: transporting to the funeral home, a hearse to the cemetery
• a staff member coming to collect to transport to funeral home
- Tahara volunteer: $250
- Shomer: $150/shift (estimated 3)
• a Shomer is a Jewish person who is entrusted with the body until it is properly prepared for burial. The shomer will recite psalms and be the guardian until it is time.
- Opening/closing of the grave: $1850 (or 2200-2600 on Sundays.)
There are other odds and ends, including the headstone, but that is not an immediate call to action (we have a year from burial to figure that out.)
I am calling upon those with golden hearts with whatever they are able to spare to help me send my mother off with the respect and dignity she deserves.
I don’t know how much longer we have, but I know it’s not much. Thank you for reading, and if you can’t donate, please share this so it can gain traction. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Organizer
Alyssa Wiener
Organizer
Norwalk, CT