Toledo Ohio Free Thanksgiving Dinners 2016

I was ready to curse Catholic Charities for not making their list online and easy to link to, when I discovered that United Way's 211 already has such a link.  Click here to find it.  When it says "click here for details, it will open up to the specific information.  As it happens, there are a couple of more locations here than in the Catholic Charities list.

My only beef is that Helping Hands of St. Louis did not update their info, so I will: It's lunch on Tuesday, November 22 from 11 a.m.-1:15 p.m. at 443 Sixth Street, in Toledo.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Your Cell Phone Options if You're Military, Moved or Deployed

Cell phones are a great thing, unless you aren't in a place where you can use he., which happens to military personnel. What if you are deployed, or moved to a station where you can"t get reception?

The law has an answer for that. According to Military Wallet., the law allows active military personnel to cancel telephone contacts when moved to a place where reception is no longer possible, or deployed overseas. Also, check your phone contract and see if you are allowed to go into vacation mode if deployed, and under what circumstances.

Toledo Free Thanksgiving Meals--2015

The listing is (finally) up, and here it is. 

If your hometown has a 211, try calling, for look up the listings of "Thanksgiving meals." 

Find Free Financial Planning Help for 2015

I wrote previously about an annual event run by the Foundation for Financial Planning, the Finial Planning Association, and the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards. It's an annual chance for people in several cities tot get free financial planning. In the fall of 2015 there are 22 cities where you can arrange to meet a financial planner for free. To find out where, see the website and call the toll free number for more information (877-861-7826).

Christmas Assistance 2015 -Toledo and Other Places

This the season (already) to look into Christmas assistance. Yesterday, the Salvation Army of Northwest Ohio sent out their literature for sign up. They will take applications October 5th through 9th from 11 am to 1 pm, and 1 pm through 3.  They will also take them October 21-23 from 9-11 am and 1-3 pm, and October 20 from 11 am -7 pm at 620 N Erie Street. Call 419 241 1138 for all the documentation you need ahead of time, like proof of income and proof of children's identity.

Wherever you live, call 211 to find out the clearinghouse organization where you live. That's the central office that takes information for Christmas assistance. If you waited until close to Christmas, you may have to approach your local church to find assistance. If you live in southeastern Michigan, always go to Julie's List.  They have the best and most comprehensive information for the area.

Tracking Down Free School Supplies in Toledo, 2015

It's that time of year, when people in need of school supplies for their kids but short on cash look for programs. The problem is that some programs are pretty sporadic or one-time. Worst of all, if you Google it (which is probably how you ended up here), you will get old stories from the local online newspaper, with a current date at the top! What to do?

You can call your local church or Salvation Army office to see if they know of a church or charity that is running a school supply program. Better yet, try your local 211 number or website.  If you can, search under "free school supplies" it's a United Way subject heading--and you will find a listing of organizations known to UW as givers in this particular field. For instance, I did this in the Toledo 211 website, and it lead to this link.  Or, if you are in Detroit or southeast Michigan, try Julie's List's rundown on free/cheap supplies, including computers.

Celebrate a Tax Holiday Near You

Ohio will have its first tax holiday ever the weekend of August 7-9, 2015. It will give sales tax exemptions for clothing and shoes under $75, as well as school supplies and instructional materials under $20. For more information, call 1 800 304 3211.

This will be a first time ever for Ohio, but other states have had them for years. Here's a list of all the sales tax holidays in various American states for 2015. As noted, many are created to give parents a break on school supplies and are timed accordingly. However, some in the south support the purchase of hurricane supplies, and the forward-thinking states of Georgia and Virginia also give a break on the purchase of Energy Star appliances.  Tennessee gives a break on computer purchases. Check on your state and go to the listed state websites for more detailed information on what is allowed, and what's not.