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Feb
16

The Heart of the Homeless Shelter

By | Civic Duty, Homeless Shelters

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DALLAS - JUNE 15: Coulet Johnson, age 9, hugs...

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

During the blizzard that recently shut down Chicago and most of the Midwest, Chicago charities were scrambling to find the city’s homeless and give them a place to stay out of the storm. Without such support, many of the homeless would probably have died in the extreme temperatures and wind. Charitable organizations like homeless shelters make it their goal to always be there for the homeless, offering them a way to get back on their feet. Here are several ways that homeless shelters all over America reach out to the homeless.

Housing and meals. The most basic level of care given at every homeless shelter is providing a bed and at least one meal for the residents. While some programs are more advanced and can involve a waiting list, plenty of homeless shelters simply open their doors on a first-come first-serve basis every day.

Reaching goals. Many homeless shelters involve some sort of structure for its residents besides curfew and mealtime, including a list of chores required of each resident in order to remain in the program, but more importantly helping residents work towards goals of employment and stability so that they can move on and get a fresh start on their life. Many shelters have the rule that residents must simply be looking for a job, not necessarily getting one.

Basic First Aid. Several homeless shelters also have a nurse on duty to look into minor cuts or scrapes, and to judge when a person needs to see a physician. The goal is to provide people with the help and care they need, and to make sure that they are in as good a health as they can be while they are staying at the shelter.

The goal of a homeless shelter is not only to provide a bed and a meal for whoever needs one, but to invest personally into the lives of these people. By giving them a place to stay, workers hope to encourage them and give them to opportunity they need to rise out of homelessness and become a confident and active member of society.

Feb
08

How to Make Giving a Part of your Life

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Giving can be one of those things that everyone knows they should do, but most don’t really want to give, and others simply do not know how to make it a habit. If you want to foster an attitude of generosity, here are three ways you can train yourself to give.

Go through your pantry. Remember that time you bought too many cans of green beans? They are still on your shelf after a month or two. Instead of wasting space in your pantry, put them in a box and donate them to your local food shelter. Not only will you be clearing out your pantry, but you will be benefiting the hungry in your area.

Grab some extra food at the store. Next time you are in the pasta aisle or next to the canned vegetables, grab a few extra boxes of spaghetti or cans of soup and drop them off at a homeless shelter on your way home. While it isn’t a whole lot, it is certainly a start and will definitely make a difference, not only to the people you are helping when you give, but for yourself as you become more giving-focused.

Donate all your change. Nickels and dimes are one of those things that you don’t really think about, but which add up after a while. Making a habit of never spending your change but always donating it can mean you are giving a significant amount and may be one of the easiest ways to start giving without making it a big deal.

However, budgeting in monthly amounts to your favorite charity is the most influential and life-changing way to start fostering generosity in your own heart and around you. When giving is hard, you remember it and it impacts you, remind you to not just give financially in a charity, but to emotionally and personally invest in its success and efforts. Change isn’t made by impersonal checks, but through personal connections and support. By supporting our less fortunate brothers and sisters, we can create a stronger society and a better place.

Feb
01

Trick or Treat for the Hungry Prepares Shelters for Winter

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Last October, more trick or treaters went out for a better cause than lots of candy. People all over the nation when door to door on Halloween collecting dry food goods for local food shelters, as well as occasionally collecting pennies for food shelters’ Thanksgiving dinner, an idea started at least two years ago. Some participants earlier walked the neighborhoods telling house owners that they would be coming by looking for food on Halloween.

While not a new idea, it seemed to have taken off this year with dozens of students from schools and universities coast to coast participating. Some students enjoyed the idea as an easy and fun way to serve—they still dressed up in their Halloween costumes, they just collected pantry goods, not candy. “It’s like have the opportunity to keep being a kid,” One girl reported, “I used to love dressing up for Halloween, but I felt like I was too old once I got in college. Now I can have fun on Halloween, and help out a local charity at the same time.” Other participants simply went door to door in groups.

Another student commented on the practicality of this sort of service; “Many people would be willing to give some food to a shelter, they just don’t know where one is or they get too busy to stop by,” he pointed out,  “Us going door to door says ‘hey we are right here, looking to help. All you have to do is hand it to us, and we’ll take it to the shelter for you.’”

Food pantries and shelters benefited from the extra boost of support, as they prepared for the winter and aimed to provide a Thanksgiving meal for everyone that was in need. As a trend that is sure to be picking up steam, be looking for these good-hearted trick or treaters next year, or find a way to join in on a team. Together, we can make Halloween not only a good time of fun and candy, but also a time to bless those around us who are in need of food.

Dec
20

Angel Food Ministries: Low Cost Groceries For All

By | Food Stamps, Government Assistance, Homeless Shelters

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With the cost of food on the rise people are getting less bang for their buck when they hit the grocery store. Finding places to shop frugally has become increasingly difficult. Enter, Angel Food Ministries, a non-profit, non-denominational organization that provides low-cost groceries to needy individuals and families nationwide.

