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.

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.

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 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 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.