Orange County Government Resident Resources – Overall information (with links to specific assistance needs.)

Orange County Commissioners have voted to expand the ERA 2 requirements to those whose rents have gone up by 10% or more. Like ERA 1, ERA 2 is funded through the American Rescue Plan Act. ERA 1 was earmarked for COVID related rental assistance only. With rent going out of control, data shows that people are experiencing 75-80% increase. Read the details here, and please empower people to seek assistance from Orange County.

211 Referral Crisis Line – 24/7 connection to community resources-text zip code to 898211 or online chat

Orange County Florida Health – Florida Department of Health in Orange County

Orange County – COVID-19 testing and vaccination information

Orlando Health – Orlando Health patients, age 65 or older, are eligible to receive a free Covid-19 vaccine. If you want to receive a vaccine from Orlando Health, please click on the link to get information on scheduling an appointment Orlando Health Vaccine Info.

Center for Disease Control (CDC)– Global updates on health guidelines.

Grace Medical – Services include medical, mental, dental, ophthalmology and spiritual care. Their requirement includes Orange County residency, no income in the past 6 months, no medical insurance and others. By appointment only. May need to call on 27^th of each month at 8 a.m. to make an appointment, but please check details on Grace Medical website for current information.

American Heart Association

Physical Activities Guidelines for Americans – Free resource with activities and guidelines for all ages.

Covering Central Florida- Residents who have lost their health insurance or have experienced a change in income within the last 60 days may be eligible to qualify for a special enrollment period through the federal ACA Marketplace. Licensed health-care navigators from Covering Central Florida are available to provide over the phone, confidential assistance for the ACA Marketplace, as well as Florida KidCare. Additionally, the Primary Care Access Network in Orange County may be able to assist underinsured and uninsured residents with access, quality, and coordination of health care services.

Shepherd’s Hope – Shepherd’s Hope is a faith-based ministry providing free, short-term medical care for uninsured residents of Central Florida using volunteer doctors and nurses.  Shepherd’s Hope operates at 5 locations in the Greater Orlando area that are open mainly in the evenings between 6:00 PM and 9:00 PM in donated clinic space. A list of centers and their hours of operation can be found on the website.

Cancer Support Community – Financial assistance to individuals affected by cancer who have lost their jobs or need help with food, utilities, and other basic needs. Toll-free CancerSupportHelpline® staffed by licensed professionals open 7 days a week. To request an application for assistance from the fund, please call this toll-free number: 1.888.409.4166.

Free Mammogram Screenings for Uninsured Women – The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Breast Cancer Awareness Coach will travel to various U.S. locations in 2022, to provide free screenings for uninsured women, for early detection of breast cancer through a mobile mammogram unit. They currently do not have a Mobile Screening Event locally, but check website for any updates.

StartYourRecovery.org–  Support for overcoming substance misuse

Summer Break Spot – After schools close for the summer, kids and teens can still get free meals through Summer BreakSpot! No application is necessary, and pickup is easy at thousands of meal sites across Florida.  Please check the website after school closes to locate a location near you.

Second Harvest Food Bank – Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida is a private, nonprofit organization that collects, stores and distributes donated food to more than 550 feeding partners in six Central Florida counties: Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia.  Use the Food Locator on the website to find the location of a partner near you.

United Against Poverty – low-cost grocery program – United Against Poverty is a registered non-profit with campuses in 3 locations:  Orange, Indian River and S. Lucie counties. They provide a variety of services including food assistance.  Qualified families who are living in the 200% below the Federal Poverty Level must fill out an application. Upon qualification, they receive a free Member Card. Once they are given a card, they can select any food or household product they may need for their households.

Aldi Home Delivery-Through Instacart (Online grocery order, delivery to your home)

Walmart Home Delivery – Ocoee Walmart (10500 W. Colonial Dr., Ocoee, FL 34761, 407.902.3983) – Walmart Orlando locations

USDA Food Group Recommendations – US Department of Agriculture website for choosing the right foods based on age, weight, height, sex and activity level.

Healthy Eating – FREE online learning games on healthy eating and nutrition. Good for children and teens.

Medicaid – View current information on Medicaid programs or resources regarding SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid benefits.

SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) SNAP provides nutrition benefits to supplement the food budget of needy families so they can purchase healthy food and move towards self-sufficiency.To learn more about SNAP (food assistance program) and eligibility, visit: Click here to learn more about SNAP benefits.

WIC (Women, Infants and Children)  WIC is a nutrition program for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding or who have recently been pregnant, infants & children under age 5.

WIC provides the following at no cost: healthy foods, nutrition education and counseling, breastfeeding support, referrals to health care, immunizations, and community services. To learn more about WIC benefits and eligibility requirements, click here.

TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) The Florida Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program is designed to help needy families achieve self-sufficiency. States receive grants to design and operate programs that accomplish one of the purposes of the TANF program.

The four purposes of the TANF program are to:

1. Provide assistance to needy families so that children can be cared for in their own homes
2. Reduce the dependency of needy parents by promoting job preparation, work and marriage
3. Prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies
4. Encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families

To apply online, please visit Florida’s online application portal.  You may speak with a TANF agent Monday – Friday (7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.) at 1.866.762.2237 or 850.300.4323.

Senior Resource Alliance – Get information about food, meals and nutrition programs and assistance for seniors.

AARP tax aide information: AARP Assistance to file taxes:  If you are over 50 and need help filing your taxes, AARP may be able to assist. Visit www.aarp.org/money/taxes/aarp_taxaide/

Duke Energy – Please check website for current suspensions and disconnection information. For assistance, please click on some of these Duke Energy resource links:

• Duke Energy Payment Arrangements –set up payment extension or arrangement
• Energy Neighbor Fund: – You can make an impact! A small gift (even a gift of just $1 ) goes directly to an individual or family
• Medically Essential Program: Duke Energy’s Medically Essential Program identifies residential customers who are dependent on continuously electric-powered medical equipment. Participation in the program does not guarantee uninterrupted electric service. The program does not automatically extend electric bill due dates, nor does it provide priority restoration.

Note: All of these pages are available in Spanish.

Duke Energy Customer Care Center can be reached at 800.700.8744.

OUC News/Utility Bill Payment Assistance – OUC is supporting their customers with a variety of solutions.  If you need assistance, they have options to extend your payment due date.  Additionally, there are community assistance programs with special funds available for people impacted by COVID-19.  www.ouc.com/assistance

Orange County Utilities

Heart of Florida – Utility Assistance – The Emergency Utility Assistance Program provides assistance to customers who are experiencing a financial emergency and in need of assistance.  This supports customers of Winter Park Electric Utilities, Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC), and Lake Apopka Natural Gas District (LANGD).

Affordable Connectivity Program – The Affordable Connectivity Program is an FCC benefit program that helps ensure that households can afford the broadband they need for work, school, healthcare and more. The benefit provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service for eligible households. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price. To learn more visit https://www.fcc.gov/acp

Xfinity – You may be eligible for a $30 monthly credit toward your Internet service.  To learn more visit https://www.xfinity.com/learn/internet-service/ebb

Spectrum – You may be eligible for a $30 monthly credit toward your Internet service.  To learn more visit www.spectrum.net/support/internet/affordable-connectivity-program

AT&T – You may be eligible for a $30 monthly credit toward your Internet service.  To learn more visit https://www.att.com/help/affordable-connectivity-program/

Free Tablet Rentals – City of Orlando residents can now check out a tablet for FREE for 2 weeks at 4 locations (Engelwood, Rosemont, Dr. James R Smith and John H Jackson Neighborhood Centers). For more details visit orlando.gov/freeconnect.

Orlando Sentinel – List of employers who are hiring in Central Florida

Valencia Community College Accelerated Skills Training– programs focus on hands-on training for jobs in manufacturing, construction, healthcare, information technology, transportation and logistics. You’ll have the opportunity to earn industry-recognized credentials, train in essential workplace skills and receive job placement support. Programs begin monthly and are located in Orange and Osceola counties. To learn more, click here https://net1.valenciacollege.edu/continuing-education/accelerated-skills-training-programs/

Orange Technical College – Skills-Based Training and classes available.

Central Florida Employment Council –Job fairs, online job listings, resume assistance and so much more.

