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Find family assistance programs.

Most states, many companies, and various groups and organizations provide help and aid from a family assistance program. Most family assistance programs will support individuals and families during their times of critical need. They provide a variety of help, typically in the form of short-term relief. You can often find emergency resources to provide support to someone facing a serious medical condition or medical bills, help when someone losses a job, assistance with rent, death of an immediate family member, help pay utility bills, or deal with the impact of a natural disaster. Assistance available from these programs may include:

• Food
• Housing
• Temporary cash payments
• Childcare services
• Counseling referrals
• Work and job training services
• Accommodations for family members
• Financial assistance and help with bills

Some people may think of family assistance as being strictly from the federal and state government Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) Program. However, family assistance is much more than that and can include employer assistance programs, charities, and other aid organizations.

Contact your employer to determine if they have a plan, review state assistance programs in your state, and contact charities and organizations to determine what family assistance programs they offer. Also, if you are a member of the military, they will often have their own programs to help.