Retirement and Health Care Coverage (PDF) - information provided by the USDOL, to answer common questions Dislocated Workers pertaining to pension and health care coverage under COBRA.

 eHealth offers the opportunity to shop for individual health insurance plans from reputable health insurance providers.

NC Navigator (PDF) is sponsored by Legal Aid of NC, and can help answer health insurance questions and navigate the Health Insurance Marketplace.

;Health Insurance Market Place assists in locating affordable health care coverage through the Health Insurance Market Place. Enroll or change plans, as indicated in guidelines.

Free and Income-based Clinics in North Carolina that provide free or low cost health care supported by federal grants, state subsidies, or non-profits.

State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) provides free or low-cost health insurance to children who do not qualify for Medicaid coverage, but whose families cannot afford private health insurance. Different states have different eligibility rules, though in general, uninsured children 18 years old and younger whose families earn up to $44,500 a year (for a family of four) are eligible.

Visit State Health and Human Service Agencies to learn about services available in North Carolina, consult the NC Department of Health and Human Services.

Find a Health Center from federally-funded health centers, serving even those without health insurance coverage. Fees are income-based. This locator is sponsored by the Health Resources and Services Administration.

Healthfinder.gov lists resources on a wide range of health topics selected from over 1,600 government and non-profit organizations.

Medicaid is a federally-funded program that provides medical assistance for certain individuals and families with low incomes and resources. Medicaid is the largest program providing medical and health-related services to America's lowest income population.

Medicare, the nation's largest health insurance program, covers nearly 40 million Americans. It is a health insurance program for people 65 years of age and older, some disabled people under 65 years of age, and people with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure treated with dialysis or a transplant).

 How to Survive Financially After a Job Loss (PDF) is a publication by the Financial Planning Association dedicated to supporting the financial planning process, by helping people achieve their goals and dreams.

 National Foundation for Credit Counseling is the nation’s largest and longest-serving nonprofit financial counseling organization.

 Job Dislocation: Making Smart Financial Choices After a Job Loss (PDF) is a brochure covering important steps to keep finances on the right track in the event of unemployment.

 HUD Approval Housing Counseling Agencies  provides a number of resources and counseling services, including mortgage delinquency and default resolution.

Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is a federal agency that supports family assistance (welfare), child support, child care, Head Start, child welfare, and other programs relating to children and families.

Child Care Resources is a listing of local child care resource and referral organizations that help parents locate and choose quality child care by providing referrals to local child care providers, information on state licensing requirements, availability of child care subsidies, and other information.

Family and Youth Services Bureau promotes positive outcomes for children, Youth, and families by supporting a wide range of comprehensive services that focus on reducing risks by strengthening families and communities and helping Youth thrive. Programs include services for runaway and homeless Youth, victims of family violence, children of prisoners, and other at-risk Youth.

NC Head Start and Early Head Start are national programs that provide comprehensive developmental services for low income children from birth to age five, as well as social services for their families.

National Runaway Switchboard helps keep America's runaway and at-risk Youth safe and off the streets. Youth can call 1-800-RUNAWAY if they are thinking of running from home, if they have a friend who has run away and is looking for help, or if they are a runaway ready to go home through the Home Free program.

National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program that provides free and reduced-cost lunches to eligible schoolchildren nationwide. The program is operated in over 101,000 public and non-profit private schools and residential child care facilities, and it provides nutritionally balanced lunches to more than 30.5 million children each day.

School Breakfast Program is a federal entitlement program that provides states with cash assistance to offer free and reduced-cost breakfasts to eligible schoolchildren nationwide. The program is operated in more than 85,000 public and non-profit private schools and residential child care facilities.

Summer Food Service Program SFSP) provides free, nutritious meals and snacks to help children in low-income areas get the nutrition they need to learn, play, and grow throughout the summer months when they are out of school. SFSP helps children to maintain a nutritious diet and helps their families to stretch their food dollars during the summer months.

Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) (WIC) is a special nutrition program that provides supplemental foods, nutrition counseling, and access to health services for low-income women, infants, and children under the age of five.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program) provides benefits to low-income people that are used to buy food to improve their diets. Recipients spend their benefits (in the form of paper coupons or electronic benefits on debit cards) to buy eligible food in authorized retail food stores.

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a federal program that helps low income households pay for heating and/or cooling their homes. LIHEAP's goal is to make home energy more affordable for households with older persons, people with disabilities or young children, and households with high energy bills compared to income.

Temporary Assistance For Needy Families (TANF) is a state-run, time-limited program that assists families with children when the parents or other responsible relatives cannot provide for the family's basic needs (such as food, clothing and shelter). States design their TANF programs in ways that promote work, responsibility, and self-sufficiency, and strengthen families.

