How do I handle a long gap on my résumé? - what worked for you?

I have been out of work for 10 months and worry about the gap. There are 13 people counting on me, so I am trying to be careful. I am nervous about being filtered out. What do you say in interviews?

I listed the volunteering and course under the same dates and kept the explanation to a sentence in the cover letter.

I was hired after a 10-month gap. The manager said the skills test mattered more than the dates.