FeeaRss

FEEA Prepares for Federal Furloughs with Help from Congresswoman Norton

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 04:20:20 +0000

Speaking at the Federal Managers Association’s 75th National Convention, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today reaffirmed her intention to donate one day’s pay for each day federal employees are furloughed due to sequestration. Norton plans to divide the donation evenly between supporting federal employees in need via the Federal Employee Education & Assistance Fund (FEEA) and ensuring District residents do not experience a drop in constituent services by preventing furloughs of her own staff.

Norton first announced her plan last week while speaking at the National Treasury Employees Union’s 2013 Legislative Conference. NTEU President and FEEA Board member Colleen M. Kelley greeted the announcement with appreciation saying, “This is a remarkable gesture from a member of Congress who truly understands the value of the federal workforce and the economic pain that employees would experience from losing pay while furloughed.”
With sequestration now in effect, FEEA is bracing for an avalanche of requests about furlough assistance for federal families.

FEEA expects to keep its regular emergency assistance program in place through any furlough situation. Employees will still need to meet the threshold of having trouble paying for basic living needs like rent/mortgage or utilities and the maximum no-interest loan amount will still be $1,000. No furlough loans will be made until an employee actually receives a "short" paycheck and meets the other loan criteria. Those seeking FEEA loans will need to complete the regular Emergency Assistance application available at www.feea.org/GetHelp.

Early reports indicate feds worried about the continuing pay freeze and sequestration were leery of pledging as much from their paychecks as they have in the past during the Fall 2012 Combined Federal Campaign, meaning FEEA will begin to feel the bite of lower donation totals just as furloughs are likely to hit.
Widespread furloughs will stretch FEEA’s budget to the maximum, forcing prioritization of the most serious situations, like eviction/foreclosure or utility shut-off. It is certainly beyond FEEA’s means to replace millions of dollars in lost wages, but we will do our best to help as many federal employees as we can.
At such time as furloughs actually go into effect, FEEA will have more information available at www.feea.org.

 Donations to FEEA's General Fund are urgently needed to ensure all who qualify for assistance will receive it. Donations may be made via credit card on FEEA's web site at www.feea.org/Give. Donations via check made out to "FEEA" may be sent to: FEEA Headquarters, 3333 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Suite 300, Lakewood, CO 80227.

FEEA Prepares for Federal Furloughs with Help from Congresswoman Norton

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 04:13:01 +0000

Contact: Robyn Kehoe, 202-554-0007
rkehoe@feea.org

Lakewood, CO (March 4, 2013) – Speaking at the Federal Managers Association’s 75th National Convention, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today reaffirmed her intention to donate one day’s pay for each day federal employees are furloughed due to sequestration. Norton plans to divide the donation evenly between supporting federal employees in need via the Federal Employee Education & Assistance Fund (FEEA) and ensuring District residents do not experience a drop in constituent services by preventing furloughs of her own staff.

Washington Post Federal Diary Feds Worry About Furloughs

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Federal employees worry about paying bills if hit with unpaid furlough days, published in Washington Post Federal Diary, February 21, 2012. Link to article>

FEEA Board Member Speaks About Federal Employee Issues

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 15:33:29 +0000

FEEA Board member Colleen Kelley, President of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) was recently interviewed by The Washington Post. You can read about her take on many important issues facing feds in an article published today.

FEEA Announces 2013-14 Scholarship Competition

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 19:33:30 +0000

The Federal Employee Education & Assistance Fund (FEEA) is pleased to announce applications for its 2013-14 scholarship program are now available for download on FEEA's website.

FEEA distributes nearly half a million dollars each year via awards ranging from $500 - $2,500, with an average award of $1000. Up to seven students also receive additional awards worth $5,000 each via the FEEA-NTEU program. More than 400 students received scholarships last year, including 32 civilian federal employees pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees. Lists of the 2012-13 winners may be viewed by region or agency; short profiles of many winners are also available.

