Funeral Consumers Alliance of Kern County
661-496-9959
Funeral Consumers Alliance of Kern County ®
PO Box 1202
Bakersfield CA 93302-1202
Email: fca-kc@live.com
661-496-9959
What is the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Kern County?
Consumer advocacy for dignified and economic end-of-life choices
Funeral Consumers Alliance of Kern County (FCA-KC) was formed in November 1961, in Ridgecrest, California and became Kern Memorial Society. It has since been reorganized in Bakersfield and is an all volunteer nonprofit organization providing education and advocacy to protect consumers’ funeral rights. In 2007, the name was changed to more accurately reflect its purpose and its affiliation with our national organization. The Annual Meeting & Luncheon for members is held each March, and informative newsletters are published three times a year.
FCA-KC is one of fifteen affiliates in the Funeral Consumers Alliance of California, and it is a member of the national Funeral Consumers Alliance, Inc., which covers 44 states and includes over 100 affiliate groups. Transfers from one affiliate to another can easily be arranged when members move.Why were Funeral Consumers Alliances organized?
These groups were founded by community leaders concerned with high-pressure sales tactics and the high prices of funerals as the undertaking industry began to expand. The groups helped bring about laws regulating against unethical practices, and they continue to “watch dog” legislation at the state and national level, keeping members notified of law changes and their rights. Our national leaders were instrumental in getting the Federal Trade Commission to pass consumer protection regulation of mortuaries known as The Funeral Rule. We are currently seeking to expand The Funeral Rule to include consumer protection regulation of cemeteries.A nonprofit alliance dedicated to providing information to consumers and protecting their right to choose a simple, meaningful, economical, dignified funeral or memorial service.
Federal Trade Commision's "Facts for Consumers" contains information
regarding the Funeral Rule in
"Funerals - A Consumers Guide"
FDR's Mistake
Franklin Roosevelt left detailed instructions for his funeral, but he deposited them in his safe without informing anyone.
Only after his funeral did his family realize that he explicitly rejected much of what had been done — the embalming, the use of an expensive casket, and the grave liner or vault. He desired a rapid return of his crippled body to the elements.
From Cremation Concerns by W.E. Phipps
