Where Single Mothers Can Find Free Appliances

If you’re a single mother, you already know how difficult it is to keep up with even the most basic costs of running your family. Even though 70% of single mothers are able to hold down a job throughout the year, according to the US Census Bureau, the other 30% of single mothers remain jobless—meaning it can be difficult to come up with the extra funds to cover the costs of surprise expenses, should one come up.

Most appliances out there exist and were created in order to make housekeeping chores simpler, and while they were made to last for a while (usually around 10 years or so), they were not built to last forever. As such, machines are breaking down in some fashion or another every day. And if you’re a single mother, you may not have the money readily available to help you buy a new one.

However, all hope is not lost! There are a number of ways you can go about trying to find free, functioning appliances when your last one has given up on you. In this article, we’ll talk more about some of these options and help you find the best option available to you!

Overview
The Salvation Army
The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul
Furniture Banks
Habitat for Humanity
Conclusion

Overview

Appliances break. It’s as simple as that. While, on average, these appliances tend to last around 10 years or so, about 25% may start experiencing problems as soon as within the first 5 years of owning them.

And if you’re in charge of running a family, you know how much it can set you back if even one of your appliances suddenly gives out on you. Appliances are not cheap, and if you find yourself needing a new one–especially as a single mother—it can be panic-inducing to wonder where you’ll be able to find the money to buy a new one.

But there are a host of non-profit organizations as well as a few government programs out there that can help you find a new machine! You may even find luck on some online apps and marketplaces where people often sell their used items for cheap—or are giving them away entirely for free!

Some of these organizations and programs are:

The Salvation Army
The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul
Furniture Banks
Habitat for Humanity

In the following sections, we’ll talk about each of these more in-depth to see which course of action would be the best one for you.

The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army has been around since 1865 and is recognized as one of the oldest and most well-known non-profits in the world. Since it was founded, this charitable organization (and official Church!) has made it its mission to help those in need.

Not only do they offer a wide range of support services in the form of housing vouchers, utility bill assistance, and food and clothing donations—they also have a program that will supply you with a voucher to cover the cost of getting a new washer, dryer, or other appliance.

This service is offered at just about any branch of The Salvation Army, and to see if you qualify, all you’d need to do is contact the Salvation Army location closest to you and ask to speak with someone about applying for a voucher to help you cover the cost of a new appliance.

Vouchers are limited, however, and so are almost exclusively reserved for those who can truly demonstrate some form of financial hardship.

A formal application is involved, and applicants may be asked to provide some proof of their current situation along with supporting documents like pay stubs and receipts calculating other household expenses.

The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul

Much like The Salvation Army, the goal of The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is to “provide assistance to neighbors in need at the local level.”

This means that they take it upon themselves to provide food, clothing, furniture, appliances, transportation, rental assistance, and all kinds of other financial assistance to those in need by utilizing groups of local volunteers that are sourced from Catholic church parishes all across the country.

If you’re in need of assistance to help you cover the cost of a new appliance, then St. Vincent would be a great place to start! You can reach out to your local St. Vincent chapter and get more information on the application process by visiting the link here.

Furniture Banks

Furniture banks are charitable organizations that aim to give slightly used furniture a second chance at life by giving it back to the community. Doing this not only helps connect families who may be struggling with finding furniture and appliances, but they also prevent tens of thousands of pounds of furniture from entering landfills each year!

There are furniture banks located all across the country, and to see if you qualify for help, all you need to do is get in touch with the one located closest to you! To find one, just follow the link here to get started.

Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity is another non-profit organization that aims to be of service to those in need by specifically providing help and funding to not only build homes for those in need but also help people repair and improve their own homes and neighborhoods.

This means that, if you can prove that you have a demonstrated need, you can reach out to your local chapter to see if they can assist you in finding an appliance that works for free or for very little money!

The organization has a network of stores all across the country known as “ReStores” that sell new and gently used furniture, home accessories, building materials, and appliances to the public at a fraction of the retail price.

What’s great is that they also use funds and proceeds from these stores to help build new houses to help others in need.

Conclusion

If you’re a single mother who has run into the issue of your appliance breaking down on you, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed! Appliances are not cheap, and you’re likely already stretching your budget as it is to take care of your family.

However, you can rest easy knowing that there are options out there to help you find free or extremely low-cost replacements! Hopefully, this article has helped to get you started in the right direction.