Congress has designated October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) in an effort to educate the American public about issues related to disability and employment.

This year’s theme is “America’s People…America’s Talent…America’s Strength!” The Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) uses NDEAM activities to increase the public's awareness of the contributions and skills of American workers with disabilities, and the specific employment barriers that still need to be addressed and removed.

ODEP is also the managing partner of DisabilityInfo.gov, a collaborative effort among 22 Federal agencies that offer disability-related information and resources. The website contains links to programs and services available from Federal, State and local governments to assist in finding employment opportunities that match the skills, interests and abilities of persons with disabilities. The site also provides information for employers on job accommodations, assistive technology and tax incentives. In addition, a wide variety of information on topics such as work incentives programs, housing, transportation, health and much more can be found on DisabilityInfo.gov.

DisabilityInfo.gov offers a free subscription service allowing users to sign up to receive DisabilityInfo Connection, the site's quarterly newsletter, as well as e-mail alerts on new information added to the site, including information on employment for people with disabilities. Subscribe Now!

GovBenefits.gov also highlights a number of programs for Americans with disabilities on our Disability Assistance page. Visit now to identify education, health, employment and independent living benefits and assistance programs.

Halloween may be a time for scary goblins, ghoulish ghosts and tricky treats. But it's also a good time to remember children need nutritious, well-balanced meals year round. Every day, millions of children in the U.S. and around the world are deprived of the essential resources necessary for health and wellbeing. This Halloween, do something different and encourage your child to help others through “Trick or Treat for UNICEF.” Instead of collecting sweet treats, try collecting funds that will help children around the world receive critical items like food and water. To learn more about the “Trick or Treat for UNICEF” visit UNICEF Youth Action. The American Red Cross offers important Halloween safety tips for kids and adults at Heath & Safety Tips.

GovBenefits.gov wishes you a happy, healthy and safe Halloween! Remember: When it comes to your family, every meal is the most important meal of the day. Let GovBenefits.gov guide you to available food and nutrition assistance programs that will keep you and your children well nourished. Check out some of GovBenefits.gov’s most popular nutrition assistance programs by clicking on the links below:

• Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
• School Lunch and Breakfast Programs
• Commodity Supplemental Food Program
• Food Stamp Program

Visit GovBenefits.gov today and discover an improved site search experience. GovBenefits.gov has teamed up with USASearch.gov to share powerful new capabilities with our users increasing the accuracy of our search results. With this shared technology, you can now search benefit offerings across the entire GovBenefits.gov site and obtain comprehensive results tailored to your areas of interest.

Here are a few new ways you can identify benefits and assistance programs:

• Search by Keyword: Try this new feature in the upper right corner of each GovBenfits.gov page. Simply enter words related to your topic of interest, just as you would in a search engine, and GovBenefits.gov will return a list of the most relevant content on the site.

• Utilize the “Topics” Box: For each search, you will also now see a new section to the left of your search results that groups results by topics that may be of interest to you, allowing you to condense your search results based on your needs.

• Use the Advanced Search: Further narrow your search results by using exact phrases or defined combinations of words. You can also select English or Spanish as your preferred language.

• Preview Your Search Results: Save time! Now you can view benefits before you click through to view the full description by clicking on the “preview” icon under each search result.

Whether you’re a first time visitor to GovBenefits.gov or a returning customer, the new GovBenefits.gov search capabilities can help you locate the right benefits for you.

It’s the most expensive time of the year. Between food, gas, mortgage payments, heating bills and buying warm clothes for growing children, Americans are always stretched to their limits around the holidays. But this winter, the average household is projected to spend $1,182 on oil alone, up 19.8 percent from last year, according to the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration. As costs increase, many have been turning to their credit cards to stay afloat, racking up the highest total American credit card debt ever recorded. Experts say that the economic slowdown is likely to curb overall holiday retail sales this year, as families are forced to spend more on the essentials and pulling themselves out of debt. GovBenefits.gov knows times are tough, so here are a few helpful tips to get you on the road to becoming debt free.

Create a realistic budget for your monthly expenses. Track your spending patterns -- how much you make and how much you spend each month – and make it easier to trim costs.