Eligible applicants are civilian federal and postal employees with at least three years of service, and their dependents. Dependent applicants (spouse or child) must be full-time students in an accredited degree program and must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Employee applicants must meet the same academic criteria, however they may be part-time students. Additional qualifications are discussed in the Scholarships section of FEEA's website.

FEEA also administers scholarship programs for more than a dozen membership organizations, including several employee unions and management associations. Most offer entry to both an organization-sponsored contest and the general FEEA competition with a single application. More information and special applications are available online.

FEEA Announces 2013-14 Scholarship Competition

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 19:27:49 +0000

Contact:
Robyn Kehoe, 202-554-0007
rkehoe@feea.org

Lakewood, CO (January 14, 2013) — The Federal Employee Education & Assistance Fund (FEEA) is pleased to announce applications for its 2013-14 scholarship program are now available for download on FEEA's website.

GEICO Now Magazine-Silver Lining:FEEA continues to help families of federal employees in the aftermath of 9/11

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 14:39:07 +0000

Silver Lining: FEEA continues to help families of federal employees in the aftermath of 9/11, published in GEICO Now Magazine, Fall/Winter Issue 2012. Link to PDF of article>

Washington Post Fed Eye-Special benefits apply to federal employees hit by Hurricane Sandy

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 20:08:39 +0000

Special benefits apply to federal employees hit by Hurricane Sandy, published in Washington Post Fed Eye, November 8, 2012. Link to article>

Washington Post Fed Eye-Federal Workplace Collections

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 20:01:34 +0000

Federal workplace collections for Hurricane Sandy victims allowed, published in the Washington Post Federal Eye, November 5, 2012. Link to article>

FEEA and NTEU Assist Feds Affected by Sandy

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 19:45:10 +0000

Superstorm Sandy caused extensive damage up and down the East Coast, wreaking havoc for many federal employees. FEEA announced immediately that disaster grants of up to $500 are available to employees in hard-hit areas, and now the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) is also stepping up to help its members. NTEU has pledged to match the first $25,000 in donations made to FEEA's NTEU Fund, which will be used to assist employees at the 31 NTEU-represented agencies and departments.

NTEU President Colleen Kelley explained the decision this way: “There are tens of thousands of federal employees in the densely-populated areas that bore the brunt of Sandy and they need help. I am glad that NTEU has a way to provide that help while encouraging others to support their federal colleagues in a time of need.”

To earn the dollar-for-dollar match, members can donate via credit card on FEEA’s web site at www.feea.org/Give by selecting "NTEU Fund" from the drop-down list of funds. Donations via check made out to “FEEA-NTEU Fund” will be credited for the match as well and may be sent to: FEEA Headquarters, 3333 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Suite 300, Lakewood, CO 80227.

Employees in need of help can download a disaster relief application at www.feea.org/Disaster or call FEEA at 1-800-323-4140 for more information. Phone lines may be very busy due to widespread damage and the sheer number of federal employees likely to be affected by the storm. Callers are asked to be patient and leave a message if prompted to do so. FEEA will have to prioritize assistance to those with the most serious damage and hardships until additional donations are received.

FEEA and NTEU Assist Feds Affected by Sandy

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 19:37:29 +0000

Contact:
Robyn Kehoe 202-554-0007
rkehoe@feea.org

Lakewood, CO (November 8, 2012) - Superstorm Sandy caused extensive damage up and down the East Coast, wreaking havoc for many federal employees. FEEA announced immediately that disaster grants of up to $500 are available to employees in hard-hit areas, and now the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) is also stepping up to help its members. NTEU has pledged to match the first $25,000 in donations made to FEEA's NTEU Fund, which will be used to assist employees at the 31 NTEU-represented agencies and departments.

FEEA Stands Ready to Assist Feds Affected by Sandy

Sun, 28 Oct 2012 00:00:00 +0000

With Hurricane Sandy bearing down on the East Coast, the Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund (FEEA) stands ready to assist civilian federal and postal employees impacted by the storm. Disaster grants of up to $500 will be available to employees in hard-hit areas experiencing verifiable hardship. Due to limited funding, FEEA will prioritize grants for those with major property damage or other significant hardship.

