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FEMA’s mission is to help people before, during and after disaster. Under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 & the American Relief Plan Act of 2021, FEMA is providing financial assistance for Covid-19 related funeral expenses incurred after Jan 20, 2020. This overview will provide program eligibility, documentation requirements and how to apply.

If you have questions, contact Mary.Culley@va.gov; 405-626-3426.

Bambi Kraus, Tlingit, is FEMA’s National Tribal Affairs Advisor who advises the Administrator and Senior Leaders on Tribal government engagements, policy issues and Tribal Consultation for the agency. The Tribal Program is located in the Intergovernmental Affairs Division of the Office of External Affairs. Prior to joining FEMA, Ms. Kraus was the founder and Executive Director of the National Association of Historic Preservation Officers, a national non-profit Indian organization that is devoted to assisting Tribes preserve and rejuvenate their cultures and traditions. Since graduating from Stanford University, Bambi has resided in Washington DC and has been committed to working with and advocating for Native Rights. Her Tlingit family resides in Kake, Alaska.

Matt Redding, Deputy Director, Individual Assistance, Office of Response and Recovery, joins the Recovery Team after serving a leadership detail as Acting Deputy Director, Office of External Affairs. Previously, he served as the Director of the National Integration Center within the National Preparedness Directorate where soon after joining FEMA he deployed to the National Response Coordination Center as Resource Support Section Deputy for Operations. In this role, he assisted in national level logistics analysis, allocation, & interagency efforts to meet the nations unique requirements under the national COVID-19 Response Plan. He directed complex allocation and Defense Production Act working groups oriented on maximizing commercial and federal acquisition and supply to support frontline healthcare needs. A 30-year career Army Officer, Matt’ last military assignment was performing duties as an Assistant Professor of National Security and Resource Strategy at the National Defense University, Fort McNair, DC. Matt developed ground-breaking curriculum linking future military concepts with current future technology, labor and industrial capacity to support large scale conflicts. Matt served as Army Chief of Current Operations for Logistics in the Pentagon. His operational experiences span the globe where command and staff assignments put him in the forefront of international, interagency and national responses to major disaster & national security threats.

FEMA’s COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Program