Additional Resources

Listed under government in the phone book these local departments of your county government provide financial assistance for food, housing and utilities as well as administering food stamp, Medicaid, WIC, HEAP, budget counseling and job training programs.

Find your local organization either in the phone book or by visiting www.catholiccharitiesusa.org. This organization is one of the largest private networks of social service organizations in the United States that support families, reduces poverty and builds communities. Services include but may not be limited to rent, food and utility and medication assistance, mental health programs, job training and budget counseling.

As they are most often associated within the Catholic Churches in your community and or a Diocese check your local Catholic Church listings first. You can also visit www.svdpusa to find a local program. They provide food programs, emergency financial assistance, emergency transportation, rent and mortgage assistance, shelters, thrift and furniture stores and budget counseling.

To find a local program check your telephone listings or visit www.salvationarmyusa.org. The Salvation Army will provide a safety net to anyone who has nowhere else to turn, and if those people need help paying bills. Some of the services provided by the Salvation Army include clothing, food, electric bill help and counseling. The Salvation Army also has many case workers that are part of the Family Emergency Services, and these case workers will help prevent homelessness through crisis intervention. You need to contact your local Salvation Army Chapter for more information on charity assistance and other services they offer.

Or sometimes called the Council for Economic Opportunities can be found by searching the web with those titles and adding you city to the search. Usually provides financial assistance for rent/mortgage, delinquent taxes and utility payments if related to the ability to maintain shelter. Can help identify safe affordable housing, provides Head Start programs for children.

Local branches of the American Red Cross provide Americans with help paying electric and heating bills. The Red Cross will also provide other forms of assistance, such as aid to military families, health and safety classes, disaster assistance, and other community services. The services provided by the Red Cross depend on the individual consumer need, and the Red Cross must also always keep extra funds in reserve available for emergencies. The Red Cross receives most of the money it has available to pay out from the United Way.

Numerous utility companies across the country offer support and assistance to Americans to help them pay their electric bills. The utility companies will sometimes outsource the administration of the program to the United Way. In addition some communities offer financial assistance with rent and or security deposits, help to the senior population. Please contact your local United Way office to see what they offer. United Way also offers a resource referral system by calling 211 in your local community.

The non-profit charity organization Operation Homefront provides emergency financial assistance, grants, counseling, and other aid for military personnel. It helps those who are currently in the service, as well as ex- military. In addition they can also assist families of service members as well as wounded soldiers. Visit www.operationhomefront.net

Local branches of the American Red Cross provide Americans with help paying electric and heating bills. The Red Cross will also provide other forms of assistance, such as aid to military families, health and safety classes, disaster assistance, and other community services. The services provided by the Red Cross depend on the individual consumer need, and the Red Cross must also always keep extra funds in reserve available for emergencies. The Red Cross receives most of the money it has available to pay out from the United Way.

To find a local program check your telephone listings or visit www.salvationarmyusa.org. The Salvation Army will provide a safety net to anyone who has nowhere else to turn, and if those people need help paying bills. Some of the services provided by the Salvation Army include clothing, food, electric bill help and counseling. The Salvation Army also has many case workers that are part of the Family Emergency Services, and these case workers will help prevent homelessness through crisis intervention. You need to contact your local Salvation Army Chapter for more information on charity assistance and other services they offer.

Numerous utility companies across the country offer support and assistance to Americans to help them pay their electric bills. The utility companies will sometimes outsource the administration of the program to the United Way. In addition some communities offer financial assistance with rent and or security deposits, help to the senior population. Please contact your local United Way office to see what they offer. United Way also offers a resource referral system by calling 211 in your local community.

This is America’s #1 Car Donation Charity. It provides donated vehicles to struggling families in need of transportation, provided they are willing to work and become self-sufficient, tax-paying members of the community. The Charity Cars assistance program will provide a vehicle that has been refurbished to insure both reliability and safety of the vehicle, and they may also provide at times a license plate, the down-payment to pay for insurance bills, a service warranty to help with future repairs, and also case management services to families willing to work to pay their bills. 1-800-242-7489

Provides grants that can be used for free gasoline for low income, elderly, and disabled Americans. Visit www.freegasusa.org

Over 150 nonprofit organizations around the nation are part of this program. They are all dedicated to increasing private automobile ownership for low income working families who can’t obtain their own transportation. The automobiles are to be used to help people find and keep their jobs. They may give away used cars for free, providing matching grants, or offer low interest loans. Visit www.opportunitycars.com

