I don't know about other places but in our ward the meal after the funeral is generally only for the family and very close friends. The ward usually arranges the entire meal, the family pays the ward back for the meat, and ward members donate casseroles, salads and such. I don't see such a family meal as a ward activity that is covered by 13.2.8. Rather I see it as service and ward members taking care of one another. If a family can't afford to help in such a situation there are generally other ways of providing service so no one is excluded. And, of course, providing this food is always voluntary. I don't think the handbook means to prohibit ward members from helping each other directly.aebrown wrote:I don't see how the RS sisters could "donate the food as a pot luck"; that seems to me to be a misinterpretation of the narrow exception for "activities in which members provide food" (HB2, Section 13.2.8). But maybe I'm misunderstanding you, since you said in that same sentence that "the cost of the meal would come out of budget funds," which seems appropriate.lajackson wrote:And the Relief Society sisters will be more than willing to help with a meal, as appropriate. Often they will donate the food as a pot luck, but the cost of the meal would come out of budget funds and would be simple, as well.
If the family can't afford to pay for the meat then we would probably try to reduce the expense as much as possible and pay for that potion with budget funds. But we would still allow ward members to help out with the side dishes. And if a few ward members wanted to donate the meat even, I don't see any problem with that.