11 Easy Ways To Help An Unemployed Parent Who Is Down On Their Luck

On the surface, unemployment is something like an extreme wilderness experience when you are turned loose with a few tools to survive in the wild. Forced to rely on skills you didn’t know you had, you take risks, do without what you can’t secure on your own, and suffer lonely moments when you wish for the comforts of home and security of knowing where your next meal is coming from.  The difference is that in the experience you have asked for, someone is back at basecamp prepared to rescue you if necessary.  And, you have a good idea of the day the experience will end.

If only I could get help and solutions by simply yelling, “Hello, basecamp?  I need your help!”

The unemployment rate is 8.1%.  That doesn’t count those who have used up their unemployment benefits, have given up looking for work, have accepted part-time work, or who have started small businesses but are not yet making any money.

Yet, helping unemployed parents in need doesn’t always come in the form of paying their utilities bill. Lending a sincere ear to a parent’s struggles, offering to do a little babysitting, or even helping them organize job prospects can be worth more than a loan sometimes. So consider helping a struggling family you know with one of these quick, simple tips. Believe me, anything you do will be greatly appreciated and you just might be the brightest spot in a mother or father’s day.

[ITPGallery]