- 211. Call this number if you need social service assistance (food, housing, medical assistance, utility assistance, etc).
- Suicide Prevention Lifeline. If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal, this is a great resource to call.
- Medicaid/CHIP. For low and no income people (both adults and kids) this federal/state program can provide free or low cost health insurance.
- SNAP. This is another federal/state program that provides food assistance (previously called food stamps) for low and no-income people.
- Free cell phone/cell service. Many companies offer free cell phones/cell service for low income folks.
- Library. Check out your local library for everything from free books and movies to free classes (like computer and ESL classes) and free community events.
- Free or reduced transit passes. Many city bus/transit systems offer free or reduced fare passes for low and no income folks.
- Food banks. Many communities have food pantries to provide free food to those in need.
- There are several organizations that provide assistance to veterans in need. Check here, here, and here.
- School meal program. This is a federal program that provides free or reduced-cost meals to children at school.
- Summer food service program. This is similar to the school meal program but it ensures children get a healthy meal even when school is out for the summer.
- Free clinics. A resource to find free and sliding-scale clinics in your area.
- HIV/STD/Hepatitis testing. This site will direct you to free STD resources in your community.
- Job Corps. An education/jobs training program for young adults.
- Community college. Contact your local community college for free GED classes as well as other community-based classes like job training, women in transition, and other classes to help those in need.
- University dental schools. If your local university has a dental school, this is where you can find very low cost dental services.
- RAINN. Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network can connect you to crisis services in your area.
- NAMI Helpline. The National Alliance on Mental Health helpline can help those with a mental health crisis.
- Veteran's Crisis Line. This line helps veterans in need.
- Energy assistance program. Check with your local utility company to see if they offer any sort of energy assistance program to help you pay your electricity bills.
- Welfare programs. Your local welfare/DSHS office can review your information and see if you qualify for social service programs like Section 8 housing, SSI, TANF, etc.
- Disability benefits. Social Security disability benefits kick in if you are too disabled to work.
- Homeless shelters. Most communities have some sort of homeless shelter for those with no other place to go. This link will help you find local shelter resources.
- National Domestic Violence Hotline. For those living in a domestic violence situation, calling this number will help you find local resources to get out of your situation including shelters and support services.
- LGBTQ resources. This list provides a range for resources for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans gender, and queer people in need.
- Homeless Student Guide. Here is a list of resources for homeless college students covering everything from summer housing programs to food programs and more.
- Alcoholics Anonymous. This program helps those who want to quit drinking. Related programs include Al Anon and Alateen.
- NA Similar to AA, Narcotics Anonymous helps those who want to quit using drugs.
- Habitat for Humanity. This organization helps people build homes for themselves and others.
- Immigrant Legal Resource Center. This organization helps immigrants with immigration-related issues.
- National Association for Area Agencies on Aging. This organization provides resources and information for senior citizens.
- Law Help. This site provides links to free legal assistance programs in your area.
- Internet Lifeline Program. Low income and no income folks may qualify for reduced-cost internet through their local internet provider. You would need to call your local internet providers and ask about this program and how to qualify.
- WIC For women who are pregnant or have young children, the WIC program provides supplemental food assistance.
- Assistance for dealing with debt. This page lists many resources for dealing with debt ranging from free credit counseling to bankruptcy services.
- Partnership for Prescription Assistance. This site provides links to free and reduced-cost prescription medication resources.
- Adult Job Training Programs. This list provides a range of resources for job training programs.
- Local Health District. Contact your local health district for a wide range of local, often free, health programs (example here).
- Charity Care. If you get hit with a big hospital bill, ask your hospital's billing department if they offer any sort of charity care program which can greatly reduce the amount you owe.
- Community Public Education. Many community organizations offer a range of community freebies and services (ie: free smoke detectors from the fire department, free safety events from the police department, free health screenings from local hospitals and other local health organizations, etc).
- Red Cross. The local Red Cross in your area can provide a range of disaster assistance programs from helping those who lose their home in a fire to providing assistance to military families.
- Military One Source. Military families often face some unique circumstances, this website covers many of them.
- Poison Control. This national website provides oodles of information on poisons, medications, and poison prevention resources.
- Planned Parenthood. This national organization provides free and low-cost sexual health services.
- Vaccines and Immunizations. This site lists local resources for free and reduced-cost vaccines and immunizations for the entire family.
- Disaster Assistance. FEMA offers a range of assistance programs if you are in a declared disaster area.
- College scholarships. Scholarships can be one way to further your education at no cost to you.
- Free stuff. There are many sites that list free things you can get including FreeCycle, birthday freebies, Couch Surfing, Warm Showers, Craigslist free stuff, etc.
- Free coding classes. Learning to code can be a great career step; this site offers links to several free "learn to code" websites.
- Open Education. This site lists thousands of free online college-level courses.
Sunday, June 3, 2018
50 Crisis Resources
Here are some resources to check out if you find yourself in a crisis situation (homeless, jobless, flat broke, suicidal, etc):
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For a household with a disabled person and someone getting food stamps, internet just cost $10. Grandma can be 90 and disabled with no need for internet, but if she lives in home where anyone in the home gets food stamps, that location/home is eligible for the $10 internet services with no hookup or taxes on the service beyond the monthly $10.
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