The Fall 2021 Newsletter is now available. In this Newsletter you’ll find… • Upcoming Educational Programs (virtual) from Trusted Sources • Consumer Groups Urge State Regulators to Provide Consumer Information about Funerals …
Continue readingAugust 25, 2021. An article in today’s Daily Hampshire Gazette reports our recent project of building infant coffins for donation to Empty Arms Bereavement Services. Photographs of FCAWM volunteers (Elizabeth, Joan, Kate and Carol) at work in Jonathan LaGreze’s woodworking shop…
Continue readingAugust 17, 2021. At the monthly meeting of the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Embalming & Funeral Directing (EM Board), representatives of FCAWM and FCAEM spoke about the need for up-to-date consumer information on the EM Board’s website. The Board was…
Continue readingJuly 7. The FCA national office and staff, with input from other FCA leaders, have discussed the implications of the bill Congress passed in 2021 directing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to reimburse Americans up to $9,000 for the…
Continue readingJune 28, 2021. Press Release from CFA and FCA:New Report Concludes that 33 State Funeral Service Regulators Provide Poor or No Useful Information to Consumers While Seven State Agencies Make Available Excellent Information. Consumer Groups Urge Regulators to Make a Strong Commitment…
Continue readingOn the evening of November 18, 2020, a ZOOM meeting co-hosted by FCAWM and FCAEM focused on the challenges presented by “unclaimed bodies” and by indigent cases in Massachusetts. We titled this virtual event “Raising the Alarm about Bodies in Limbo: Delays in…
Continue readingDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, which has hit Massachusetts hard this spring, many adjustments have had to be made. Large gatherings are not allowed, and even small gatherings require extra spacing for safe “distancing” between people, so conventional full funeral services are not possible…
Continue readingThe “Funeral Rule” protecting consumers’ rights is up for review. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) seeks COMMENTS now, before the deadline (which was April 14, then extended to June 15, 2020). YOU can help by telling the FTC your thoughts on these…
Continue readingGood news: Human composting has been approved in the state of Washington. Legislation signed by the governor on May 21, 2019, will take effect in May 2020. I call this good news because I’ve long supported the concept; see my…
Continue reading“The funeral as we know it is becoming a relic” This headline caught my attention. Karen Heller of the Washington Post has written a good article about shifting trends and new ideas in U.S. funeral practices. You can read the full article on the…
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