How Can I Find Assistance For A Family In Need?
OK, here’s the scoop: My friend is physically disabled due to a work-related injury when she worked as a CNA, and her health is not very good at all. She is borderline diabetic and she was on the verge of having a stroke and a heart attack the day before Easter. Essentially she is very stressed about her and her family at the poverty level and about not providing an Easter for her family. Her husband left her for a younger woman, and he admitted in being with her because of her money. He is living better without any regards to his wife and young children’s plight. They are still married, however. My friend cannot afford to pay all her bills and she and her family tend to go hungry a lot. I try to help financially but I am really to the breaking point because of other obligations I must attend to. They reside in rural North Central Florida, and I don’t know what else to include so I can get more responses to my question. I am also looking for ways to self-help. Please help TY
December 31st, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Hello Maria
I am so glad she has a friend like you.
It does sound as though your friend would be eligible for Food Stamps, family assistance and Medicaid through the state of Florida. Look in your yellow pages for Fl State of Department of Children and Families. Also look up the number for FL department of Child Support recovery. This shouild help provide ongoing financial stability.
For immediate emergency food help go to http://www.secondharvest.org just below the top picture put in her zip code and click the search. Immediate emergency help with bills may be available through Salvation Army, the nearest large Baptist church and the nearest large Catholic church. Her children’s school counselor or principal may be able to direct her to other sources of help. Some school districts even have an emergency help fund for this.; I know it is hard to ask but she has paid taxes all her life to help others now it’s her turn. United Way is not a source of direct help for individals and families in most cases but can tell you who in the community can help.
If the work injury was less than 2 yrs ago she may well be eligible for workmans comp. Your yellow pages will shopw you a number of lawyers who handle workman’s comp cases with no payment up front, no charge unless they win for her.
She may also be eligible for Social Security disablity or SSI (Suplemental Security Income) if she is unable to work. This is a long process and most ppl are turned down 2-3 times as a matter of policy but if she is truely disabled and keeps appealing the turn downs she may well get benefits for life. Social Security will pay for the medical exams to establish disability. For this too there are many lawyers who help with appeals and make no charge until they win. Her nearest state or county mental health dept. can help with stress related issues and having consulted them for this will help in getting her disability established.
Every hospital emergency room MUST BY LAW treat ppl in emergency situations even if they have no money and hospital social services ppl are expert at getting ppl hooked up with medical and other benefits. WallMart and Target both have programs where generic meds are available for $4 for a month’s supply. Her local health dept or one in a nearby larger county may have medical clinics free or on a low cost basis.
The FL Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation may be able to help her get training for a job she can do with her present disabilitioes and abilities. Their services are free.
If you want to tell me the city I can dig a bit more in our data available and see if I can find more specific contacts.
Please tell her for me that long after any specific Easter basket or outfit is forgotten her children will; remember that mom sat down and colored pictures with them, read the Easter story to them, helped them pray, sang with them, took time to play, hugged them a lot and really listened when they need to talk to her. My favorite all time Christmas Decorations were a nativity scene my dad cut out of brown paper bags and set up in the window *** a sillouette. It was special because he made it for me.