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

I have been out of work for 5 months and worry about the gap. There are 14 people counting on me, so I am trying to be careful. I am not sure how much to explain. How did you handle it on your résumé?

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