I have extra food on hand, and we have helped out with holiday meals this time of year. I'm in Minnesota, but on the other side of the cities from you.

Wow, I wish I knew what resources were available in Montana. I visit there every summer.  See if you can get a prescription for Clindamycin for starters.  It will kill the infection in the abscessed teeth and relieve some of the pain. Find out if the Montana State University in Bozeman has any programs for dental students. Some colleges that train future dentists have programs for people on low income to help get their teeth fixed.  We have that at the University of Minnesota, but I don't know about Montana. I had bad teeth when I grew up and had a lot of fillings put in when I was a teen. 

Thanks for the information. I try to reach out to those I can help in my community. There were a few sites on your list I have never heard of. I'll add those to my favorites list. Here is another site that is not on your list that I find helpful.

www.2hands.org

I don't care for Digital Charity either.  I like to help people with dependent children in my home state, and I want to see the people I'm helping. I would never give cash or send money to a Paypal address like on Digital Charity. Scams work both ways and also affect people who give. Anyone can put a story up on the Internet with photos and be very convincing. I've been scammed before giving to someone claiming to be in need, but was really looking for money to buy drugs. I've also sent articles of clothing and toys to needy children, and later found those items up for sale on eBay! I've had enough of that, and will only give when I can see the real people. Digital Charity doesn't provide the information I need as a donor. I like it here at Aidpage as most people post their geographic information in their profile, and you can have an interactive conversation in public or private spaces.  I've been actively helping 2 families with food and clothing for children.  I've known one family for 5 years now. I don't have children of my own, and these children are like my adopted family. It is much more rewarding than giving to organized charity.     

I have helped out a few families around the holidays, and in some cases year round.  I have no children, and enjoy helping families with children either on a one time or ongoing basis as I am able.  I prefer that type of giving as I get to see and meet the people I help, as opposed to giving through an organization where I have no idea how those funds are being used.  I don't know what I'm going to be able to do this year.  I just lost my mom in late October after a long illness.  I'm going through major stress and grief right now as I deal with her house and belongings.  All of my childhood memories are there and I'm leaning towards keeping the house in tact.  It will probably take me several months to a year to figure out what to do.  This is going to be a very sad holiday season for me, and I'm not looking forward to it.

This past Saturday, I bought new winter coats for 3 children that I have helped for nearly 5 years.  We went shopping at a major department store and took advantage of sales, coupons, and a credit card rebate to get about 75% off high quality name brand coats.  We got better quality coats for about what you would pay at Walmart.  I stopped buying coats at Walmart for children 4 years ago.  The zippers have never lasted a full season on anything I have purchased there.

I'm not opposed to helping someone new, but you live about 200 miles away from here.  I do have some vacation time coming up, but I'm not up to driving that far right now.  I haven't been sleeping well at night since my mom died.  I'm having emotional problems dealing with this loss.  I'll see how I feel on one of these upcoming weekends.  Anything I can do right now to get my mind off this is a good thing.  I have very few relatives still living, and I feel like an orphan now.  I've never dealt with a loss like this before.  My dad died when I was 4 years old, and mom has always been there. 

It has been a while since I've made a post here.  I'm still hanging in there and still employed.  This is a really difficult period of time.  Some say that we've entered the "Second Great Depression" or "The Greater Depression".  Many events have occured that are similar to the 1929-33 period of time since September 2008.  The government has responded in a very similar manner to the crisis 76 years ago.  I've seen several of my co-worker's finances crash and burn.  The organization I work for has become insolvent and layoffs are coming.  I have no personal debt other than my month to month expenses which leaves me in better shape than some of my co-workers.  All my sources of income are diminished.  I am still helping 3 single parent families in my home state with food and basic needs, but am finding that even more difficult with diminished income.  I am searching for lower prices on food items and have found several sources, but deals are getting harder to come by.  One drug store chain in my area is in liquidation.  I was able to buy a lot of non-perishable food and household goods at 50 to 75% off which helped me a lot, but that window of opportunity has closed.  All the people that worked there are being layed off.  I didn't have a good feeling buying up those items cheaply knowing that many people were losing their jobs.  I have just received word that the church I belong to is bankrupt.  There is seemingly no end in sight, and I have little faith in the government to get us out of this mess.  I think people need to get more involved in helping their neighbors and their community.  It is going to take a collective private effort to get the country back on track.

