Work for stay while working full time? Free food from shelters?

All the different ways of solving the shelter problem. To be static or mobile? Roots, legs, or wheels?
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TopHatFox
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Location: FL; 25

Work for stay while working full time? Free food from shelters?

Post by TopHatFox »

I just got approved for orthognathic surgery! Yay! The whole process will cost 6K for braces and $750 per month for COBRA insurance. So about 9K there for a conservative 12 months (in my case).

I was thinking of finding a work for stay opportunity on Craigslist to offset my current $550/mo of housing expenses. This would be while working full time too. I can do filing, data entry, accounting, Excel, bicycle repair, car maintenance, etc.

Have any of you tried this with some success?
Last edited by TopHatFox on Mon Dec 11, 2017 5:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.

TopHatFox
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Joined: Thu Oct 17, 2013 10:07 pm
Location: FL; 25

Re: Work for stay while working full time?

Post by TopHatFox »

Along the same lines, where can one go to receive free food? I remember Amherst had a shelter that would provide a month's supply of fresh food to people in need, no questions asked.

Gilberto de Piento
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Joined: Tue Nov 12, 2013 10:23 pm

Re: Work for stay while working full time? Free food from shelters?

Post by Gilberto de Piento »

I remember Amherst had a shelter that would provide a month's supply of fresh food to people in need, no questions asked.
Dumpster diving and extreme couponing might get you some free food. I don't think you should be taking food from shelters given your net worth, if that is what you are thinking about.

chenda
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Re: Work for stay while working full time? Free food from shelters?

Post by chenda »

A Gurdwara will offer free food, though I echo @gilberto you should not depend on charity. Or at least give some service back to them in exchange.

theanimal
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Re: Work for stay while working full time? Free food from shelters?

Post by theanimal »

I have a friend who worked at a homeless shelter in exchange for room and board.

TopHatFox
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Location: FL; 25

Re: Work for stay while working full time? Free food from shelters?

Post by TopHatFox »

Giving back sounds like a good idea. It'd offer some meaning and community too. win-win.

There are elderly people, young unemployed people, and the working poor at many of these shelters. For example,

https://www.liftingupwestchester.org/graces-kitchen/

OTCW
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Re: Work for stay while working full time? Free food from shelters?

Post by OTCW »

Why are you doing COBRA insurance instead of an ACA plan. With your low income, you could probably get a very affordable plan. Much better than $750/month I would think

TopHatFox
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Location: FL; 25

Re: Work for stay while working full time? Free food from shelters?

Post by TopHatFox »

Because I know for certain that orthognathic surgery is covered under my COBRA plan now. I don't know if an ACA plan would cover it.

Is it possible to try getting the surgery covered via an ACA plan while still using the COBRA plan in the meantime?

CS
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Joined: Sat Dec 29, 2012 10:24 pm

Re: Work for stay while working full time? Free food from shelters?

Post by CS »

Regarding what they cover - I have a friend who had back surgery on his plan that was costing a few dollars a month (as in less than $10).

You can look up the plans on the exchanges, and then call them to find out what they cover and where. The contact information should be there somewhere. You have until Friday for open enrollment*, so do some phone calls!

*Did you lose your job? (sorry - I haven't been up on the boards lately). The reason I ask is that it affects your eligibility rules (i.e. the sixty day rules below). You have sixty days from the notice of cobra to sign up for it (to be safe, I'd do sixty days from separation, but the point is, you don't have to make this decision in a heartbeat.) I think you have also have sixty days from separation as a qualifying event for an exchange plan, even if you don't make the open enrollment period. If you have no income, you'd probably be put into medicaid.

Google the c*** out of this stuff to get all the rules. In this case, google is your friend.

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Jean
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Location: Switzterland

Re: Work for stay while working full time? Free food from shelters?

Post by Jean »

Dumpster diving works awesomely in Switzerland and Germany. I would be curious to know how it works in Amherst but I would bet on great.
You might then find someone who could give you a spare room in exchange for a warm meal every evening (which you will cook from the huge amount of food you'll dumpster).

EdithKeeler
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Joined: Sun Sep 01, 2013 7:55 pm

Re: Work for stay while working full time? Free food from shelters?

Post by EdithKeeler »

How old are you? If you’re under 26, you should be able to go back on your parents’ health insurance coverage if they have it.

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