This Texas Man Makes Custom Caskets & is Helping Uvalde Families

Today, the first of 19 children was laid to rest in Uvalde. Attendees wore shades of purple in honor of Amerie Jo Garza, whose favorite color was purple.

It's the first of many funerals to come, and while it's a devastating time for the parents and community of Uvalde, one man is making sure that the lives of these children are honored properly, especially with their caskets.

There is no part of this that isn't heartbreaking, but Trey Ganem is taking action in the midst of a tragedy and is working towards giving the families of the victims one less thing to worry about.

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Ganem, if you haven't already heard of him by now, is a custom casket maker working from Edna, TX. But these aren't just any regular caskets, Ganem customizes each casket to reflect the life lived.

Ganem, who owns SoulShine Industries, began working round the clock since the shooting happened. Because smaller caskets are rare, Ganem had to work with a manufacturer from Georgia. In the end, Ganem and SoulShine Industries donated 18 of 19 caskets needed; 18 of the children and one the adult whose lives were taken a week ago.

Until 11 years ago, Ganem was creating custom cars, and traded that in for custom caskets; in 2016 his son joined in on the business. Ganem told Buzzfeed News:

We’re here to try to make a hard time a little easier, There’s nothing we can really ever do to make it easier, but that’s our goal: to help the families ... start their grieving and their healing and just try to make something special for them.”

Check out some of his work below.

To find out more about SoulShine Industries, click here.