Merit CDS, Inc.

Merit CDS, Inc. Consumer Directed Services allows someone needing home care to hire a friend or a loved one as their caregiver. Merit CDS can assist you with this process.

11/04/2025

Digital Life Fair & Computer Giveaway!

Fun • Family • Free Laptops!

Bring the whole family for a day of learning, resources, and excitement!

What’s Happening:
Free Laptop Giveaway (includes 2 years of tech support!)
Food, Health & Wellness Info
Tornado Relief Resources
Youth & Empowerment Programs
Tech Help, Coding, & Digital Skills

Hosted by: Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis & Compudopt

Supported by: AT&T

To qualify for a free computer, your family must not currently own a working one at home.

👉 Register today: compudopt.org/st.louis

📞 Questions? Call 832-532-5060

Empowering youth through technology.
Power. Learn. Thrive.

10/28/2025

Sharing more resources, this time financial.

We are still in this government shutdown and it looks like food and financial resources will be very limited 😔 Here are a list of resources that are available for those who will need assistance!

RESOURCES:

Bank of America: announced assistance available to furloughed Federal employees. Call the priority assistance line 844.219.0690.

Chase Bank: Chase today announced efforts to help its customers who are U.S. government employees affected by the U.S. government shutdown. Here’s the special line they set up 1-888-356-0023.

Congressional Federal Credit Union: For more information on our Relief Line of Credit or any of our assistance programs, contact our Member Service Representatives at 800-491-2328 or stop by one of our branch locations.

Fed Choice: They’re offering quite a few different options to assist – for existing and new members.

Interior Federal Credit Union: They’re offering a special loan for both member and non-member furloughed Federal workers. Net paycheck up to $15,000, interest free up to 30 days. Members may apply for a limit up to the equivalent of 2 net paychecks. More offers are available on the site or call 800-914-8619

Navy Federal Credit Union: These guys are offering a special loan program. Read the FAQs PDF from this link to see if you qualify or call 1-888-842-6328

PayPal: PayPal has made a very generous offer. They’ve allocated $25 million to fund interest-free cash advances to our furloughed Federal workers that need assistance right now. This is for both new and existing PayPal Credit customers. Minimum loan is $250 with a maximum cash advance of $500. Your account does need to be in good standing if you’re an existing PayPal Credit customer. Existing customers call 1-877-689-1975. For new accounts, apply here first, then after approval call 1-877-689-1975.

U.S. Bank: Will waive all late fees if you miss a mortgage payment due to the shutdown. Also mentioned they will defer first payment dates for new mortgages.

U.S. Employees Credit Union: USECU is also offering shutdown loans, but only until Tuesday, January 15th. Call (312) 922.5310 to get help.

SunTrust: SunTrust didn’t make a specific offer, but they did make a public announcement that they have programs in place to help clients affected by the shutdown.

Synchrony Bank: These guys handle store cards for Amazon, Lowes, Walmart, JCPenney, Chevron/Texaco, and many other large nationwide companies that you might do business with on a day-to-day basis. They are allowing affected customers to defer payments until after the shutdown. Contact them for more information.

Union Plus: For union members, there are a great number of options available if you’re with Union Plus. Call them at 800-472-2005 to ask about these offers: $300 Furlough Grant for eligible Union Plus credit card holders, Mortgage Assistance Loan & $300 Grant: payment grace period for your Union Plus Life and Accident Insurance, payment grace period for Union Plus Auto Insurance, and payment grace period for Union Plus Life and Accident Insurance.

Wells Fargo: Here’s a full list of all shutdown assistance lines at Wells Fargo. They’ve got a few different options to help depending on the services you have with their bank.
Furlough Grants

FEEA-NARFE: This is an awesome offer that every furloughed Federal worker needs to take advantage of. FEEA-NARFE fund is offering $100 grants to active federal employee members who are not receiving a paycheck during the current shutdown due to being furloughed or working in excepted status. To apply, visit the FEEA website.
Thrift Savings Plan

TSP Plan News and Announcements: TSP allows for the suspension of loan payments when you go into non-pay status. They do not require documentation about your furlough currently. Missing one or two payments will not cause your loan to go into default. Log in to your account to check your status or simply call the Thrift Line at 1-877-968-3778.

Toyota Financial Services & Lexus Financial Services: Affected lease and finance customers in good standing with their accounts may be eligible to take advantage of up to two months of finance contract payment extensions or lease deferred payments. Toyota Financial Services call 800-874-8822 and Lexus Financial Services call 800-874-7050.

Hyundai Capital: Hyundai will extend all Hyundai Capital auto loans and lease payments for 30 days for current Hyundai owners who are federal government employees furloughed during the shutdown. Impacted consumers should contact Hyundai Motor Finance at 1-800-523-4030 to take advantage of this offer.