If you are job searching, then you don’t want to miss this event! Job Fair to feature 75-100 companies offering 1000’s of job openings in various industries from around the Central Florida Region as well as career resources on hand to assist you with your job search! Central Florida has amazing job opportunities, come join us!

Name: Central Florida Job Fair

Date: March 27, 2024

Time:  12:00pm – 4:00pm

Location: Central Florida Fair Expo Park, 4603 West Colonial Dr., Orlando, FL 32808

Registration and attendance information for our next job fair: www.CFEC.org/job-fairs. Questions call Christian HELP/CFEC at (407) 834-4022.

Orange County Rental Assistance: Orange County reopened the application portal for emergency rental assistance on Saturday, October 8 which can be accessed online by visiting www.ocfl.net/RentalAssistance.  Eligibility guidelines and other program details are available at the site. Residents who received first-round assistance may be eligible for this round but there are some restrictions.  The program gives priority to households with children and first-time applicants.

Applicants may be eligible for up to 18 months of rent payments or $20,000. Payments are made directly to landlords.

Summary of County Rental Assistance Programs:

Is your family behind on rent due to the COVID-19 pandemic? There are federally funded Rental Assistance Programs in each country which may be able to assist.  To learn more and determine if you qualify, click on the county links below.

NOTE: if you are resident within the Orlando city limits, go to that site and not Orange County for assistance.

Orange County

Osceola County  

Polk County

Seminole County

Lake County

Rent Support for residents of Orlando– Rent Support for residents of Orlando  – As of January 2022, the City of Orlando has been awarded $6.8 million in COVID-19 Relief Funds from the U.S. Department of the Treasury to provide Emergency Rental Assistance for households that have been financially impacted directly or indirectly by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Participant Helpline 855.227.5304

For more information, click here: orlando.gov/assistance

OURFlorida.com – OUR Florida, or Opportunities for Utilities and Rental Assistance has assisted families in need of aid, regardless of their city of residence, at OURFlorida.com. The program focuses on low-income renters whose household income is at or below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI), which varies by county. The program will prioritize renters with income at or below 50% AMI and/or families who have experienced unemployment within the past 90 days. They are currently not accepting applications at this time, but check their website, to see if application process reopens.

Osceola County COVID-19 Programs: Osceola County Resident Resources

Heart of Florida United Way – Provides online database for various services.

Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida – Now that the CDC Moratorium has ended, many renters at risk of immediate eviction. If you’re a renter having trouble paying your rent, utilities, or other housing costs may find information at Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida.

Residents seeking legal advice regarding their rights as tenants may contact the Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar or Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida.

Visit Rental Assistance Application Events to see upcoming event dates for application events. If you want to speak to an attorney one-on-one, register at: https://bit.ly/clsmfERAnav or call 1.800.405.1417.

Mortgage:  If you are having trouble making a mortgage payment your first call should be to the company that receives your mortgage payments each month. They may be able to arrange temporary mortgage assistance options, including a mortgage forbearance plan. A forbearance plan doesn’t erase the amount you own, but it temporarily suspends payments until your hardship is over. https://www.fanniemae.com/here-help-homeowners

Auto Insurance –If you are driving fewer miles because of a change in your work situation, some companies will reduce your premium payments.  Please contact your auto insurance company to learn more.

Credit Card payments -Many companies are open to work with families who have experienced job loss due to COVID-19. Please check with your credit card company, if you are affected by job loss.

Pet Alliance of Orlando  – Originally the Orlando Humane Society, the Pet Alliance serves pet owners in Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties.

Pet Food Pantry:

• Who is Eligible?  Citizens of Orange, Seminole or Osceola County who are in need of supplemental dog or cat food are eligible to participate in this program at the Pet Alliance Orlando.
• How Do You Get Food? Pet food is available BY APPOINTMENT for individuals in need and can be picked up once monthly for a total of six months. Availability of food is based on donations to the shelter, so specific brands and types of food are not guaranteed.  First time visitors will receive a punch card that they must bring with them for each visit (once per month, up to six months). Retuning visitors MUST bring their punch card. Photo ID is required and guests will need to wear a face covering while on Pet Alliance property. Please schedule an appointment at the Sanford shelter located at:

2800 County Home Road
Sanford, FL 32773

Affordable veterinarian services also offered – see website for details and locations.