Established in 1994 by pastor Joe Wingo and his wife Linda, the program began in Georgia and has since spread to 45 states. The program has no income restrictions or applications. Those who want to participate have no qualifications to meet other than a need for low-cost food.

The one drawback of the program is it provides only certain items. It is not set-up like food pantry, or store in which you can select items individually. The food from Angel Food Ministries is divided into boxes. Each month the menu is different, but the items in the regular box is the same for everyone who purchases it. The cost of the box is around $30 give or take, but the value is usually at minimum double that.

Participants can buy multiple boxes. All participants must buy at least one regular box. In addition to the regular box, each month a variety of different boxes are available for people to purchase. Add on boxes vary, but may include a seafood, meat, produce or dessert box. The only hitch is, you have to decide what you want ahead of time, pay for it and wait for the boxes to be delivered. Each host site has a different payment and delivery schedule.

Angel Food Ministries delivers the low-cost food boxes through participating host sites. Any church can apply to be a host site. There is a $50 application fee, but if your church is not approved that fee is refunded. Being a host site benefits the church because they receive $1 in benevolent funds for every regular unit they sell each month.

Dec
19

Better Dental Health One Student at a Time

By | Food Stamps, Government Assistance, Homeless Shelters

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When a family falls into a low-income bracket they can usually get state issued health insurance for their children. However, in many states this insurance limits or excludes dental health care. Not to mention parents who do not qualify for state insurance or get no dental through their work. The lack of adequate dental health care is unfortunate because we now know how crucial good oral hygiene and dental care is to our overall health. Programs like Oral Health America and Smiles Across America are attempting to close this gap.

Oral Health America and Smiles Across America partner with local businesses, government, care providers and donors to provide dental services that prevent oral disease. The programs aim to reach students by offering their services in schools nationwide. Combined, the two programs service more than 90,000 children each year.

Sadly, tooth decay affects half of all first graders and 80 percent of all 17 year old children. This results in an estimated loss of 51 million lost school hours due to dental related problems. Preventative measures such as sealants provided by OHA and SAA can help prevent tooth decay and gum disease in many of these children.

These programs also provide support to charitable dental facilities nationwide. Facilities receive materials resources, supplies, equipment and dental care products from both SAA and OHA. These donations are provided with to support the greater goal of reaching more at-risk children and providing them with dental sealants along with other services.

Oral Health America also advocates for better policies relating to dental health. They also work to reach the general public and create awareness on the topic through public service announcements and community education. Both groups are supported by a private individual donors and a bevy of corporate donors including Trident, DENTSPLY, 3MESPE, Delta Dental and Aetna Dental among many others.

Dec
18

Stay Warm This Winter With Fuel Assistance

By | Food Stamps, Government Assistance, Homeless Shelters

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Winter is getting ready to make an appearance and for many that means cold weather ahead. For some winter weather brings on the added stress of figuring out how to budget for the cost of heating their home. Since 1979 Citizens Energy has been trying to help ease this added burden for people in the United States and abroad.

Citizens Energy uses millions in revenue earned in the oil-trade to support charitable programs. This includes a program that helps heat the homes of the poor, disabled and elderly. This would include the Citizens Energy Oil Heat program, Natural Gas Assistance program and Citizens Energy/Distrigas Heat Assistance.

Citizens Energy Oil Heat programs operate in Alaska, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Virginia, Delaware, pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. It serves 200,000 homes each year. Citizens Energy Natural Gas Assistance program helps low-income natural gas customers pay their utility bills in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Kentucky. Since it began in 1980 the program has provided more than $20 million in assistance funds and helped about 150,000 households with utility costs.

Individuals living in Massachusetts can also take part in the Citizens Energy/Distrigas Heat Assistance program. The program helps families of low-income that have used up all their federal fuel assistance. It is also eligible to people who cannot afford their heating costs, but are ineligible for federal fuel assistance. The program provides approved applicants with a credit of $150 dollars toward their energy bills. The credit is applied directly to the customers energy provider. Citizens Energy/Distrigas Heat Assistance program is available to those who are customers with Bershire Gas, Blackstone Gas, Bay State Gas, Holoke Gas & Electric, Keyspan. New England Gas, NStar, Unitil, Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light, Westfield Gas & Electric and Middleboro Gas & Electric.

Dec
17

Co-Payment Assistance for Cancer Patients

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Getting diagnosed and subsequently receiving treatment for a serious illness such as cancer is stressful. Combine that with the rising cost of health care and the situation my fell insurmountable to some. Many patients are unaware that there are programs out there to help them with their out-of-pocket expenses. Cancer Care Co-Payment Assistance Foundation is one of those programs.

Cancer Care Co-Payment Assistance Foundation is a non-profit organization that helps cancer patients pay for their medical insurance co-pays. Established in 2007 the foundation focuses on helping patients cover the out-of-pocket expenses that are associated with chemotherapy and are not covered by insurance or government medical assistance.

