Newsletters

Our FCAWM Newsletter is published twice a year, usually in late spring and in the fall. Members receive it by mail (nonprofit bulk mail) or can choose “electronic only” delivery. As the newsletter goes to press, a pdf is posted to this website and we notify our “e” subscribers by email. Note: Anyone with an email address may sign up for our “FCA News” list (Mailchimp) to be notified when the next issue is posted.

Here are links to recent newsletters:

Fall 2024 Newsletter
Contents: Invitation to October 20, 2024, Annual Meeting and Program featuring Lee Webster, “You Can Do It: Family-Led Funerals” / FCAEM Annual meeting October 19, “Living in the Shadow of Death” / Expanded after-death care options? What is Alkaline Hydrolysis? / Outreach / 2024 Deathcare Superconference / and more.
Spring 2024 Newsletter
Contents: Anatomical Donors leave lasting impact / Save the Date October 20, 2024 for Annual Meeting & Program / Wake Forest Law Review Symposium / 2024 Price Comparisons Available Online / Report of 2023 Annual Meeting / The Simple Gift of One’s Cadaver / FTC undercover phone sweep / Gift acceptance guidelines / and more.
Fall 2023 Newsletter
Contents: Annual Meeting and Program, Sunday, October 22, 2023, “What’s New and What’s Changing to Help Funeral Consumers?” / Funeral Rule Revision Still Underway / Lisa Carson dies at 86 / Massachusetts #3, Expensive State to Die In / Burials at Sea / Outreach and Educational Presentations / and more.
Spring 2023 Newsletter
Contents: Human Composting Gaining Support / Re-supply of “Before I Go..” Planners, English and Spanish / Summary of 2022 Annual Meeting / Save-the-date notice of 2023 Annual Meeting / Introducing new board member Maria Mason LeClerc / Archiving our History / Monitoring Massachusetts Legislation / Outreach and Presentations.
Fall 2022 Newsletter
Contents: Annual Meeting and Program, Sunday, October 16, 2022, “Death Care with Love, Vision, and Surprises” / New Candidate for FCAWM Board of Trustees / Funeral Home Prices in 2022, with new features on Price Comparison Chart / Collaborations Across the State / Understanding a Funeral Home’s Price List / Active Outreach and Educational Presentations in 2022.
Spring 2022 Newsletter
Contents: Educating Consumers for over 60 years! / Progress in 2022 / News from the national FCA: “Shop Before You Drop” workshop, Lawsuit against “Heritage Cremation Provider”, and Retail caskets / Two Deaths and Six Lessons Learned / What can YOU do to help YOUR survivors? / History of Funerals and Origins of FCA and Memorial Societies
Fall 2021 Newsletter
Contents: Announcement of our October 17 Annual Meeting and Program: “Traditions Old & New: A Range of Rituals” presented by Gail Rubin (via Zoom from NM) / Links to Resources in Spanish / A New Candidate for FCAWM Board of Trustees / Upcoming Educational Programs (virtual) from Trusted Sources / Consumer Groups Urge State Regulators to Provide Consumer Information about Funerals / New Masssachusetts Bill: Environmentally-Friendly Burial Alternatives / Appreciation from Empty Arms Bereavement Support
Spring 2021 Newsletter
Contents: Reimbursement for Covid-19 funeral expenses available / Special Consumer Fraud Alert (from FEMA) / FCAWM Priority Projects in 2021, including building infant coffins to donate to Empty Arms Bereavement Services / Meet the newest members of FCAWM Board of Trustees /Interview with long-term member Sally Lawton / Brief news re Natural Organic Reduction
Fall 2020 Newsletter
Contents: National FCA Conference offering free online sessions, including “African American Undertaking: History, Burial Rights and Deathwork” by Dr. Kami Fletcher / Mission Statement Reaffirmed / Invitation to virtual Annual Meeting & Program, “Challenges Facing Death Care Today” / Reflections on our History: What Have We Missed? / Book review of To Serve the Living: Funeral Directors and the African American Way of Death / 2020 Funeral Home Price Comparison Report / Should you prepay for your funeral? Safer ways to plan ahead / “Raising the Alarm about Bodies in Limbo,” a virtual meeting planned jointly by FCAEM and FCAWM
Fall 2019 Newsletter

Contents: Caskets and Coffins and Shrouds, Oh My! (announcing Annual Program) / Electing Trustees and Officers; Seeking Volunteers / Learning from Caitlin Doughty / The Fun of Building Your Pine Box / Who Ya Gonna Call? A Helpful Article from 2012 / Funeral Rule Review; Price Comparisons

Past Newsletters Archived Online

Copies of our past newsletters (2010- ) are available to view online at Wayback.Archive-it at this link: Newsletters Archives. You may select by date, or scroll lower on that page to browse the topics that were covered. We thank Special Collections and University Archives at UMass-Amherst for helping to preserve our history.