
Once A Soldier Advocacy for Veteran Funeral Loan Bill
Our Bill Outline For New Funeral Services Loan
Foot soldiers fightng for Veteran suicide postvention know that the strength of a Veteran family knows no bounds. Despite their sacrifice and paid-in-full status, paying the funeral expenses for an unexpected suicide is one challenge many can not meet. This bill outline is a critical step to fill this gap between the too-little, too-late Veterans’ Administration benefits and all or nothing standards of some funeral homes. Our local US Congressman John Rutherford, and his staff, continue to champion support needed for all American heroes. Their guidance will be critical to how far this bill can go.

Matt and Kristen Mahramus
You can see real love between these two. Matt left behind Kristen and their two children.
Veteran Funeral Loan Bill
Fueled by PTSD, TBI, MST and more, Veteran suicides continue to rise. However, increased postvention support for the families has not. VA death benefits arrive too late and too many Veteran families can’t bury their Veterans with dignity. This modest guaranteed loan will meet that need and close this gap.
Veteran Family Postvention Issue
- VA death benefits offer no specialized support for suicide’s aftermath
- Suicide victims typically leave behind no life insurance or savings
- VA benefits end and leave the families without breadwinners
Key Solutions
- Congress must enact legislation to create program
- Would provide up to $2,000 – $8,000 for post 9/11 Veteran suicide families
- Would be paid directly to the funeral services providers
Reasons to Believe
- Recent COVID-19 funeral relief via FEMA proves it is possible
- This solves our most immediate Veteran suicide postvention failure
- The program would be limited in reach and scope
- VA death benefits, if any, would be directly applied to the loan balance
For more information, contact
Dave Barbush dave@onceasolider.org
904477999
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ABOUT ONCE A SOLDIER
Our Veterans are killing themselves in record numbers mostly due to PTSD. An overmatched VA can’t take care of them or their families. We will.
Soldier suicide leaves Veteran families with thousands of dollars of bills unpaid, mostly bank loans.
We are the only nonprofit standing with the families after a veteran suicide. Stand with us.
Our Mission: Become the preferred channel for donors, advocates and volunteers who care about veteran families left behind after a soldier suicide.
Links for More Information:
- Go here for FDA-approved therapies
- Go here for drug-free PTSD abatement techniques
- Go here for suicide prevention tips
- Go here to download this guide in MS Word
- Go here to download this guide as a PDF