The foundation is limited to the number of patients it can help annually because it is funded donations from corporate sponsors, individuals, pharmaceutical companies and other foundations. For this reason, there are times when the fund is closed to new applicants. When the fund is open, approved applicants may receive partial or full co-payment assistance. The level of assistance an applicant receives is based on their income, insurance coverage, available funding and amount of co-payments incurred within a years time. This patient assistance program cover many of the most common drug treatments for breast, colon, colorectal, gastric, glioblastoma, head and neck, non-small cell lung, pancreatic and renal cell cancers.

The Cancer Care Co-Payment Assistance Foundation is affiliated with the group Cancer Care. Cancer Care was founded in 1944 and provides professional support services from trained oncology social workers. Some of the services would include counseling, education, day-to-day help and financial assistance free of charge. The Cancer Care Foundation serves more than 100,000 patient each year. The services are available to anyone affected by cancer including; patients, caregivers, loved ones, bereaved and children.

Dec
16

Get Free Gas

By | Food Stamps, Government Assistance, Homeless Shelters

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When you are struggling to make ends meet it can be difficult to determine where your money is best spent. Sometimes you have to choose to put gas money in car so you can get to and from work, over buying groceries or medicine. Free Gas USA is a non-profit organization designed to help people facing those tough choices.

Free Gas USA is based in Kalamazoo, Michighan. It was founded during the 2008 gas crisis and provides grant assistance to poor individuals and families so they can afford the cost of gasoline. The goal of the program is to ease the burden associated with finding daily transportation when you are poor, disabled or elderly.

A subsidiary of Baptism USA Ministries, Free Gas USA uses the income guidelines established by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development to determine eligibility. The program is funded by the donations of individuals, corporations and religious organizations. It is open to applicants nationwide.

When an individual is approved for a grant they receive a coded fuel card. The card will hold a balance between $50 to $1,200 depending on that person’s individual needs. The card can only be used for fuel. The idea is for people to spend the money to fill their tank so get to and from a job, seek medical assistance, get an education or shop for necessities.

Free Gas USA distributes cards monthly. The number of cards they distribute is based on the amount of funding they have available to them in a given month. It is also based in the applicants locations and whether or not there is a participating gasoline distributer nearby. Applicants are also required to get a referral letter from a church, or Human Service Agency such as a state welfare office, or Hospital.

Dec
15

Free Cars For the Disadvantaged

By | Food Stamps, Government Assistance, Homeless Shelters

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If you are tight for cash, or live paycheck to paycheck it can be difficult to handle larger expenses when they come up. Purchasing a car is one of those larger expenses that many people struggle with. Charity Cars Inc. is a non-profit group dedicated to providing free vehicles to people in need.

Established in 1996, Charity Cars mission is to help disadvantaged families and individuals become less dependent and more self-sufficient. Candidates may includes victims of domestic violence, the working poor, non-profit groups, military families, those transitioning from welfare to work, victims of national disaster, the medically needy and those living in transitional shelter. These individuals can apply on their own or be referred by a non-profit or social service organization.

The cars provided by Charity Cars are donated by public and private donors. The donors can usually deduct the value of their car on their income tax return. After the car is donated Charity Cars evaluates it and makes all necessary repairs so the car is safe and in good working order. If a vehicle is not suitable for repair Charity Cars disposes of it at auction or through salvage and uses the proceeds to fund the organization. The program has awarded around 4,000 cars nationwide.

Charity Cars also helps people pay for the cost to register and insure the free vehicle in some cases. To apply for a free car you Create a user account on Charity Cars website and fill out an application. You will create a public user profile in which you will plead your case for getting a free car. Other community members will vote for you if they feel you deserve the free car. Applicants who receive the free car are selected based on a combination of geographic location, public votes and a team evaluation of their application.

Dec
14

Feeding America Takes a Bite Out of Domestic Hunger

By | Food Stamps, Government Assistance, Homeless Shelters

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When it comes to fighting hunger right here in our own country no other organization tops Feeding America. Feeding America reaches more than 37 million people facing hunger in the United States each year. Of those 37 million plus, 14 million are hungry children and three million are elderly. Food insecurity is highest in Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Georgia and North Carolina. Economically times have been hard and while some states struggle more than others hunger is an issue nationwide. What is important to note, is that not all hungry people are homeless. Oftentimes, hardworking, responsible individuals struggle with making ends meet and they are forced to make choices that leave them with little money for food.

Feeding America has been around for more than 30 years. Once called America’s Second Harvest, Feeding Hunger took on its new name in 2008. The organization changed its name to better convey the mission of the group to the general public. The mission of the group is to end domestic hunger by educating the public and creating awareness on the topic.

There are many import facts about hunger that the average person is unaware of. For instance, many people don’t know that the nearly 5 percent of American households sought emergency food assistance in 2009. In 2009, the rate of children in America who reported being food insecure doubled and nearly 8 percent of seniors that lived alone reported being food insecure. The fact is, 1 in 6 Americans is struggles with hunger related issues.

Feeding America is operational in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. It distributes an astounding 2.5 billion pounds of food and groceries each year. The product is distributed through a network of 61,000 local charitable agencies and 70,000 programs that serve individuals in need. Weekly Feeding America serves roughly 5.7 million hungry people.

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