I've never left this site, I just haven't posted recently.  Everywhere I go these days, I see the needs greater than the available help.  I'm beginning to wonder if we are ever going to get out of this economic mess, or if we will emerge permanently as a poorer country.  There are more than 500 empty foreclosed homes in my community.  I've never seen anything like this before.  A lot of people were enthusiastic about the new year, this past New Year's Day.  I don't see anything to celebrate about.     

It has been a while since I've made a post here.  I'm still hanging in there and still employed.  This is a really difficult period of time.  Some say that we've entered the "Second Great Depression" or "The Greater Depression".  Many events have occured that are similar to the 1929-33 period of time since September 2008.  The government has responded in a very similar manner to the crisis 76 years ago.  I've seen several of my co-worker's finances crash and burn.  The organization I work for has become insolvent and layoffs are coming.  I have no personal debt other than my month to month expenses which leaves me in better shape than some of my co-workers.  All my sources of income are diminished.  I am still helping 3 single parent families in my home state with food and basic needs, but am finding that even more difficult with diminished income.  I am searching for lower prices on food items and have found several sources, but deals are getting harder to come by.  One drug store chain in my area is in liquidation.  I was able to buy a lot of non-perishable food and household goods at 50 to 75% off which helped me a lot, but that window of opportunity has closed.  All the people that worked there are being layed off.  I didn't have a good feeling buying up those items cheaply knowing that many people were losing their jobs.  I have just received word that the church I belong to is bankrupt.  There is seemingly no end in sight, and I have little faith in the government to get us out of this mess.  I think people need to get more involved in helping their neighbors and their community.  It is going to take a collective private effort to get the country back on track.

This site is very powerful and connects you with people from all over.  You should start by posting a little about yourself on your page, and if you are looking for some kind of assistance or are here to offer help and/or advise.  The site had a big upgrade about a year ago, and it is easier to interact with others.  It takes awhile to find your way around the site, but it is pretty well organized once you get the hang of it.

Thank you for your comments.  I don't like giving to large organizations either.  I don't know if the money went for office supplies, or some CEO's car allowance.  I want to see the people I am helping, and know that whatever I am able to do actually went for the purpose in which is was intended.  I am a public school employee, and do the best I can with what I have to work with.   I have no children of my own.  I'd like to find a single parent family in my community where I could be like a foster dad, big brother, mentor, or whatever they would want me to be.  I'd like to be involved in their school life and teach them some of my skills and hobbies.  I've just never found such a family in my community.  I have been helping a family with 3 children since 2005 that live about 70 miles from me.  I buy them new clothes and shoes each year, and help them out with groceries and basic needs when they run short.  Due to the distance, I can't see them as often as I would like.  I have taken them on vacations.  Being with them for that time has helped to fill a tremendous hole in my life, but I'm not able to spend as much time with them as I would like due to the distance. 

I don't know the answer to your question.  Everything I do is in my spare time.  Perhaps you could find employment working in a homeless shelter or other charitable organization.  I see a lot of retirees working part time at those locations, some for pay, and others that volunteer.  In most cases, you cannot earn a decent salary to live on doing this kind of work.  It seems like a better opportunity for someone wanting to give back and stay busy during their retirement years.  You'd have to check and see what is available in your immediate area.   

This is a known scam and has been reported on many different sites for the past 3 years.  I'm really sorry to hear that you fell for it.  There are bad people out there that prey on the misfortune of others.  They did this to make a quick $3,500 profit at your expense.   People who fall for this are desperate and the scam artists know that, and take advantage of it.  If you were flush with cash, you would probably have questioned it.  You took the money and didn't give it a second throught that it could be fraudulent.  The best thing you can do now is get the message out and warn others so that the same thing doesn't happen again on Aidpage. 

I do what I can to help a few families out with groceries from time to time in my community.  It is unbelievable how much the cost of living has been going up lately.

