Seniors

7500 Grant For Seniors to Fix Up Their Home

The Rural Housing Repair and Rehabilitation Grants Program provides loans and grants to very low-income homeowners to repair or improve their homes or to remove health or safety hazards. Applicants must be 62 years of age or older and must have incomes below 50% of the area median. That can be up to $27,000 for seniors in Maryland, which includes most seniors I know. For more information or to apply contact the USDA Rural Development office

Visit: www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/sfh/brief_repairgrant.htm

10000 To Care For Grandma And Grandpa

Does your mom need Meals on Wheels? Is she having trouble paying her bills? Need a new roof on the house? Need extra spending money? Grandma needs free legal help to divorce grandpa? Want to know what programs exist for seniors? All these questions and more can be found by contacting the Eldercare Hotline at 800-677-1116. They can hook up seniors with all the resources available to them, and all it takes is a phone call. For more info contact the Administration on Aging, Washington, DC 20201; 202 619-0724

Visit: www.eldercare.gov

Get 540 To Buy Fresh Produce

Seniors making up to $22,000/year can get as much as $540 to buy fresh fruit and vegetables from roadside stands. Through the little-known Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program, seniors in 40 states can have the government help buy their produce. Simply take your issued coupons to participating roadside stands and get free fresh produce. Alabama has $1 million to distribute, while Pennsylvania has $1.5 million in funds. Find out how much your state can give you to buy food. Contact the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 926, Alexandria, VA 22302

Visit: www.fns.usda.gov/fncs

4000000 to Build or Fix Up Housing for Seniors

Called the Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program and referred to as Program #14.157 in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, it can be used to finance the construction or rehabilitation of a structure or portion thereof, or the acquisition of a structure to provide supportive housing for the elderly, which may include the cost of real property acquisition, site improvement, conversion, demolition, relocation and other expenses of supportive housing for the elderly. Project rental assistance is used to cover the difference between the HUD-approved operating cost per unit and the amount the tenant pays.Contact your local office of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Visit: www5.hud.gov:63001/po/i/netlocator/

Call 211 For Free Money

that’s right! I didn’t say 911, I said 211. It’s a hotline number the Federal Communications Commissions set up for communities to use to refer people to social services that provide medical help, job training, transitional housing, child care, help for seniors, rental assistance, and more. These numbers are operating in 23 states. Go to the phone and dial 211 to see if you have this service in your area or see

Visit: www.211.org

Reverse Mortgages For Seniors

Called Reserve Mortgages For Seniors and referred to as Program #14.183 in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, this program enables elderly homeowners, 62 years of age or older, to convert equity in their homes to monthly streams of income – except for Texas – lines of credit. HUD insures lenders against loss on reverse mortgage loans. Contact your local office of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Look on the left-hand side of the page to search for your local field office.

Visit: www5.hud.gov:63001/po/i/netlocator/

10000 To Care For Grandma and Grandpa

Does your mom need Meals on Wheels? Is she having trouble paying her bills? Does she need a new roof on the house? How about some extra spending money? Does Grandma need free legal help to divorce Grandpa? Does she want to know what programs exist for seniors? Answers to all these questions and more can be found by contacting the Eldercare Hotline at 800-677-1116. They can hook up seniors with all the resources available to them, and all it takes is a phone call.

Visit: www.eldercare.gov/

3000 To Operate a Roadside Fruit Stand

Through WIC and the Seniors Farmers’ Market Nutrition Programs, let the USDA bring you customers you might not otherwise reach. Simply apply to become an authorized vendor, and let the government do the rest. Coupons will be distributed to seniors and WIC recipients that you can then redeem for cash. To find out how you can start making more money, contact the USDA Food and Nutrition Service.

Visit: www.fns.usda.gov/wic/FMNP/FMNPfaqs.htm.