Employees in need of help can download a disaster relief application at www.feea.org/Disaster or call FEEA at 1-800-323-4140 for more information. Phone lines may be very busy if damage is widespread. Callers are asked to be patient and leave a message if prompted to do so.

FEEA recently helped nearly 600 feds in the Gulf Coast area with more than $80,000 in grants and no-interest loans after Hurricane Isaac. Donations to FEEA’s Natural Disaster Fund are urgently needed to ensure all who qualify for assistance in the wake of this new disaster will receive it. Donations may be made via credit card on FEEA’s web site at www.feea.org/Give. Donations via check made out to “FEEA” may be sent to: FEEA Headquarters, 3333 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Suite 300, Lakewood, CO 80227.

FEEA's Steve Bauer on Federal News Radio's "Your Turn" with Mike Causey and FEDtalk this week

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 13:38:14 +0000

What:
FEEA Executive Director, Steve Bauer, will discuss the challenges FEEA is helping Feds overcome and why "Feds Helping Feds" is more important than ever right now. Listen to FEDtalk on Friday for an important scholarship announcement!

When:
Wednesday, October 17th at 10:00am EDT & Friday, October 19th at 11:00am EDT.

Where:

1500 AM on Washington, DC area radio; nationwide at federalnewsradio.com.

Ask Questions:
MikeCausey@FederalNewsRadio.com
OR
Call Your Turn live: 202-465-3080
OR
Fedtalk@FederalNewsRadio.com
OR
Call FEDtalk live: 877-936-9333

More Info:
Visit Mike Causey's Federal Report here
Check out past FEDtalk shows here

Hurricane Isaac Not Over For Feds

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 14:55:42 +0000

Just three short weeks ago, Hurricane Isaac pummeled the Gulf Coast, causing widespread flooding, downed trees and other wind- and water-related damage. Although storm news is no longer front-page news, many of the federal employees living in the storm’s path are still turning to FEEA for help with their recovery efforts.

Employees like Larry, who experience significant damage to his property. Due to the extreme claims losses incurred by insurance companies after Hurricanes Katrina and Gustav, Larry, like many others in the Gulf, has a much higher insurance deductible than before, so most of the recovery cost sits squarely on the shoulders of homeowners. Clearing debris and repairing their homes has been a financial nightmare for many, so even a small amount of aid to help with things like paying a utility bill has made a difference.

FEEA has provided over $70,000 in immediate aid to more than 470 federal families impacted by the storm, with new applications still arriving daily. Employees from the VA, USDA, State Department, SSA, USPS, DHS, DOD, DOI, IRS, Commerce, Justice, EEOC, and the Army, Navy and Air Force have already been helped, along with retirees who are NARFE members. Most aid has been in the form of small grants because need has been 25 times greater than donations.

In these tough economic times, FEEA understands that feds whose paychecks haven’t grown for the past two years are feeling squeezed by everyday expenses and demoralized by continued political attacks on their agencies. But this is what makes it all the more important for feds to reach out and help each other in times of need. Unfortunately, the general public is just not going to do it, so we must stand together – Feds Helping Feds – as part of FEEA.

Donations are urgently needed to ensure all who qualify for assistance in the wake of this disaster and those to come will receive it. Contributions can be made through the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) by pledging to FEEA CFC #11185. Donations may also be made via credit card by visiting www.feea.org/give. Donations via check made out to “FEEA” may be sent to: FEEA Headquarters, 3333 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Suite 300, Lakewood, CO 80227.

Hurricane Isaac Not Over For Feds

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 14:51:42 +0000

Contact:
Robyn Kehoe 202-554-0007
rkehoe@feea.org

Lakewood, CO (September 19, 2012) - Just three short weeks ago, Hurricane Isaac pummeled the Gulf Coast, causing widespread flooding, downed trees and other wind- and water-related damage. Although storm news is no longer front-page news, many of the federal employees living in the storm’s path are still turning to FEEA for help with their recovery efforts.

