Need Help From Grants Now?

Two years ago, a teen friend (19) became pregnant, and a single mom. I couldn’t imagine her covering all her bills herself. I approached her with a few ideas of programs she could look into for help, and together we set out to find what she could apply for.

We did a fair amount of digging around and found several programs to apply for. WIC , PHA’s, Oregon Farm food Program, and TANF.

Now she receives state funds for her utilities. Another state fund pays most of her rent. Yet another funds the food basics; not just anything she wants, but things like milk, eggs, peanut butter, bread, rice, beans. She works at night when her friends can cover for her at home. It didn’t take long for it all to kick in, but it took a while to find about all the programs. She’s covered for now, (as long as the state funds aren’t spread too thin).

These programs are government grants, but many do not see it as such. Federal funds are given to the state to make it the states’ job to distribute the funds as is needed in their state. So the programs that funded my friend, were all federal grants funded through the state.

Of course, the library holds all the grant information, all of it. Online websites such as grants.gov and the like are your second best option.

What else to do right now?

1) If you want to look into student grants/scholarships, to go back to school, (especially at a community or state college, often the grant amount is adequate for school and books, and a bit extra on the side). A great free place to look for scholarships is FASTWEB.. Also look here for government financial aid to students.

2) If your business is flagging, it’s not looking good, you want to stop and think what can direction to go in to grow your business. Maybe you need some new income, some new branch, some new idea, take an evening to peruse grants.gov for what grants are being offered in your arena of work.

Hear this before? Consider it old news? Hang on. A woman who contacted me looked into it with me. After searching for 30 minutes!!!, we found her a $250,000 grant to apply for . It would expand her business into a whole new realm that the government wants to pay for. She was floored. She had 9 days to get her app in, which is often the way it goes, but she got it in and will hear within the next month.

3) If food stamps would help, look into food and other help programs, it is run state by state. So where you are may not only food stamps but in Oregon , for example, there are programs to feed mother and child for 2 years with free basics (milk eggs, etc) so look around once you get there.
Start by clicking here : SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and navigate to your state’s site from here.

4) If you need to look into welfare programs, check out the list of links ot visit.Click here to find the link to apply for TANF in your state. Remember to scroll around the site to see all the programs they mention, including but not limited to TANF.

5) Township programs: Sometimes the library will be the resource for what is available through your township, otherwise there is a local office for all townships. Visit this location and ask them for the current info on grants/ aide/programs, food and health support. Sometimes what you are looking for will not come in the form of cash but actual service or product (health care or food stamps).

Pass this info on to anyone you think needs this help but doesn’t have access or needs help hashing through it. Better yet, help them apply. I did this two years ago when a teen friend became pregnant, and though a lot of work it was very satisfying to help someone so in need.
Frankly, I found it to be enjoyable and satisfying to do what I could to help this young woman in her early pregnancy.

By the time the baby arrived, the home was set up and things were in order, ready to receive the baby. Slim living to be sure, but at least she had a roof over her head and food on the table for a couple years

To finish the story: The birth was harrowing (!) but both Mom and daughter managed to mend just fine, and the child is now 1 yr old. Both Mom and daughter are doing well and Mom has arranged her work schedule much better for the the 2 of them to spend most of the baby’s hours together.

Excellent. That’s how public assistance should work.

Take care!