THERESA & REGINA ARE AT YOUR SERVICE WITH CARE & COMPASSION
Chances are somewhere quite near 100% that you will encounter Theresa or Regina at Gibbons Funeral Home should you come here for a visitation. These lovely ladies are our Wake Duty Attendants on the evenings of our visitation services. What do they do? Everything. They are there to literally address any needs that might arise for our families who are receiving family and friends to help them celebrate the lives of their loved ones. And Theresa and Regina are absolutely perfect for this ministry! They are kind, compassionate and intuitive. Both have strong connections to the Parish families of Immaculate Conception and Visitation in Elmhurst.
Their commitment, and ours, is to do everything in our power to respond to every request and maintain the most perfect environment possible while ‘our home is your home’ and our family is your family’.
Under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Congress authorized FEMA to provide financial assistance to individuals who incurred COVID-19-related funeral expenses after January 20, 2020. FEMA has announced its final policy, though it appears the details on how to apply are still in process. Implementation and clarification of the process should begin in April 2021.
Noteworthy from the announcement regarding qualification, requirements, and eligibility:
The death must have occurred in the United States, including the U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia.
The death certificate must indicate the death was directly or indirectly attributed to COVID-19.
The applicant must be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or a qualified alien who incurred funeral expenses after January 20, 2020.
Eligible funeral expenses of up to $9,000 include:
Transportation for up to two individuals to identify the deceased individual
Transfer of remains
Casket or urn
Burial plot or cremation niche
Marker or headstone
Clergy or officiant services
Arrangement of the funeral ceremony
Use of funeral home equipment or staff
Cremation or interment costs
Costs associated with producing and certifying multiple death certificates
Additional expenses mandated by any applicable local or state government laws or ordinances
Expenses already reimbursed through voluntary agencies, government programs, or agencies will not be reimbursed. This DOES NOT include life insurance.
Expenses paid by a pre-paid life insurance policy, trust, reimbursed from government or certain other agencies, or crowdfunding are not reimbursed. Out of pocket costs not covered by these sources are reimbursable.
You will have to provide documentation.
Only one application per deceased will be accepted. In cases where multiple individuals contributed toward funeral expenses, they must register under the same application.
There are no income requirements or limits that prevent an applicant from claiming benefits.
The process will involve gathering necessary documents, calling FEMA, and either uploading, faxing, or mailing the documents to FEMA. Gibbons Funeral Home is here to help. We have a dedicated staff person ready to take your call or meet with you to answer your questions and assist in the process.
Please go to our website obituaries or contact us for any information about Memorial Services for Loved Ones planned in the future. https://www.gibbonsfuneralhome.com
It’s been a very trying time for families to make arrangements and celebrate the lives of their loved ones during the Covid 19 Corona Virus. In addition to the sheer difficulty of travel and occupancy while coping with the virus, families are particularly sensitive to the idea “our loved ones deserve a service that honors and celebrates their lives.”
We’ve looked at every element of our services to help families. In addition to following the Illinois Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) guidelines of ample sanitizer stations, providing space for social distancing and managing the capacity of guests, and observing the requirement of masks for the duration of their visits.
It’s just as important as it ever was to comfort families and celebrate lives; maybe even more so. We’ve added additional steps to help families. Services such as truly “touchless” registry, using your phone to sign in and leave a memorial message the family will have provided for them in their registry book at the conclusion of services. Families may complete their entire arrangements via Zoom or Facetime if they wish. We can provide professional live-streaming of services from our chapel, your place of worship, and even the cemetery, if a family wishes. After the live-streaming, the service is then shared on our website alongside the obituary so a family may review the services. We will also provide a recording of the service.
We’ve asked families to assist us in helping assign some times to their guests so as not to overly crowd our chapel. We’ve placed our furniture over 6 feet apart to encourage comforting at the safely prescribed distance. Our facility itself is thoroughly sanitized after every use to ensure no lingering effects of the virus exist between services.
Everyday we are looking for ways to continue to keep you safe while continuing to provide a place for you to celebrate the lives of your loved ones. Like you, we believe they deserve the most compassionate and special services we provide. It’s a challenge to be sure. But it’s a loving challenge we gratefully accept.
Remembering Our Faithfully Departed Souls.
The Lives We Celebrated in October 2020
Please go to our website obituaries or contact us for any information about Memorial Services for Loved Ones planned in the future. www.gibbonsfuneralhome.com
I wanted to thank you for suggesting that we add a virtual element to the services for our dad. It’s difficult to know the best way to honor someone’s life during COVID. We both expected and understood that many people would choose not to attend the wake/funeral service for a variety of reasons. The livestream provided friends and relatives to attend from the safety of their own home. I am both surprised and grateful for the people who tuned in and then texted, emailed and called to say how lovely it was. Whether it was a cousin in Ireland, a granddaughter in Oklahoma, a niece in Nevada or a friend from a few blocks away, they were all there with us to honor George and participate in the service. For myself, the chance to listen to my brother’s eulogy again and hear Catherine’s rendition of “Danny Boy” is a tremendous comfort as I grieve the loss of such a great man. This would not have been a possibility had you not suggested the livestream.