Government Executive-Feds Helping Feds Affected By Hurricane Isaac

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 14:17:42 +0000

Feds Pitch in to Help Colleagues Affected by Hurricane, published in the Government Executive, September 26, 2012. Link to Article>

FEEA Helping the Families of Fallen Diplomats

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 13:31:11 +0000

The Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund (FEEA) honors our fallen diplomats, working to recognize their service and sacrifice by providing educational assistance to surviving children through FEEA's Diplomatic Fund. The Fund was set up by the Department of State and the Department of Defense in August 1995 to help the families of three individuals who were killed while on a diplomatic mission in Bosnia. The Federal Diplomatic Family Assistance Fund-Africa (FDFAF-Africa) was added after the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings in Africa. This education fund helps pay the costs of a college education for the children of the 12 Americans killed in the bombings. A $100,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in December 2004 increased the funding available for these scholarships to $34,000 per child, spread out across four years. As more children are added to the list it is imperative we increase funding to ensure each child who has lost a parent will receive at least $8,500 per year in scholarship assistance.

Today, we stand with the families of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and diplomats Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty, who sacrificed their lives in service to our nation. Mr. Smith and Mr. Woods leave behind several young children whose future education FEEA seeks to secure.

Donations may be made via credit card on FEEA’s web site at www.feea.org/Give by choosing "Diplomatic Fund" from the drop-down list of funds. Donations via check made out to “FEEA Diplomatic Fund” may be sent to: FEEA Headquarters, 3333 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Suite 300, Lakewood, CO 80227.

FEEA Helping the Families of Fallen Diplomats

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 13:21:56 +0000

Contact:
Robyn Kehoe 202-554-0007
rkehoe@feea.org

Lakewood, CO (September 20, 2012) - The Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund (FEEA) honors our fallen diplomats, working to recognize their service and sacrifice by providing educational assistance to surviving children through FEEA's Diplomatic Fund. The Fund was set up by the Department of State and the Department of Defense in August 1995 to help the families of three individuals who were killed while on a diplomatic mission in Bosnia. The Federal Diplomatic Family Assistance Fund-Africa (FDFAF-Africa) was added after the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings in Africa. This education fund helps pay the costs of a college education for the children of the 12 Americans killed in the bombings. A $100,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in December 2004 increased the funding available for these scholarships to $34,000 per child, spread out across four years. As more children are added to the list it is imperative we increase funding to ensure each child who has lost a parent will receive at least $8,500 per year in scholarship assistance.

Isaac Impacts Feds

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 15:15:46 +0000

Although Hurricane Isaac seems to be out of the news already, its effects are not yet out of the lives of federal employees. FEEA has already processed over 120 grant applications and sent checks worth nearly $13,000 to help federal families with their personal recovery efforts. Right now, we are inundated with applications and our Emergency Assistance team is processing them as quickly as possible. The fax machine is extremely busy, so please be patient and keep trying if you are attempting to fax an application. We are sending email acknowlegements as we receive and sort applications, so please wait to receive that email (it can take several hours) and then give us at least two business days to process your application. Applications and information may be found here.

Donations are still urgently needed as we are already dipping into reserves to help these federal families. Please help with a donation of $10 or more today.

FEEA Stands Ready to Assist Feds Affected by Hurricane Isaac

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 14:00:45 +0000

With Hurricane Isaac pummeling the Gulf Coast, the Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund (FEEA) stands ready to assist civilian federal and postal employees impacted by the storm. Disaster grants of up to $500 will be available to employees in hard-hit areas.

FEEA helped feds in the Gulf Coast area with a combined $2.6 million following Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma in 2005 and Hurricane Gustav in 2008, thanks in large part to generous donations from feds across the country. Donations to FEEA’s Natural Disaster Fund are urgently needed to ensure all who qualify for assistance in the wake of this disaster will receive it. Donations may be made via credit card on FEEA’s web site at www.feea.org/Give. Donations via check made out to “FEEA” may be sent to: FEEA Headquarters, 3333 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Suite 300, Lakewood, CO 80227.