Financial Help for Headstones and Monuments for Children

In response to a question in the comments, I went looking for places that offer financial help in purchasing a headstone for an infant.  While most states legally spell out the level of government which is responsible for burying those too poor to afford their own burial, tombstones and memorials are outside the barest necessities, and not covered.  But private organizations in some localities attempt to fill this void.

In Georgia, Children's Burial Assistance will help some expenses for children's funerals in the state, and sometimes outside of it IF--and that's a big if--there are the funds.  In central Florida, the Bradley Summersill Foundation offers financial help for children's headstones.  Their contact information is:

2460 Peterson Road, Apopka, FL 32703,phone: (407) 733-1062.  The Josh Rojas Foundation works to give children in the Rochester, New York area headstones.  The Conner Kirby Infant Memorial Foundation provides help for infants in the states of Pennsylvania and Maryland.

The Northern New York Community Foundation has a fund for gravestones for children in their service area, via the "Forget Me Not" program.     

For more on the program, contact the NNYCF.

On the national level, there is one organization I found that does not seem to have a geographic limit, and that's the Dempsey Burdick Memorial Foundation.  A few families per year are chosen to receive a memorial stone for their loved one.  Again, this is dependent on availability of funds.

If You Live in Certain States, Your Unemployment Checks Can Work Towards Starting a Business

All states have some form of unemployment insurance, but in five states--New York, New Jersey, Washington, Pennsylvania, and Oregon (and apparently from their inclusion in this document, Delaware)--the unemployed have another option.  In the other 45 states, the unemployed have to show that they are working towards another job by training and/or pounding the pavement.  But in these five states, there is a self-employment assistance program.  Unemployed workers in these states can earn their check by proving that they are working to become self-employed--that they are training to set up a workable business, writing a business plan, or other concrete steps to start a business, and the usual job hunting requirements are waived.

What are the requirements for this?  Each state has different regulations that you can find here.  While this page is set up for policy makers in other states, it lets you know what is expected. 
The U.S. Department of Labor is trying to expand this program to other states, and has given money to states across the country to set up their own programs.  If you (sadly) become eligible for unemployment insurance in your state, ask if your state has a self-employment assistance program, and what you need to go to become eligible.

Where to Look for Burial Funding Assistance

Providing the poor with a decent, dignified burial is one of the oldest social services on earth.  If you need help with the expenses of burying a loved one, here are some places to look:

--If your locality has a 211 agency referral number, call ask the referal experts to see if there are any agencies that provide burial expenses.  If your area has a searchable website, search under "burial/creamation expense assistance."

The Funeral Consumers Alliance, a fine organization, has a page devoted to indigent funerals, including a state-by-state chart of public funeral funding.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs also provides some assistance to members of federally recognized tribes if they lack other resources.  See this site for details on how to file for assistance. 

--Your state's social service agency.  Some help with burial expenses for poor people.  In Michigan, this is the website for burial assistance.   

Another source for help in Michigan for the families of those who commit suicide is the nonprofit group Six Feet Over, which offers assistance with the cleanup, funeral and memorial for the victim.  See their website (bottom of the page) for financial assistance).

 --In the city of Toledo, the Cemetary Office of the Department of Parks and Recreation handles the cremation and burial of indigents.  Their website is in need of modifications.  Please call directly at 419 936 3081.

 --FYI, here's a page from the Ohio Legislative Services (albeit 2007) on the obligation of local and state government to provide burial or cremation for certain poor people, like veterans and residents of state institutions.  According to 9.15 of the Ohio Revised Code, if an indigent person dies and is not a resident of an institution, the city or municipality must pay for the cost of a burial or cremation.  The government body is not absolved of the cost of a burial or cremation if the body is claimed by an indigent person.

--Here's a listing of some indigent burial services in the greater Cleveland area, courtesy of the 211 referral service.

--Some counties help with indigent funerals.  In Florida, contact your county's human services agency.

--In Oregon, indigent burial costs can be applied for at the state Department of Health.

--In Pennsylvania, here's the state regulations and who to contact for indigent burial.

--In Alaska, here's the site of the state social service agency that has "limited" funds for that.

--In Alabama, the county has the responsibility to provide a small sum for the burial of indigents, and those whose relatives cannot bury them.  In the case of deaths on the job, the employer is supposed to pay up to $3000 towards the funeral.

--In Illinois, it's covered by the Department of Family and Community Services, and here's the informational link.  For more information, call  (217) 524-5294 or (217) 558-6653. 

--In the District of Columbia, there's the Department of Human Services, which will give $800 towards a funeral or $450 for a cremation.  The total cost of the funeral cannot be over $2000.

--In Louisiana, the burial of paupers may be paid for by the municipality or parish where they died, with each city or parish establishing the maximum amount paid.  If the pauper were in a state institution, the state of Louisiana is responsible for their burial.

--In Georgia, the county deals with costs for the burial of indigents, and you start by contacting the county's Department of Social Services. Here's a useful publication to give more details--see #16.

--Here's the state information on indigent burial assistance in the state of Indiana.

 .--In New York, there is a guide for burial assistance options.  It's been updated (2011) and may give you an idea of where to go for help. There’s also assistance for New York City residents of up to $900 and an application online.

--For indigent people of the Jewish faith in the New York City area, the Hebrew Free Burial Association will provide a religiously and culturally appropriate funeral.

--Social security.  There is a small lump sum amount at the death of a Social Security recipient ($255).

--Was the deceased a veteran?  Besides VA benefits, some states have burial funds for veterans.  For veterans who have died in military conflict, while a resident of a VA-approved nursing home, receiving veteran's pension or other circumstances, they may be entitled to more compensation.  See this page.  Check your state's veterans office.  Here' the information for Ohio veterans burial benefits.

