Call 211 First

What 211 is

211 is a free, confidential information line run by local United Ways and community agencies across the United States. Dial the three digits from any phone and you reach a person in your area who knows which programs can help with rent, utilities, food, prescriptions, transportation and more — and, just as important, which ones have money right now.

It's not a loan, and it's not a government hotline that will ask you to prove anything. Most calls take ten to twenty minutes.

What to have ready

Your ZIP code, the size of your household, roughly what you need help with and how much, and any deadline you're facing — a shut-off notice date, a court date, a "pay or quit" letter. The specialist will match you to programs and usually give you a phone number, an address and the documents each one wants.

What it can typically find

Emergency rental assistance and eviction prevention programs, which still run in many cities and counties. Utility help, including the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and utility-company hardship funds. Food pantries and SNAP application help. Prescription assistance. Help with a car repair or a bus pass through local charities. Free tax preparation. Legal aid.

Not everything is available everywhere, and some programs have waiting lists. The specialist will tell you which is which.

Why this comes before borrowing

Because a grant you don't have to pay back beats any loan on this site, and because half of the emergencies people borrow for — a utility bill, a rent shortfall, a prescription — have a program built for exactly that. Twenty minutes on the phone can turn a $500 loan into a $200 loan, or into no loan at all.

If you'd rather not call

211.org lets you search by ZIP code, and many local 211s offer text and chat. If 211 isn't available where you are, your county's Department of Social Services, a local Community Action Agency, or a Catholic Charities / Salvation Army office does much of the same work.