I haven't been on this site for a few months.  I tried to log in a few times while the site was being upgraded, but it wasn't ready yet.  I've been very busy the last few months, but am back now and looking forward to exploring the upgraded site.  I hope everyone has a pleasant holiday season.

I'm from Columbia Heights, just northeast of Minneapolis. Aidpage and other sites like it do have a good share of scammers. It is unfortunate, but there are those out there that will take advantage of people in need. The best case with utilities is to stay in contact with your utility company and pay something. Most of them will work with you to avoid shutoffs in the first place. In your case, it is too late for that. It is highly unlikely that anyone from Aidpage will have a large amount of money available to pay that bill off, although not impossible. You can get your gas service reconnected without paying the full amount if you work out a payment plan with your gas company. I believe you have to pay 10% of your income under that option. Please review the Minnesota Cold Weather rule. Here is a link to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission web site: http://www.puc.state. mn.us/consumer/assist/coldrule .htm Please review step 13 regarding the 10 percent plan. You need to contact your gas company, I'm assuming Centerpoint Energy, and get the process started now. If you and the company cannot agree on a payment plan, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission will help you mediate a solution. Once you have worked out a payment plan, you can have your service reconnected by October 15, 2007. I hope this helps you. Craig
Minnesota Public Utilities Commission

I've been visiting this site for a few months looking for someone to help with basic needs in my own community. Most people here are in need of help and very few are offering it. I doubt that you will be able to find the extensive help you need here. However, you never know as this is a public site and you don't know who is reading your help request. In my opinion you would be better off to talk with fellow fire fighters in your own community and let them know you are in trouble. Perhaps they would do a benefit to raise money to help your family. I've seen fund raising benefits in my own community where funds were raised to help families with major needs.

The tooth is abscessed and it is putting pressure on the nerve. This is usually the result of a cavity that was not fixed in the early stages. The only way to fix this is a root canal or pulling the tooth out. If you know a dentist or can go to a free clinic ask for a prescription for 40 capsules "Clindamycin" 300 mg 4 times a day. That is an antibiotic that works especially well with infections in the mouth area. A 10 day course will get rid of most of the infection. Along with that take 600 mg of over the counter Ibuprofen every 4 to 6 hours to reduce the inflammation. With this combination, the pain will go away in 2 to 3 days. I believe that you can get the prescription filled at any Walmart for $4.00. You still need the dental work done, but this will buy you 30 to 90 days time to arrange for a root canal.

What state are you located in?

I emailed you about this. I have extra items I bought at after Christmas sales, and can help with groceries and basic needs. I'm from Minnesota and do volunteer work on a regular basis.

Thank you for your comments. I never send cash either. Some of these pages may be scams, but I'd like to believe that most of them are real sincere people. I have sent items in the mail before to needy families listed on another similar site, and found some of the items appearing on Ebay. For this reason, I tend to focus on on families within 60 miles of my home town where I can verify the need. I have made some friends this way and stay in contact with 4 of the families I have helped. Some of them are in need of additional food and household supplies almost every month. I find that things tend to get worse for these families when school is out for summer vacation. The school lunch program is shut down for 3 months, and that puts a further strain on their food budget. I have also focused on trying to help some of these families become self sufficient. I've showed them how to save money on their grocery bills, changed all their light bulbs to compact fluorescent to reduce electric bills, and other improvements. This has made a little difference in all cases, but some of these families may never be completely self sufficient. In most cases I've observed, the biological father is absent and does not pay child support at all, or at least not on a regular basis. It is really hard on these families when they are expecting a certain amount of income, and it doesn't come. Also items that are minor to me, like a car part needing replacement, are a major hardship on these families. They have absolutely no savings, and anything that goes wrong outside of their normal month to month bills rapidly becomes an emergency. Craig

I like to do volunteer work and help with children that lack basic needs in Minnesota.  I love children, but have none of my own.  I have helped out several single parent familes around the holidays for the past few years.  I've found that some families need ongoing help all year and not just at the holiday season.  I have been a public school employee for 24 years, and serve on a local church board.  I prefer to help someone directly without going through an organization.  I've done volunteer work before for organizations and was surprised at how much of the donated funding was spent on administrative expenses, and how little went to the recipients.   I really like the concept of Aidpage.