RS is someone I met recently who doesn't know that I'm the author of ActuallyFree.info. We had quite a long conversation about some of the needs that he and his wife have. They are both overweight and in poor health. He is an experienced computer programer who has worked in customer assistance and trouble shooting pretty much since computers became marketed to the public. He has been out of work for about 5 years due to his health, and that is long enough for some employers to think his skills are outdated. He has even offered to work for free for a week to prove his skills are up-to-date and still hasn't been hired. Since they have limited funds for transportation, he would very much like a stay-at-home job. He and his wife live in public housing. She has qualified for diability and gets medicaid. He was on medicaid and was receiving medication and regular health care. However, he was denied coverage when he applied for disability because as a default they deny all applicants the first time they apply. So once he was denied disability medaid dropped him. He has breathing problems and possibly diabetes. If he can get a doctor to diagnose him with diabetes he can get disability and medicaid coverage again - a catch 22. He and his wife also need a different couch, since the one they have isn't suitable for people their size.
So to sum it up, RS needs health care for his current medical problems, he needs a doctor to diagnose him with diabetes if he has it (and the symptoms are overwhelmingly indicative of it), he needs a stay-at-home job (or any job), and a different couch.
Since I'm the author of ActuallyFree.info, I had a pretty good start on getting him the information he needed and within a couple of days I presented a packet to him with the following information:
Since RS had already offered to work for free, I though he might be able to build his resume by volunteering at computer-related non-profits. This is also a great way to get freebies. The first one that came to mind was FreeGeek.org, based in Portland, OR. They take old, donated computers, refurbish them, reprogram them and give them away to people in need. Volunteers get their own free computer after a certain number of hours. However, RS lives in Salt Lake City, UT, so I had to find a local couterpart. And it just so happens that there is one in Sandy, UT, which is near Salt Lake. Its called "Computers for Kids."
The next item on his list of needs is a work at home opportunity. His willingness and desire to work impressed me. This sets him apart from many people who are just trying to get a free lunch. He certainly has enough medical conditions and income level to live off of government benefits for the rest of his life. But that's not his intention. And while it is fun to get freebies, ActuallyFree.info was actually created to promote self-suffiency and frugality, not government waste. This to me was what gave RS the best hope for success. Since he has the computer skills, I though of a work at home customer service opportunity that was listed on the Make Money Online page of ActuallyFree.info. I found a company that outsources their customer service reps. Their employees can set up a room in their home to become a customer service call center. If RS can get this job, he will be able to work from home and get medical coverage as a perk. I'm still waiting to hear an update on what happened with this lead.
RS needs health care for his current medical problems and he needs a doctor to monitor him for possible diabetes. A new page was recently added to ActuallyFree.info: Free Health Care. One resource that was particularly helpful was FreeMedicalCamps.com, which listed seven free health clinics in the Salt Lake City, and lists free health clinic all over the country.
In my search, I also found DefeatDiabetes.org. This a non-profit dedicated to "prevention, early detection, and effective self-management of diabetes." I called them to see if they knew of any doctors that would be willing to work-up RS for possible diabetes for free. He guided me to a list on the website of possible doctors and clinics in the Salt Lake are that would do just that. He also sent me a free glucose monitor/diabetic testing kit in the mail for me to give to RS.
And finally, RS and his wife needed another couch. We were able to get one for him through church resources. However, I generally recommend using the resources found on the Classified Ads page of ActuallyFree.info, as well as Reuse and Sharing Sites. There are also local non-profits and government programs that provide furniture for families in need.
