We have moved to the Bloomington/Normal area. It is now just my 5 year old daughter and myself. I am currently very ill and on disability, trying to get well to go back to work, but right now it is a terrible struggle. How can I find things and food for my child for the Xmas season. I have always paid it forward when I was so successful and when I could work. I am hoping to find some help now. I am so hoping I can start paying if forward once again in the future. Thank for your time.
By DeeDee
Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
The Salvation Army might help, there is also Toys for Tots. However, in several parts of the country, a lot of these organizations have combined, when it comes to Christmas help. Call 211, it is a national clearing house that has organizations of all kinds that people can contact.
If you are on disability you must have some type of social worker, and they might have ideas of places where you could receive help. If you qualify, income wise, you must be on food stamps, therefore there should be no problem with food. However, a five year old shouldn't expect a lot of fancy food and gifts for anything.
There must be grandparents and aunts and uncles that will be giving gifts. If you can't find any help, you could go to a dollar store and get a couple little gifts. Start attending a church and after you have attended a few times talk to the pastor about help. Also, if as you said you were so successful, you must be receiving a pretty good amount of disability, and if you are low income, you can also get rent assistance.
No matter where you apply for Christmas assistance, unless it is the church that you attend you will have to fill out some kind of application and tell what your gross income is. I start my Christmas shopping in January, that is the only way I can afford to do it. You can also start buying holiday food in the summer. However, there were times when I was a kid that we had meat loaf for Christmas dinner because that was all we could afford. I
f you are very ill and it is just you and your little girl, how are you able to take care of her without any family help (I don't mean financially, I mean physically)?
You can sign up at a few stores ( Walmart, Kmart etc) for your child to receive a gift. Other customers provide the gifts. Your local food bank can help with holiday foods and treats. There is a ton of help out there. Good luck.
Where I live the stores like WalMart, rotate between different non-profit organizations to have them turn in names of people that need a gift. One year it might be a nursing home, the next year it might be for a home for at risk boys, etc.
Besides the ideas already mentioned, contact Catholic Services in your area. They help anyone of any denomination and just because this charity is called Catholic Services doesn't mean it is strictly Catholic because assorted denominations and corporations volunteer and donate to them. I don't remember having to fill out any form when I first became disabled and they helped me and I only needed to talk to them and tell them my situation.
Not only did they help me with food and a few Christmas gifts (including food and a toy for my kitty cat) that year but a woman volunteered to help me with my heavy house cleaning - that was two and a half years ago and she still comes every other week to help me. If for some unforeseen reason they are not in the position to help you in your area this year they will help you find the people/agencies who can.
I encourage everyone to start a group like we have here in Az., ArizonansHelpingArizonans. We collect things to give to others who need them; you would be surprised how generous people are when they find you give things away.
Our group is like a cross between freecycle and networking, with a little support group thrown in. We have lists of resources such as food banks and one member has a donation room at her house. We help everyone we can, regardless of whether they are members. We have members who help the homeless, members who make quits for people in hospitals and the homeless, and many other endeavors. It's a fun and informative group.
Pat
I live in Bloomington, call Path at 827-4005, that is an info and referral line, they have a list of various agencies that give help. They also have a list of food pantries.
Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