--Did they die as the result of a crime?  Some states have benefits for those who have died as the result of a crime

--Did they die as a result of a federally-declared disaster?  If so, and the family has no financial resources for burial, they may be eligible for disaster aid.   If so, contact FEMA at 1 (800) 621-FEMA (3362) for more information.

--Religious organizations. If you are a member of a church or denomination, they may help the burial of indigent people in that faith. 

--If the deceased is a child, there are organizations that assist in funding the burial of children in parts of the U.S.  The Unforgettables helps with funeral expenses of children in Orange County, San Bernadino and Riverside, California.  AMT Children of Hope, based in the New York City area, works to prevent the abandonment of infants, but also provides assistance for the burial of children.  Child Burial Assistance Inc. of Georgia also helps child burials in that state.  In Michigan, the Olivia Raines Foundation helps up to $500 with the cost of an infant's burial.  In California, the Emilio Nares Foundation helps with the cost of children who die of cancer in their area of service.  Call 1 (877) 507-7788 for more information.

AgapeCare Cradle, Inc offers financial help for the burial of infants in the Witchita, Kansas area.

The Tears Foundation will assist in funding the burial of an infant between 20 weeks gestation and 1 year old in the states of New York, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey and Washington state, if there are sufficient funds.  You can contact them at (253) 200-0944.

--The angels of Aidpage came up with another winner: a page full of suggestions on burial financial help.  They include references to several individual cities.  like Milwaukee,   The link to Nashville is dead, but I found the new Nashville burial help site here, and here is the Maryland burial site.  Colorado has burial assistance also.

--Another possibility is crowdfunding. See this blog entry for more.

***See more on indigent burial at this entry.****

Veterans Bonuses in Ohio and Other States

Ohio is now giving cash bonuses to veterans of the Persian Gulf, Iraq and Afghanistan wars.****Now, only veterans of the Afghan war can apply--ALL OTHER DEADLINES HAVE EXPIRED. For online applications, see the state web site, or call 1-877-644-6838 for a paper application. There is also a website with eligibility requirements.  They are exempt from state and federal taxes. 

The deadline for filing for those who served in the Persian Gulf War (August 2, 1990-March 3, 1991) is December 31, 2013.  However, for those who served later, the deadline is later.  For those that served in Iraq between March 19, 2003 and December 31, 2011, the deadline is December 31st, 2014.  For those who served in Afghanistan since October 7, 2001, the deadline is three years after the President calls an end to involvement.  See this post for more details. Also for the VERY LATEST, from the Dept of Veterans Services in Ohio:

Down to the Wire for Iraq War Veterans...

The application deadline for the Ohio

Veterans Bonus is approaching rapidl

y for veterans of the Iraq War

–

Dec. 31, 2014, is the last day to apply for the

Ohio Veterans Bonus for

military veterans who

served boots-on-the-ground in Iraq

between March 19, 2003 and Dec. 31, 2011.

The Ohio Veterans Bonus is available to

veterans, and active duty service members

who are legal residents of Ohio, who served

anywhere in the world during the time of the

wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Service must

have been for more than

90 days active duty,

not for training. Eligible veterans must have

been Ohio residents at the time of their entry

into the service, and must be Ohio residents

at the time they apply.

Although the end of the year marks the dead-

line to apply for service in Iraq, the Bonus

remains open for veterans who served in the

country of Afghanistan or anywhere else in

the world since Oct. 7, 2001.

With the news of this new bonus by the state of Ohio to veterans of the Persian, Afghan and Iraqi wars and benefits for their survivors (created by voters last year), I decided to check out other states, too, and find that there is a mixed bag of such cash bonuses in other states for different conflicts in U.S. history. Most are small cash bonuses, restricted to those with honorable discharges who were residents of the state before going to war.

Vermont has one that is still in effect for veterans of Vietnam, and goes back to the War of 1812, to compensate citizen-soldiers for the use of the horses and weapons they were expected to bring with them to that conflict. Massachusetts has offers on the books for veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf and the “war on terror,” covering conflicts since 9/11. In West Virginia, there is a bonus for veterans of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo and their survivors. Pennsylvania has a bonus for veterans of the Persian Gulf and their survivors. In Alabama, there is a bonus program for veterans who were held prisoner in Southeast Asia. Illinois Veterans Affairs offers bonuses to wars stretching back to World War II, plus compensation for POWs. New Hampshire and South Dakota offer small bonuses. For a rundown of state military benefits, see this link for all 50 states.

update: The Ohio applications must be notarized. If you want the notarization for free, see these Attorney General regional locations.

MORE POTENTIAL MONEY: The Stop Loss Compensation has extended its deadline.  If you have non-voluntarily had your duty extended between Sept., 2001  and Sept, 2009, you can file for this back pay compensation by March 18, 2011. 

Takin' It To The Bank

In your quest to find out about all the money you can get, there is free, skilled, legit help along the way. People turn up their nose at public assistance and food stamps, but the fact remains that, along with earned income tax credits, these are some of the biggest financial programs available. There are also sources of financial help you may not know about--help with fuel bills or insulation, for instance. And, for people in Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and the District of Columbia, there are people who can tell you what major financial help programs you are eligible for.

The Benefit Bank has a network of agencies that host them throughout each of these states. When you go to their website, you can enter your address, city and state, and pick which services you would like information about: taxes, benefits, or voter registration, and click "search." It will pull up a list of Benefit Bank places that provide counseling. You can call the one most convenient to you and set up an appointment to meet with them. You will need to bring supporting documents, like pay stubs, so ask what sort of documents you need. Check out this site and find someone who can really help you get money.