The First Call
Times Square, New York City
Finding Inspiration in Every Turn
"Every day as a funeral director, I walk through stories, some marked by grief, others by celebration, all carrying the weight of a life lived.
With each family, I witness the legacy of their loved one, the traditions they cherished, the memories they hold, the stories they will carry forward. My work is about honoring those stories with care, dignity, and a presence that echoes far beyond the service.
It is also about the future, the generations of funeral professionals who will follow. Every choice, every lesson shared, every standard upheld becomes a thread in the fabric of their legacy.
Funeral service is never abstract. It is lived, witnessed, and passed forward. It is storytelling in its purest form, preserving lives through words, ceremonies, and the hearts of those we serve."
Jay Jacobson, LUTCF, CPC, CFSP
Jacobson Professional Staffing Founder Featured in National Funeral Service Recognition Campaign
Jacobson Professional Staffing is proud to share that our owner and founder, Jay U. Jacobson, LUTCF, CPC, CFSP, was selected as one of the funeral service professionals featured and quoted in The First Call, a national recognition campaign honoring the people who serve families through some of life’s most difficult moments.
Created by Chptr in partnership with the National Funeral Directors Association, Tribute Technology, and Homesteaders Life Company, The First Call was launched to bring public attention to the compassion, steadiness, and professionalism funeral directors provide every day. On April 23, 2026, the campaign honored 143 deathcare professionals from across the country in Times Square, placing a profession that often serves quietly into one of the most visible spaces in the world.
More than 150 funeral professionals, family members, friends, and supporters gathered in New York City for the live viewing. Beyond Times Square, the event livestream reached more than 18,000 viewers, while social media posts from participants and supporters generated tens of thousands of additional views.
For Jacobson Professional Staffing, Jay’s inclusion in the campaign is especially meaningful. His career has been shaped by a deep respect for funeral service, a commitment to strengthening the profession, and a belief that the people who answer the first call deserve to be seen, supported, and valued.
That first call is often the moment when a family’s need becomes real. Before an arrangement conference, before a service, before a family walks through the funeral home doors, someone picks up the phone. On the other end is a funeral professional who must bring calm to confusion, clarity to uncertainty, and compassion to grief.
That is the work The First Call set out to honor.
Jay’s selection as one of the featured and quoted professionals reflects the same mission that drives Jacobson Professional Staffing: helping funeral homes find, develop, and retain people who understand the weight of this calling. Funeral service is not simply a job built around tasks and schedules. It is a profession built around trust, presence, judgment, and care.
The Times Square recognition served as a powerful reminder that funeral directors, arrangers, embalmers, administrative professionals, crematory operators, removal personnel, and support staff all play a vital role in how families experience care. Much of that work happens quietly, often without recognition, but its impact is lasting.
Through The First Call, Chptr and its partners helped bring that impact into public view.
At Jacobson Professional Staffing, we’re grateful to be included among the professionals helping represent the heart of funeral service on a national stage. His participation reinforces what we believe every day: the future of funeral service depends on people who are prepared, compassionate, skilled, and committed to serving families well.
The campaign will continue nationally through local television and radio partnerships, community outreach resources, event highlights, and ongoing storytelling opportunities. Chptr is also continuing to spotlight professionals during ICCFA Experience 2026, recording interviews and sharing more stories from across the profession.
For Jay and Jacobson Professional Staffing, this recognition is not just a personal honor. It’s a moment to celebrate the entire profession.
Because when funeral service is done well, families remember more than the details.
They remember the voice that answered.
They remember the person who helped.
They remember the steady presence on the other end of the first call.
