Question: The city is paying for funerals of Micronesian people killed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Were/are other people eligible for this?
Answer: Yes, but through a federal program that excludes Compact of Free Association migrants living in the United States — the U.S. COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Program is open only to U.S. citizens, noncitizen nationals or qualified noncitizens, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA says it disbursed a total of about $4.2 million among 724 Hawaii applicants as of Feb. 1, reimbursing funeral expenses of family members who died of COVID-19 on or after Jan. 20, 2020. FEMA will continue to award payments to eligible survivors until Sept. 30; the maximum payment is $9,000 per deceased individual, according to the FEMA website. Read more at 808ne.ws/3FIknj4.
By contrast, the ‘Ohana Memorial Support: COVID-19 COFA Funeral Assistance Program, which the city announced this week, has budgeted $1.5 million to help reimburse funeral expenses of Oahu residents from COFA nations who died of COVID-19 from Jan. 20, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2024, according to a news release from Honolulu’s Office of Economic Revitalization.
“This program addresses the significant challenges COFA migrants faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite bearing a disproportionate share of COVID-19-related deaths, COFA households were excluded from receiving federal funeral assistance due to their citizenship status,” the news release said. According to the state Department of Health, Pacific Islanders account for 4% of Hawaii’s population, but 12% of COVID-19 deaths.
Like the federal program, the city program for COFA families will reimburse funeral expenses of up to $9,000 for each eligible person, although the total will be capped at $35,500 for households that lost multiple members to COVID-19. The deceased family member must have lived on Oahu and held COFA citizenship (Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Marshall Islands or Republic of Palau).
We Are Oceania (weareoceania.org), the 501(c)3 charitable group administering the city’s program, is conducting community outreach online and in person to ensure that eligible COFA citizens are aware of the funding, which will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information about the application process, required documents and what expenses can be reimbursed, go to 808ne.ws/4kQxfCE.
For questions not answered on the website, prospective applicants can follow up with WAO by phone (808-754-7303) or email (contact@weareoceania.org), the news release said.
Q: Regarding the zoo concerts, the botanical gardens also have musical events in the summer.
A: Yes, the Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation’s free Twilight Summer Concert Series begins today at 5:30 p.m. with jazz at Foster Botanical Garden, continues Friday at 5 p.m. with reggae at Wahiawa Botanical Garden and proceeds through July with a variety of music at Foster, Wahiawa and Ho‘omaluhia botanical gardens. “From blues to bagpipes, island jams to jazz, there is sure to be a musical performance to your liking,” DPR said in a news release. For the full schedule and other details, go to honolulu.gov/dpr.
As for the zoo, Kokua Line mentioned Tuesday that this summer’s Wildest Show In Town live music series is set to kick off June 11, followed by five more Wednesday evening concerts through July 23, all on the great lawn of the Honolulu Zoo in Waikiki. See details, including how to buy tickets, at honoluluzoo.org. This series raises money for the zoo.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 2-200, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