Kia Motors Finance: Kia has announced they’re offering deferred payments of 30 days. If you’ve been affected by the current Government Shutdown and need assistance from Kia Finance, please contact us at 1-866-331-5632.

Ford Credit, GM Financial, & Mercedes-Benz Financial Services: It has been reported that these companies are among those providing qualified customers options such as payment deferrals, late fee waivers and special care lines to address their individual problems, though official announcements from these companies have not been released online.
Mobile Telephone Service Providers

AT&T: Will assist with adjusting late fees, providing extensions, and revising payment schedules.

Sprint: Will provide short-term payment solutions. Call 1-888-211-4747

T-Mobile: Offering short-term assistance and can spread out service payments over time. Call 1-877-746-0909 or 611 from a T-Mobile device.

Verizon: Offering flexible payment options and has a Promise to Pay program to set payments for a future date. Call 1-866-266-1445.

Rental Home Assistance
National Rental Home Council: Represents many of the nation’s largest operators of single-family rental homes. They’re offering deferred rent payment options with no late fees to any renter who has been furloughed.
OPM Sample Letters for Creditors and Mortgage Companies: OPM created these sample letters for Federal workers to contact their landlords, mortgage lenders, and utilities, to request help during the shutdown.

National Food Resources & Advice
Feeding America: These guys have a nationwide network of 200 food banks. From those food banks, they have 60,000 partner pantries from which they can serve every community across the United States. This is an awesome resource, and they have already begun serving Federal employees affected by the government shutdown.

Your School District: To save on food and ensure your kid eats breakfast and/or lunch free (less stress and worry for you), notify the district of your furlough. No income is an emergency and normally qualifies you for the free meal program.

Home, Auto & Life Insurance Relief
MetLife: For those not receiving a paycheck from the federal government because of the current shutdown, MetLife Auto & Home may grant a one-time, 30-day grace period on your payment of premium on a MetLife Auto & Home policy. Members must request this one-time allowance by calling 1-800-GET-MET8. Certain restrictions apply, and premium remains due after delay expires.

Fidelity & Guaranty Life Insurance Company: To help the nearly 27,000 AFGE members who currently have a policy with the company during this government shutdown, the company “will keep the policy-in-force by waving the cost of insurance charges for the next 30 days.”. Policies beginning with the letter "Y" call: 844-800-9146, all other policies call: 888-513-8797

Other Notable Mentions for Relief & Assistance.

Rent-A-Center (Benefits Plus Membership): If your account was up to date at the time of furlough and you are a part of benefits plus you may be eligible for a payment waiver based on your state: “Involuntary Unemployment Payment Waiver: Losing a job is hard and making payments while unemployed is even harder. Fortunately, your Membership waives your payments when you are involuntarily unemployed. Whether you were fired, laid off, suspended, or are out of work due to a labor dispute or strike, your payments are covered for up to four (4) months, up to $1,000, or when you’re able to return to work.”

National Freebie Offers
U.S. Office of Personnel Management: Their fact sheet states that federal employees may be eligible for unemployment compensation administered by state unemployment insurance agencies. So, eligibility is determined by state law, not on the Federal level, which may work in your favor.
USAA Are offering deferments for all loans and credit card payments.

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Check here for resources...f you or someone you know needs help, go to: findhelp.org It’s a free resource where you can ...
10/27/2025

Check here for resources...

f you or someone you know needs help, go to: findhelp.org

It’s a free resource where you can search by ZIP code to find food pantries, emergency groceries, and support services near you.
You don’t need to sign up or explain yourself-just enter your ZIP and get connected.
And if you can give, now is the time. Every donation, every share matters.

Search and connect to support. Find financial assistance, food pantries, medical care, and other free or reduced-cost help in your area, anywhere in the US.

The Empathy and Education Project is now on You Tube.Chapter One: Seniors in Crisis. These are voices of your friends, n...
10/07/2025

The Empathy and Education Project is now on You Tube.

Chapter One: Seniors in Crisis.


These are voices of your friends, neighbors, siblings, parents, and grandparents. With looming cuts to Medicaid and SNAP programs, seniors are sharing their stories, their hopes, and their fears about the future.

Where do you live if you have nowhere else to go?

How do you survive with limited resources to pay for what you need?

These are questions the seniors and the people who care for them are facing. Our hope is that when you listen to these stories and learn more about their lives, you will connect a little differently to these people and these issues.

New videos coming soon.

These are voices of your friends, neighbors, siblings, parents, and grandparents. With looming cuts to Medicaid and SNAP programs, seniors are sharing their ...

07/12/2025

🚨 LIUNA Local 393 Apprenticeship Applications Are Now OPEN!
No tuition. Paid training. Union benefits.
This is your chance to start a real career in construction with Local 393.
📆 Apply online the first Tuesday of every month at www.illaborers.org
Let’s build something great—together.

Address

9060 Watson Road, Suite A
St. Louis, MO
63126

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Wednesday 8am - 5pm
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