Child Support Enforcement Program (CSE) ensures that parents provide financial support for their children. The CSE Program provides four major services to families: locating noncustodial parents, establishing paternity, establishing child support obligations, and enforcing child support orders.

elaws Advisors provides expert advice about Federal employment laws. By tailoring answers based on personal needs, elaws Advisors have the power to clarify complex issues specific to each unique workplace and employment situation.

FindLegalHelp.org -- The American Bar Association provides an online state-by-state directory of links to legal aid resources.

Benefits.gov is the official benefits website of the U.S. government, with information on over 1,000 benefit and assistance programs. The site contains a confidential questionnaire that helps users learn about the federal benefit programs from which they might be eligible to receive assistance.

State Health and Human Service Agencies provides information on services available in North Carolina.

Supplemental Security Insurance (SSI) program provides monthly income to people who are age 65 and older, or are blind or disabled, and have limited income and financial resources.

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization for people 50 and over. AARP (formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons) represents more than 35 million working and retired Americans nationwide.

Eldercare Locater is a nationwide toll-free information and assistance hotline that helps older adults and their caregivers to find local support services.

Family Caregiver Alliance -- Founded in 1977, the Alliance was the first community-based nonprofit organization in the country to address the needs of families and friends providing long-term care at home.

Medicare & You  (PDF) is a guide for families and friends of people with Medicare. It highlights several topics related to the health and care of a person with Medicare.

National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) calls for all states, working in partnership with area agencies on aging and local community-service providers, to make five basic services available to family caregivers.

Cornucopia of Disability Information (CODI) serves as a community resource for consumers and professionals by providing disability information in a wide variety of areas. Information on topics such as assistive technology, employment, legal issues, mobility, and disability organizations is available.

Disability.gov -- The Employment section of Disability.gov has information about career planning, job banks, job training, interviewing for a job, self-employment, and small business ownership.

Employer Assistance & Resource Network (EARN) provides employers with free consulting services and resources to support the recruitment and hiring of people with disabilities. EARN assists employers in understanding the practical business reasons for, as well as the practices that facilitate the recruitment and hiring of people with disabilities. EARN also offers assistance to employment service providers and Job Seekers with disabilities.

Job Accomodation Network (JAN) provides free consulting services for individuals with physical or intellectual limitations that affect employment. Services include one-on-one consultation about job accommodation ideas, requesting and negotiating accommodations, and rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and related laws.

Center for Parent Information & Resources (CPIR) serves the nation as a central source of information on disabilities in infants, toddlers, children, and Youth. This site provides easy-to-read information on IDEA, the law authorizing early intervention services and special education. The website also includes State Resource Sheets that will help connect users with the disability agencies and organizations in each state.

Social Security Administration - Disability -- The Social Security and Supplemental Security Income disability programs are the largest of several Federal programs that provide assistance to people with disabilities. The website includes a Benefits Eligibility Screening Tool to find out what programs may be able to pay benefits.

U.S. Department of Labor Disability Resources (USDOL) provides resources provide information on employee rights, employer responsibilities, job accommodations, laws and regulations, and hiring people with disabilities.

What Can You Do? Campaign - The Campaign for Disability Employment is a collaborative effort to promote positive employment outcomes for people with disabilities by encouraging employers and others to recognize the value and talent they bring to the workplace. Use the Campaign for Disability Employment's Outreach Toolkit to promote positive employment outcomes for people with disabilities in local business and community!

WorkplaceDiversity.com has an extensive database of employment opportunities across all sectors nationwide. Diversity and Inclusion is a significant asset in the workplace. This website provides a forum for those diverse candidates to connect with employers who seek them.

Volunteering through AmeriCorps promotes service to the local community through local improvement programs that benefit everyone. AmeriCorps members learn skills that last a lifetime, receive a living allowance and free health insurance, and earn money for educational expenses.

Experience Corps, an award-winning national program, engages people over 55 in meeting their communities' greatest challenges. Over 2,000 Experience Corps members tutor and mentor in 23 cities across the country, providing literacy coaching, homework help, consistent role models and committed, caring attention.

National Senior Service Corps is a national network of projects that place volunteers age 55 and over in volunteer assignments in their communities.

Serve.gov is the online resource for finding and creating volunteer opportunities in local communities. United We Serve is a nationwide service initiative that helps meet growing social needs resulting from the economic downturn. This initiative aims to expand the impact of existing organizations by engaging new volunteers in their work, and encourage volunteers to develop their own "do-it-yourself" projects.

Volunteer.gov is dedicated to serving the volunteer community by collecting volunteer positions and events for citizens interested in services benefiting our nation's natural and cultural resources, such as local and state parks and preserves.

VolunteerMatch strengthens communities by making it easier for good people and good causes to connect. The organization offers a variety of online services to support a community of nonprofit, volunteer, business leaders committed to civic engagement.