How to get the Financial Help You Need, When You Need It

There is help available!

Job loss, bad health, and a slow economy are just a few reasons people find themselves in need of financial help. Here are some steps to help you find the financial assistance that you need. Also, please be sure to check out the links provided at the end of this article. This article is a little long but full of help if you need it.

Things You'll Need

• Patience
• Persistance
• Paperwork...lots of paperwork!

Instructions

1. 

   First, get your ducks in a row. When you go to places like the Department of Human Services for help, you are going to need to have a lot of paperwork. You will need verification documents such as pay stubs, proof of earned income, birth certificates for everyone in your household, utility bills and your drivers license and social security numbers for each person in the house. It is best to check on the website for your state and/or county to see if there is an application that you can fill out online. The website should tell you what you will need. This can be a very tedious ordeal so you should get all of your paperwork together upfront. There is a lot of red tape here. You are going to want to make sure you have the paperwork required to cut through it.

2. 

   Next, you will want to get started right away. It can take MONTHS to get assistance from the government. It is very time consuming and they make it as hard as they possibly can to get the help you need. So, start as soon as you loose your job or as soon as you see that you are not going to be able to pay your bills. Start with the Unemployment Office in your state, in Texas it is the Texas Workforce commission. Then go to the Department of Human Services. Get the ball rolling with the government first because they take longer to receive help from than local charities and churches.

3. 

   If you have children under the age of 5 or you are a pregnant woman, check into W.I.C. This is a nutrition program that helps pregnant women, new mothers, and young children eat well and stay healthy. I know that this is available in Texas. You can call 800-942-3678 and see if it is available in your state.

4. 

   Call 211. This is the National abbreviated dialing code for free access to health and human services information. This is sponsored by the United Way and they can provide access to food assistance in your area.

5. 

   Next, go to your local church or churches for help. If it is a large enough church they might have programs that will help you get job leads, clothing for interviews, and help for your bills. I can drive around my city and the neighboring cities and find several churches with signs that advertise food banks. Swallow your pride and go get some food. You will need your money to pay your bills and buy shampoo and deodorant (something that is usually NOT available at a food bank) Check with The Catholic Charities and various Catholic churches for help with bills. The Catholic Charities and other places like them, require that you are already at least a month behind on the bills. However, church is a great place to find help both financially and spiritually. When you are in a place where you need help, you really need both types. It is best to already be involved in church when something like this happens. The friends that you have made in church usually won't let your lights stay off and they won't let you go hungry. However, if you find yourself in this situation without a church to call your home, go find one and don't feel bad about looking for help right away. A lot of churches don't require the paperwork that the government requires and when you get back on your feet you can help others that you meet at church.

6. 

   Look up food banks and other resources in your phone book. There are a lot of county and city food banks that have no religious affiliations. There are also clothing banks that offer free or very cheap clothing for interviewing. You don't want to skip checking your phone book because there can be a lot of resources there.

7. 

   Check with your local college or university for help. If they have a Department of Clinical Nutrition then there is a good chance that they offer some assistance. Also, if it is a medical or dental school, you can find cheap healthcare there.

8. 

   Finally, you will want to make sure your health needs are met. Check to see if there is a county hospital that offers free or sliding scale fees for health care. In Texas there is John Peter Smith Hospital which is the county hospital that offers free medical services for people living below poverty level. There are JPS clinics in many cities and it does not have to be an emergency to be seen. You may have to wait awhile but all of the tests and services are free and the prescriptions are offered on a sliding scale.

Tips & Warnings

• Take a deep breath. This too shall pass!

• Take on odd jobs like pizza delivery to help make ends meet.

Resources

• Catholic Charities
• 211 Information
• W.I.C. 1 [phone]
• Texas Hunger Relief Clearing
• Texas Health and Human Services
• Texas Workforce Commission
• Texas Women's University Dept. of Nutrition
• Action Against Hunger
• Bread for the World
• Center on Hunger and Poverty
• Coalition on Human Needs
• The Work At Home Caboodle - Free help finding legit work.