Manage your credit card payments. Pay off all credit card balances to below 50 percent of the card limit and pay more than the minimum if you can. Focus on paying off the card with the highest interest rate. Then move to the card with the next highest rate and so on.

Contact your creditors and try to work out repayment plans. Talk to your creditors. Explain your financial situation and try to set up a reduced payment plan. You may be able to avoid having your accounts turned over to a debt collector.

Take advantage of Federal government loans. Visit GovLoans.gov today. You may be able to use government loans to lower your interest rates and get your debts under control. The following loans are just a sampling:

• Education Consolidation Loans
• Housing Counseling Assistance Program
• VA - Home Loans - Interest Rate Reduction Refinancing Loan
• VA - Home Loans - Cash Out Refinance (Regular Refinance)

GovBenefits.gov is committed to keeping citizens up to date on benefits and assistance programs. Ongoing outreach activities include participating in events, mailings to key citizen groups, and working with the media. Check out the following activities.

GovBenefits.gov Web site wins Government Computer News Award
The U.S. Department of Labor is among 10 agencies selected to receive this year's Government Computer News (GCN) Award, which recognizes Federal, State and local government for extraordinary information technology accomplishments and significant contributions to agency performance.

OneStop Career Centers Email
Counselors at One-Stop Career Centers across the U.S. received information on GovBenefits.gov over the summer. One-Stop Career Centers are a Department of Labor service that offers career resources and workforce information to job seekers, students, businesses, and workforce professionals. The emails advised counselors to “add GovBenefits.gov to your counseling toolbox and put it to work for your clients today.”

GovLoans.gov Media Outreach
In late July, GovBenefits asked 5,300+ community newspapers to spotlight GovLoans.gov as a resource that simplifies the process of identifying and evaluating loans.

Link to GovBenefits.gov Email Campaign
GovBenefits.gov is making it easier for citizens to find the site and access benefits information. The team invited 2,000 organizations and individuals to place GovBenefits.gov’s links on their websites. For complete linking instructions, visit the Link to GovBenefits.gov Page.

American School Counselor Direct Mail
In late August, the GovBenefits.gov team reached out to counselors at schools throughout the country supplying them with sample collateral materials including a new GovBenefits.gov informational magnet pad, a material request card and an informative letter on how to put the GovBenefits.gov tool to work for them and subscribe to receive content updates.

Email Subscription Service Usage
Visitors to GovBenefits.gov can now make sure they receive the latest information on specific programs. Click on “Subscribe to Updates” on the homepage and check the programs you want to follow. Since implementation, 450,000 emails have been sent notifying subscribers that content of interest was updated on the site.

Connecting with the GovBenefits.gov Connection
Over 15,000 citizens are reading this newsletter along with you, up 30% from the July eNewsletter! This readership reflects a growing interest in using GovBenefits.gov as the go-to resource for benefits and assistance information.

Various publications recently spotlighted GovBenefits.gov as a valuable resource for citizens. To read the full story, click on the article titles below.

GCN announces Agency Award winners – Government Computer News
U.S. Department of Labor - GovBenefits E-Gov Program was selected as one of the 10 Government Computer News 10 agencies whose IT initiatives are being recognized as the best of 2008.

Where to turn when you're desperate – MSN Money Central
Whether you need food, transportation, medical care or even just a little cash, you can find the help you need -- and deserve -- through dozens of local and online outlets. GovBenefits.gov should be your first stop.

What to do when your ends won’t meet – The Line Pink Line
Govbenefits.gov has an interactive quiz that can identify federal government programs, from food stamps to job training, for which you might qualify. Govbenefits.gov also has a map to help you identify state resources.

Is a Federal Grant the Answer to Your Business Need? - Internet Home Business Blog
Federal money for other functions related to business can be searched for at www.govbenefits.gov. As you read up on individual grant programs, keep an eye peeled for restrictions on what you can use the funds for.

This great site is a resource for all government benefits – Active Rain
The site is www.govbenefits.gov. There are more than 1000 benefit programs including programs for: housing, nutrition, healthcare, social security, veterans benefits, grants and scholarships.

Searching for Free Grants Can Pay Dividends – Successful Exercise
GovBenefits.com is an online tool that allows everyone to access and consequently avail themselves of government benefit programs that are designed to help them.