Freebies for the out-of-work
Free health care, free job training, Gerri Willis provides helpful tips if you find yourself unemployed.
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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The unemployment rate is at a 25-year high. And so far, 5.1 million jobs have now been lost since the beginning of 2008. But there is help out there for you.
When you lose your job, one of the biggest things you're concerned about is your health care.
Walgreen's just rolled out what it's calling its "Take Care Program." This program offers free health care services at its Walgreens clinics. To qualify for free care, you must have lost your job on or after March 31st of this year and have no health insurance.
These clinics will treat colds, strep throat, allergies and skin conditions. But it won't cover vaccinations, physicals or health evaluations. These clinics aren't staffed by doctors, but rather nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Call toll free at 866 825-3227 if you want more information.
Keep in mind that Wal-mart, Target, and other retailers have similar clinics, which provide non-emergency services to patients regardless of whether or not you have insurance.
And there are some other places here you can get free help if you're unemployed.
If you don't have a college degree of you've been out of work for a long time, your local Goodwill organization is also a good resource.
Goodwill organizations train people for jobs in IT, health care, retail, banking and landscaping. To find one in your area, go to goodwill.org.
For help on finding retraining and career resources, the Department of Labor has Web sites at careeronestop.org and careervoyages.gov.
Remember, there's no guarantee how long it will take to find a new gig.
If you need something to tide you over, think about taking on freelance work. Start out at Internet sites like guru.com or sologig.com.
Talk to other freelancers in the field and find out what the prevailing hourly or project rate is in your area. Use social networking sites like linkedin.com, Facebook.com or Twitter.com to announce your venture and maintain your contacts. 
