Reaching out: Seven ways to help unemployed friends

The New York Times/CBS News poll recently painted a harrowing picture of the economic and emotional devastation that can result from job loss. The financial impact can be particularly acute, from the need to borrow money from friends and relatives to skipping medical treatments because cash simply isn't available.

Most of us who are still lucky enough to have jobs know someone in a similar spot and want to find a way to help. So what's the right way to do it?

Earlier this year I wrote two columns on the topic, and here's some of what I learned:

1) Help them brush up on their technical skills, whether it's creating their own website or blog or learning more about social media services like Facebook and Twitter and how to use them.

2) If you've been through a period of joblessness yourself, reach out to others who are in it now to tell them what you learned along the way and let them talk (and vent).

3) Patronise their consulting or side business, if they've started one up to try to tide themselves over or transition to a new career. And send others their way.

4) Babysit. If a couple has small children but suddenly has limited income, they're probably not getting out much anymore. Have their children over for a play date so the grown-ups can have some time alone together.

5) If you offer someone a loan, consider the fact that more debt may be the last thing they need at this particular moment. Or suggest that repayment should come in the form of them paying the loan forward to someone else in need years from now.

6) Want to simply hand over money, no strings attached? Don't express disapproval later if you don't like how the recipient spent it.

7) Consider forming a group to make a cash gift. It can be easier for some people in need to accept money from a collection of individuals rather than a single person.

— The New York Times News Service