Does Anyone Know of Non Profit Groups That Offer Emergency Financial Assistance?

Dear T.,
I was reading somebody else's request and found this:

What is Modest Needs?

Modest Needs is a non-profit organization reaching out to hard-working individuals and families who suddenly find themselves faced with small, emergency expenses that they have no way to afford on their own.

Most persons living paycheck to paycheck earn just barely too much to qualify for any type of conventional assistance. This means they can't receive the help they need to overcome a short-term crisis - until they've already lost everything.
Modest Needs exist s b ecause we think there's a better way to do things. As far as we're concerned, no hard-working person should ever have to choose between taking a child to the doctor and putting food on the table.
http://modestneeds.org

I thought it might be of help to you.

God bless you.

1 mom found this helpful

T., I am sorry that you find yourself in such a situation. I hope that things improve for you in the near future. In the meantime you should contact your local Salvation Army. They were very good to me when I needed help. They provided me with an immediate food foucher for the grocery store and hooked me up with other helpful resources. I got back on my feet and I am very greatful for all the help I received. Although it was tough on my pride, I did what I had to do. Good Luck to you and your family and God Bless.

Sorry to hear about all that you are going through. I know how overwhelming that all can be. I actually work for a nonprofit so I can give you some possible leads to try.

- Your local United Way or 211 (if your area has 211) - they can help direct you in the right direction.
- The Salvation Army - can help with emergency food and sometimes utilities
- Churches - many of them have resources to help with utilities and rent
- Here, we have something called Consumer Credit Counseling through CRISS-CROSS that addresses all of those needs and more
- Are there any medical clinic in your area for uninsured or under insured? They might be able to help too.

I know it all seems overwhelming right now, but there are people out there who can help. I wish you the best of luck!
{{{HUGS}}}
H.

Hi Tracey - first my family will pray for you - i hope that's okay. I would suggest the Salvation Army - they helped me once with two of my bills. You have to go and apply at the Blvd. Of the Allies? office - its near Smithfield street, I don't know the specific address. They are very, very nice there and could possibly help you with other resources. Also have you tried your local MS support office - you should be able to get an advocate (for free) that can help you as well. When I needed an advocate to get my insurance company to pay for something they refused to pay for - I got a list of 10 advocates and "quizzed" them until I found that 1- she had it fixed in 2 weeks! Also, as far as medical assisstance - I know there is a new program for kids that don't qualify for medical assisstance or chips - call your county or state representative - there people also helped me with an issue of medical assisstance for my disabled son.
Just keep calling people until someone helps. Don't give up - also there is a book called the family resource book - that has listings of services - it was published about 5 yrs ago just for the pittsburgh area. Take care - J. :)

Things are a bit like that for me too. Unfortunatly I havn't found a lot of help either, but I do know you can apply for help with you gas/electric in November (the 7th or 9th I believe). When I applied I went through the salvation army office & food bank in York city. I know its not much, but its better than nothing. Have you been in touch with any area food banks?

Hi T.,

It sounds like your biggest problem is health costs. I'm not sure if you live in Massachusetts, if you do, assuming you do not have health coverage or very limited health coverage I was thinking maybe you should contact the Commonwealth Health Connector at www.MAhealthconnector.org they may be able to refer you to a plan which is affordable and will cover your drugs. God Bless and Best Wishes.

J. L.

Hi there my name is B. and I know where you are comming from try your local town hall/office they should offer emergency help same as red cross salvation armys local churches and such...... Iv been in simualr situations email me anytime ____@____.com

T.,

Along with the person who wrote about the pharmacy's check with the company that makes the shots for your MS. They ususally have funds to be able to give you free shots and insurance. Call your local Representative for the county you live in. I'm sure they would be able to help you. I know my local representative has helped me in many finanical situations. Along with my health insurance company.
Good luck and God Bless!

I work for a pharmacy and there are numerous organizations to help with medical assiatance. The biggest and most helpful organization is MS Active Source they have a website www.msactivesource.com and tele # 800 456 2255. There us also MS Pathways.. 800 788 1467 www.mspathways.com.. Good luck!

well i am not sure where you live but in ct we do have help for ppl that are in need of help u can contact the soga ppl or the state welfare office or u can get ssi from the socila secruity building i hope this helps and if there is anything else i can do dont hesiteate to ask, u can also go to the red cross they wil help to there r churches that will too D.

T.,

Have you registered with the local chapter of the NMSS? I also have MS, and our local chapter in Delaware has programs that offer emergency financial assistance, but you have to be a member of the chapter in order to apply. Once you register with them (can be done over the phone), they send you a whole lot of information and application forms. I'm not sure where you live, but the MS Society is also a wonderful resource for other support, information, etc.

Also, I'm not sure which meds you are taking, but sometimes you can apply for financial assistance with the manufacturer if you are not getting any insurance coverage to help offset the cost. I don't know too much about that end, but I'd try to call them, they certainly have enough customer service reps around with what they are charging for the drugs!

Good luck and keep a positive attitude! You should talk with your neurologist or primary care doc about possibly treating the depression as well - it's a pretty common ailment amongst MS sufferers and I think it might be worsened as a side effect of some of the drugs (Avonex, for example). Plus I don't think the depression drugs are too horribly expensive.

I hope you find the support you need.

Best regards, A.

I recieved help through the salvation army when we were going through hard times. I know of a pastor who writes vouchers for them. We recieved vouchers for utilities and housing a couple of years ago. Also there is a program for utilities called CAP that you can apply for in the winter months, I think through welfare.

Hi T. --
I your public library, usually not in the small towns, but in the city, there is a book that you can look through that has a bunch of grants available. These grants are from private monies, and there are some for education, medical bills, car payments, etc. You want to ask the librarian to help you with locating the information. There are some grants just because ]you have purple eyes and your birthday is a certain day. THis money does not have to be paid back, it is not public assistant.
Good luck--
J.

T.,

I can totally sympathize with you. As much as you might not like the idea, you might want to contact a credit counseling service or even a bankruptcy attorney. I was out of work and my husband's job slowed to a stand still (he is in business for himself). We have two kids, one is 14 and the other is 4 and we have been trying to shield them from our finances as much as possible. It is not always easy though, especially when the powere is cut off or the water. Our house was almost foreclosed on twice and we have been trying to sell it since February. We too borrowed money, but I have come to realize that the more we borrowed to get out of debt, the deeper into debt we got. I have found myself praying alot and I also take medication for my depression. I know that a lot of counselors have sliding scales and if you have health insuracne, some of that might be covered. I don't know if any of this is helpful. I have contacted a an attorney and feel more at peace with the decisions that I am making . Just know that you are not alone. You will be in my prayers.

**I'm not sure if you are in Connecticut,but in the Connecticut Post today there was a program guide for a free expo to be held on September 14th at the Trumbull marriott that says that it will have free health screenings, social services and financial experts as well as community resources. it is from 10 am to 5pm. maybe this would help?

Hi T.,
I realize your post was so long ago, but I wanted to offer some guidance if you still need it. I work for PFS. We are a finance literacy firm. I would meet with you and your husband at no charge to develop a financial game plan. We can meet around your schedule. Give me a call if this is of interest to you.
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S. Hansen