Charity Help With Bills & Other Living Needs

lifh 54 Comments Personal Finance

If you are a low-income earner who is having trouble making ends meet, there are many charities that may be able to help. Many charities primary function is to provide supportive services to those dealing with financial hardship. They often offer an array of services that are designed to help individuals and families meet basic needs and assist with emergencies. These supportive services are there to try and help ease financially obligations and remove some of the stress that comes with them.

What Services Do Charities Provide

There are charities organized at the national, state, and local level. Many charities also work in partnerships with similar organizations and government, sharing offices which allow for a presence in smaller regions.

Often times when people hear the word “Charity” they have mixed feelings as it’s something some may feel ashamed of or embarrassed of. There are many types of charities which provide many types of services and understanding what these services are, can go a long way in dispelling any negative feelings toward accepting help from a charity. Life happens and sometimes you just need help – below is a small list of some of the great services provided by charities.

  • Food assistance: groceries or meals
  • Housing assistance: actual shelter or rental, mortgage, foreclosure, eviction help
  • Education: counseling services for financial, mental, social, etc
  • Health care services
  • Job training and placement
  • Senior care
  • Tutoring services
  • Financial assistance
  • Disaster assistance
  • Clothing, school supplies, etc…

 
Top National Charities
Below is a look at the top charities in the country and the type of services they offer.

  • American Red Cross. The American Red Cross was founded in 1881 and is one of the longest operating charities in the country. This organization helps those who have dealt with a devastating event, like a natural disaster, flood, or fire. They help by providing temporary shelter, food, and mental and health care services. They also provide individuals and families affected with basic needs, such as clothing, furniture, and prescription medication.
  •  Salvation Army. This charity is best recognized by their red kettle campaigns that can be seen around the holiday. However, they provide a lot of supportive services throughout the year to families in need. They are quite famous for provide drug and alcohol rehabilitation services across the country. They also provide elderly services, homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and holiday assistants. In addition, they operate numerous low-cost thrift stores, and housing, food, and utility financial assistance.
  •  Goodwill Industries International. Goodwill is best known for their many low-cost thrift shop located throughout the United States. What some people do not know is that this charity provides job training and job placements services to those who are disadvantaged, including youth, seniors, veterans, people with criminal backgrounds, and the disabled. They help more than 9.8 million people each year.
  •  Catholic Charities USA. This charity is operated through the Catholic Church, but you are not required to be a member of the church in order to receive assistance. They serve more than 7 million people each year with a variety of services, such as employment training programs for homeless men, help with housing transition for homeless women, educational programs for children up to 8th grade, and therapy sessions for adoptive families.
  •  United Way. The United Way can be found in many local communities around the country. They work to bring together local organization, governmental agencies, and businesses to meet the demands of the low-income individuals and families living in their community. Each United Way agency determines exactly what type of services are needed in their specific area, which means that the exact type of services they offer varies from community to community. However, all of their services revolve around promoting better education and health services, and helping to pull people out of poverty.
  •  Feeding America. This charity has numerous food banks, soup kitchens, and homeless shelters across the country. Their goal is to help end hunger in America. They provide some type of food services to more than 46 million seniors, adults, teens, and children in American every year.

 

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