Is an organization that provides people with low interest rate auto loans. The loans can be used to help a family or individual purchase a new or used car, pay for car repairs and maintenance, and it can assist with other transportation expenses.Funds provided can be used to pay for items such as unexpected bills that could interfere with their ability to keep a job or stay in school. Learn more by visiting www.waystowork.org

Among other services they offer a Medical Debt Resolution program that may be able to help you with paying medical bills and debt. They can provide you with proven strategies and information to help advocate with insurers, medical providers, and public assistance programs to reduce and ideally resolve your medical debt. Visit www.accessproject.org

Aid military veterans and their family members when they are burdened with mounting medical bills and debts. 800-215-6782

This non-profit organization provides financial assistance and cash grants to people who need assistance with paying hospital and medical bills that result from a cancer diagnosis. Visit www.cancercarecopay.org

They will offer medical bill assistance to those in need of help with health care bills throughout the United States. This charitable organization works closely with the Providence Healthcare Network to provide assistance and services. Visit www.catholiccharitiesusa.org

There are several programs that offer discounted and free prescription medications. They include Dispensary of Hope, Together RX Access, NeedyMeds, and Patient Advocate Foundation. Visit: www.dispensaryofhope.org , www.togetherrxaccess.com , www.needymeds.org , www.patientadvocate.org

This is a charitable assistance organization that helps people pay for  prescription medications. This group provides financial assistance and grants to help patients to pay for various out-of-pocket health care expenses including health insurance premiums, prescription drugs, and a wide variety of other costs. Visit www.healthwellfoundation.org

This non-profit foundation will help cancer patients with paying for their everyday living expenses. Grants and financial assistance is available for expenses including mortgage, monthly rent payments, food, car payments, and utility bills for cancer patients who are in active treatment. Visit www.lifebeyondcancer.org and click on the Outreach Section. Must work through your health care facility to access assistance.

A charitable organization that helps with securing a variety of medical bill assistance. Grant and funds provided can be used to aid qualifying individuals include self-sufficiency grants, independent living grants, back to work funding and more. Visit www.modestneeds.org

This non-profit organizations may be able to help the uninsured pay for medical and hospital bills. They have provided tens of millions of dollars in financial assistance over the years. Visit www.panfoundation.org

This is a national non-profit charity organization that seeks to help safeguard and protect patients through effective mediation and assuring access to health care, help with medical bills and debts, preservation of patient financial stability, and maintenance of employment in regards to their diagnosis of debilitating or life threatening diseases. Also provide resource referrals. Visit www.patientadvocate.org

Below are the top rated charities that may be able to help with paying for specific medical conditions and expenses. Obviously contact the charity that may apply to your condition.

• American Brain Tumor Association
• American Kidney Fund
• American Liver Foundation
• American Lung Association
• American Parkinson Disease Association
• Arthritis Foundation
• Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America
• Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
• Diabetes Research Institute Foundation
• Epilepsy Foundation & Research Foundation
• First Candle/SIDS Alliance
• Huntington's Disease Society of America
• Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International
• Lupus Foundation of America
• Lupus Research Institute
• Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research
• Muscular Dystrophy Association
• National Hemophilia Foundation N.O.
• National Jewish Health
• National Kidney Foundation
• National Organization for Rare Disorders
• Parkinson's Disease Foundation

Assists people struggling financially to reduce and eliminate debt and help creditors receive the money owed to them. Call 1-800-355-2227 or visit www.cccservices.com

This is a tax relief firm that solves your tax problems, provides IRS representation, IRS tax relief and tax debt resolution services. Call 1-800-581-0456 or visit www.txmstr.com

Restoring Stability: A Save the Dream Ohio Initiative helps Ohio homeowners struggling to make their monthly house payments or those who have already fallen behind on their mortgage. Through the program, the Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) will administer $570 million in federal foreclosure prevention funding to help families dealing with a permanent or temporary loss of income avoid foreclosure. www.ohiohome.org

Citizens Energy works with CITGO. This program, in cooperation with thousands of local fuel assistance agencies and heating oil dealers in 17 states, provides delivery of free home heating oil to those who need help across the Northeast and other cold weather states. This year, the Oil Heat program will provide qualified families a one-time delivery of 100 gallons of free home heating oil. State that are eligible for aid include AK, CT, DC, DE, IN, MA, MD, ME, MI, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VA, VT, WI. Visit www.citizensenergy.com

Call your local Utility Company to check on assistance programs.

The goal of the Dress for Success organization is to promote the economic independence of struggling or disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, career development tools, and a network of support to help women be successful in both work and in life. They are located in more than 90 cities in the US. 212-532-1922