When you're too broke for the basics

By Donna Freedman

Remember free government cheese? These days, we have free government cell phones.

You read that right. A group funded by phone companies' universal service fees helps low-income Americans get phone service. This sometimes includes a prepaid cell.

This is just one of many public and private organizations that can help you meet basic needs -- from groceries to lifesaving medications -- for free.

These are programs that, as a taxpayer, you've helped underwrite. Just about everyone knows about food stamps and federal housing vouchers. But not everyone knows about those free cell phones or programs that provide:

• Eye exams and glasses.
• Rent assistance.
• Birth control, Pap smears and mammograms.
• Free shoes.
• Business attire for job seekers, both female and male.

Where do you find this kind of help? Read on.

Hungry for help

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, colloquially known as food stamps, is serving more Americans than ever: One in nine of us were using the program in March. To learn about SNAP and other federal food programs, including Women, Infants and Children, or WIC, and school lunches, click here.

Incidentally, that infamous Reagan-era government cheese was part of the Commodity Supplemental Food Program. The current food list doesn't include dairy products.

Feeding America, formerly known as America's Second Harvest, maintains a state-by-state list of food banks and soup kitchens. If more than one is available and you're broke, visit them all; every dollar you don't spend on grub can help pay rent or utilities.

Additional strategies:

• A food bank may give "first pick" to clients who volunteer.
• Check for edibles on The Freecycle Network. I've seen garden produce, tree fruit, infant formula, canned goods, cereal and even pet food offered.
• Some social-service organizations provide coffee and/or donated pastries or bagels to clients while they wait. If times are really tight, there's your breakfast or lunch.

A place to lay your head

Waiting lists are long for the federal government's rental assistance program. Some cities aren't taking new applicants for Section 8 housing vouchers. Be prepared to wait.

If you're out of work and eviction is imminent, call United Way's 211 referral line or a nonprofit such as the Salvation Army and be specific, such as: "Starting the first of the month I have nowhere to live." Because so many others are in the same predicament, you may not be able to get immediate help.

Video: Is free the new black?

Get a list of all regional shelters. Check whether any churches let homeless people spend the night. If you have a disease or chronic condition, ask allied agencies about special housing.

Note: Any cash assistance you receive probably won't cover more than a room in a boardinghouse or a down-at-the-heels motel. But that still beats sleeping in a culvert.

Additional strategies:

• Work it off. Ask your landlord for a rent reduction in exchange for landscape work, cleaning the building, etc. Use this experience to apply for a resident manager job somewhere else. For more tips on free flops, see "How you can live rent-free."
• Put the word out among friends, asking for just one night per couch. Sing for your supper while you're there -- baby-sit, clean the tub, change the litter box. If you're useful, you might get asked to stay longer.

Staying warm, staying connected

Candles are not a safe substitute for electric lights. Ask your local utility about special rates for low-income residents. Your state's public utility commission can give information on policies such as a moratorium on shut-offs during winter.

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Plan provides utility funding. Social-service agencies and nonprofits such as the Society of St. Vincent de Paul may also offer help with water, electricity or furnace fuels.

Your phone company likely offers a bare-bones plan for low-income customers. Some states offer additional assistance with phone funds; click here to find out more.

That Lifeline Across America program provides either a free cell phone or monthly savings on a land line, depending on where you live. You may also be able to borrow up to $200 worth of installation fees, interest-free. To find out how to apply, click here.

The Internet is no longer a frill. It's terrifically useful to job seekers who can post résumés, scan want ads nationwide and network with other unemployed folks. Web sites such as Freecycle and Craigslist can help you score freebies ranging from baby clothes to gleaned fruit. E-mail keeps you connected with family and friends.

Cheap Internet services are out there, but be sure to read the fine print. Say so long to the bells and whistles, though, and get used to dial-up. (You'll live.) The public library may have public computers, but access is often limited; at my library you get 30 minutes a day.

Have a laptop computer? Seek out free Wi-Fi, also available at many public libraries. Coffee shops, casual restaurants and bars offer the service, but this is awkward if you can't afford to buy anything. Some places are kicking out Wi-Fi users who don't pay the freight. If you were a loyal customer before your finances went south, a friendly manager may give you a break.

Or seek out other hot spots with Web sites such as the Wi-Fi FreeSpot Directory. A few searches turned up free Internet access in a pedestrian mall in Montana, a coin laundry in New Jersey and a supermarket in Alaska. You might be able to surf for hours.

Additional strategies:

• Some colleges and universities offer Wi-Fi in common areas.
• Because you can't afford cable, take your laptop (and your headphones!) to a free Wi-Fi spot and watch TV online.
• If you're threatened with phone disconnection because of late payments, ask for "toll blocking," or local service only, until you catch up.

Continued: For the health of it

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