Help with Bills in Florida

Utility assistance is key in helping low-income families to save money in order to give their children the life they need. Single mothers living in Florida can use the programs availed by different organizations and companies to help them in taking care of their children effectively.

Help with Electricity Bills

Duke Energy provides low income families and individuals that are experiencing unforeseen energy costs or bills can get help from the Energy Neighbor Fund. The funds are allocated through service agencies and local social charities. The grant pays for electricity, cooling, gas, wood or oil expenses and bills. https://www.duke-energy.com/home/billing/special-assistance

Help with Heating Bills

Peoples Gas is a natural gas company. They offer low income customers payment plans, financial assistance, and energy conservation. The company also provides reductions on monthly gas bills. This can really assist single mothers to reduce their heating bill. https://www.peoplesgas.com/residential/payment-options/payment-assistance/

Help with Healthcare and Medical Bills

The Community Health Centers provides primary healthcare services to the community. The offer a medical assistance program called Medicaid to help single moms and other low-income earners to get affordable healthcare services. The eligibility of the families and individuals is determined based on their income. The costs of the Medicaid program are covered by both state and federal government. The Social Security Administration (SSI) and the Department of Children and Families (DCF) decides if the families and individuals are eligible for the program. The program cater to:

1. Pregnant women
2. Low-income families with children
3. Elderly people not receiving SSI
4. Children
5. People living with disabilities not receiving SSI
6. Non-citizens with medical emergencies

https://www.chcfl.org/patient-info/florida-medicaid-information-application-and-eligibility/

Help with Transportation

Wheels of Success is a nonprofit organization that offers a variety of transportation solutions. They provide car repair, vehicle replacement; car payment, licensing, and down payment assistance to low-income working families. To access the assistance, the applicant should be working full-time or have a full-time job offer. Recommendations are presented through agency or employer email address. The applicants should be above poverty level and they must be unable to return to work due to transportation issues. http://www.wheelsofsuccess.org/index.html

Help with Food and Meals

The Feeding Florida organization is a food banks that aims to solving hunger by giving access to healthy nutritious food. Their Mobile Pantry Program serves families and individuals in areas of high need as a way to supplement the other hunger-relief agencies. A truck distributes the food hampers to beneficiaries in pre-packed boxes. They have the freedom to choose the items they need through a distribution style that is similar to the farmers market. The program gives help to a wide range of areas and this widens the reach of the Feeding America network, and enables for flexible and fast delivery of food supply and grocery products such as meat, baked goods, and produce. https://www.feedingflorida.org/

Help with Household Items

The Mustard Seed provides furniture, household items, appliances, linens, toys, dishes, home décor to those in need to be able to make their homes comfortable. They furnish homes for eligible families and individuals. It is designed to help various groups of people including those who are transitioning out of homelessness, drug rehab recovery, and those suffering from domestic abuse, medical hardships, economic difficulties, natural disasters. The mission of They aim to assist in rebuilding lives of individuals and families who have survived disaster or tragedy by offering household furnishings and clothing. https://mustardseedfla.org/

Help with Clothes

A service agency known as Positive Spin, Inc. works to help single mother families and children to live healthy lives. Their programs provide youth services, nurturing of children, and empowerment to families. They offer a vast selection of service, namely housing assistance, job training, childcare support, family counseling and essential needs such as clothing, furniture, utility assistance transportation, emergency food assistance. Positive Spin works intimately with single households to guarantee independence to allow them to provide, and protect their families. http://positivespinfl.org/

The link below shows additional resources to help in paying your bills.

http://www.pinellascounty.org/utilities/pdf/utilities_financial_hr_help.pdf