You may know a family that you see as friends currently struggling. Whether someone lost their job or faces a serious financial struggle, here are some things you can offer them to help during this difficult time.
Offer a Place to Stay
If they lose their home because they can’t pay bills, you can always offer that family member a place to stay. This will help them to save money on rent or hotel rooms which can help them to get back on their feet. This also gives them one less thing to worry about during their financial troubles.
Maybe you have space in your house that you can offer to them. If this is the case, then this simple gesture will provide them comfort as they continue to find a new source of income. If you own another house, you can also have them stay there. You may even offer some money to help with hotel expenses or rent depending on their situation.
What you do to help will depend on your circumstances and if you have a place to offer them. Even if you don’t have space or can’t offer money, you can do other things to help them.
Mention a Job or Connection
If you own a business, you could always offer that person a job at your business. Even if they don’t qualify for a higher job, even something simple could help them to cover the bills. However, if you don’t own a business or they can’t work at your job, you can consider other connections.
For example, maybe you have a friend that works at a business that would work well for the family member you are trying to help. Get your friend in contact with the family member to see if they can work something out. These simple connections and suggestions could go a long distance.
Even if the person you’re helping doesn’t get the job, the family members will appreciate you trying to help them. Even these small gestures of networking and trying to help can mean a lot to that family.
Lend Money or Provide Resources
You can also offer to lend money to the family member in need as a gesture to help them out. While you can give them money, some people won't accept handouts. By offering to lend money, they can pay you back without interest, which can help them in their current predicament.
If you can’t lend money, then you can also mention resources to get money to them. Make sure they are aware of the various ways to obtain emergency funds, such as online installment loan lenders, cash advances, or making money doing odd jobs or selling things. This way, they can get direct help from a company built around giving out loans to overcome their current financial situation. Just remember that these types of loans are intended to be used for unexpected emergency expenses, not recurring or regular bills.
If you can lend money and you trust the person, then go ahead and lend some money to them. If you can’t afford to lend money, then it doesn’t help to introduce that family to resources to help them out.
Provide Emotional Support
During financial troubles, many people forget to offer others emotional support. Financial struggles can cause increased anxiety, depression and stress. By offering emotional support and doing small gestures for them, you can help this family in need during a difficult period in their life.
Even the simple act of listening can provide emotional support for the person in need. Offer to listen to their troubles so that they can express things that are bothering them. Even if you listen for just a few minutes, this can mean the world to people and provide them extra emotional support without them realizing it.
Small acts of emotional support can go a long way for people. Think of other ways you can provide emotional support to this family in need and to assist them in any way that you can.
Conclusion
While the family member you know may struggle right now, you can offer help to allow them an opportunity to get financially stable. These offers may seem small, but they can mean so much to
the family that you help.
