Food & Basic Needs
Neighbors Together
Brooklyn
Soup kitchen and community advocacy center: free to-go lunch Mon-Fri 12-2 and dinner 4-6 on select days, plus housing, benefits, job training and healthcare support.
Benefits & Financial Help in NYC
Benefits help covers SNAP (food stamps), cash assistance, Medicaid, SSI and SSDI, plus help managing money once income starts. You can apply for SNAP and cash assistance through the city's HRA, online through ACCESS HRA or in person.
Tip: apply as soon as you're home. SNAP benefits are generally counted from the day you apply, not the day you're approved, so waiting can cost you money.
110 services across the five boroughs
Benefits & Financial Help by borough
Food & Basic Needs
Part of the Solution (POTS)
Bronx
Lunch, food pantry, showers, mailroom, medical and dental access, benefits applications, case management, employment help.
Benefits & Financial Help
Community Health Advocates
Citywide
Offers free one-on-one help finding and using health insurance and care, including resolving medical billing and debt problems, disputing coverage denials, accessing hospital and prescription financial assistance programs, and understanding health insurance tax credit forms.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
New Economy Project - NYC Financial Justice Hotline
Manhattan
Runs the NYC Financial Justice Hotline, providing free legal assistance to low-income NYC residents on financial justice issues such as debt collection, credit reports, unfair banking practices, and predatory lending.
Food & Basic Needs
St. John's Bread and Life
Brooklyn
Grab-and-go breakfast/lunch bags Mon-Thu 9-12:30, digital-choice food pantry Mon-Thu 8-2 (registration required), mobile soup kitchen in Brooklyn and Queens, benefits help, medical clinic and mail service.
Housing & Shelter
BronxWorks - Homeless Outreach Team
Bronx
Operates a mobile street outreach team in the Bronx 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, providing counseling, housing placement, medical services, benefits assistance, and substance use disorder treatment referrals to people experiencing homelessness.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Community Service Society (CSS)
Manhattan
Free advice and legal representation for reentry barriers in employment, licensing, housing and civic engagement, plus health insurance, financial and income support help.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Legal Services NYC
Citywide
Free civil legal services in housing, benefits and immigration, plus representation for conviction-history employment discrimination.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Mobilization for Justice
Citywide
Provides free legal assistance to low-income New Yorkers on housing, civil rights, disability rights, aging rights, bankruptcy, tax, consumer, employment, government benefits, and kinship care matters, including advice, counsel, and representation to help people with past criminal records re-enter the workforce.
Family & Reunification
NYC HRA - Office of Child Support Services (OCSS)
Citywide
Help with child support orders, license suspensions, lowering or eliminating child support debt owed to the government, paternity, DNA testing, mediation, and free financial counseling.
Housing & Shelter
The Fortune Society
Queens
Full-service reentry hub: housing (emergency to permanent), benefits enrollment, case management, education, employment, outpatient substance use and mental health treatment, family services, HIV/AIDS services and ATI programs. No legal services.
Benefits & Financial Help
The New York Public Library (NYPL) - Financial Literacy Services
Manhattan
Offers webinars and one-on-one help on budgeting, saving, investing, avoiding scams, and college financial planning. Its Budget and Credit Coaching program gives ongoing help with debt problems, and its Medicare Counseling covers enrollment, coverage, and drug plan costs.
Benefits & Financial Help
VOLS Benefits Law Project
Manhattan
Helps low-income New Yorkers with unemployment insurance and SCRIE/DRIE rent freeze benefits. Benefits hotline 347.521.5720.
Benefits & Financial Help
ACCESS NYC
Citywide
Screens eligibility and guides applications for 40+ city, state and federal benefits (food, cash, housing, internet, childcare).
Housing & Shelter
Bowery Residents' Committee (BRC)
Manhattan
Reentry services for people released from NYS facilities: on-site Medicaid/SNAP enrollment, clothing, HSE classes, resumes, substance use treatment, counseling; pays for lost birth certificates and NYS ID.
Benefits & Financial Help
Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) - Financial Services
Brooklyn
Provides free virtual financial counseling and classes on budgeting, investing, student loans, and retirement planning, plus tax help and one-on-one guidance connecting patrons to entrepreneurial, employment, and education opportunities.
Benefits & Financial Help
CAMBA - Economic Development & Financial Counseling Services
Brooklyn
Offers financial counseling, money management help, and small business services, along with foreclosure and eviction prevention counseling for HPD Section 8 recipients, as part of a broader set of education, family support, health, housing, and free legal service programs.
Housing & Shelter
Coalition for the Homeless
Manhattan
Crisis Intervention Program: help getting emergency shelter, benefits and permanent housing; referrals to treatment, job training and eviction prevention. Does not run shelters.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Community Justice Connect
Citywide
Free legal information, assistance and referrals from trained non-lawyer volunteers supervised by an attorney: benefits, employment, housing, family, immigration, health, divorce, domestic violence.
Benefits & Financial Help
Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage (EPIC)
Citywide
Helps income-eligible New Yorkers age 65 and over supplement out-of-pocket costs for their Medicare Part D prescription drug plan.
Benefits & Financial Help
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) - Bureau of Consumer Protection
Citywide
Provides guides listing nonprofit, state, and local agencies that help resolve consumer issues, and takes complaints about identity theft, scams, unwanted telemarketing or spam, and fraud.
Healthcare
Medicaid
Citywide
Publicly funded health coverage for low-income people; apply online or order an application kit.
Benefits & Financial Help
Money Management International (MMI)
Citywide
Provides free phone counseling for people with financial or credit problems, including advice on foreclosure, mortgage, bankruptcy, and student loans, along with help preparing a budget.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
New York County Lawyers Association (NYCLA) - Volunteer Lawyer for the Day Consumer Debt Program
Manhattan
Provides free in-court legal help to people being sued by creditors for credit card or other debt in New York County Civil Court, including document review, advice, and limited-scope representation for self-represented litigants during court appearances.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG)
Manhattan
Free civil legal services and financial counseling: benefits, tenants' rights, consumer protection, immigration, family and employment law.
Healthcare
NY State of Health (Health Plan Marketplace)
Citywide
Enrollment for state public health insurance: Medicaid, Child Health Plus, Essential Plan and other plans.
Benefits & Financial Help
NYC DCWP Financial Empowerment Centers
Citywide
Free one-on-one financial counseling: budgeting, credit repair, safe bank accounts, debt and student loans, accessing government resources.
Benefits & Financial Help
NYC Department of Sanitation - DonateNYC
Citywide
Online directory to find places to donate or obtain free clothing, furniture, electronics and other household goods across the city.
Healthcare
NYC HRA HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA)
Citywide
Confidential information on HIV/AIDS testing and service referrals; HASA supports benefits and housing for eligible people with HIV.
Benefits & Financial Help
NYC NEON - Clothing Closets
Citywide
Walk-in free clothing closets with business attire, casual wear and shoes; no ID or immigration paperwork required.
Employment & Job Training
NYCHA Jobs-Plus
Citywide
Workforce development and financial empowerment for NYCHA residents: job readiness, training, placement and retention, financial counseling, mental health services, career planning.
Benefits & Financial Help
NYS Office of Victim Services
Brooklyn
Reimbursement for medical expenses, lost earnings, funeral costs, counseling, court transportation and domestic violence shelter costs for eligible crime victims.
Food & Basic Needs
Riverside Church - Social Services
Manhattan
Food pantry Tue-Fri 9-1 (arrive by 12:30), free casual clothing and professional attire, and emergency assistance for people in crisis.
Family & Reunification
United Activities Unlimited (UAU) - Fatherhood Matters
Staten Island
A program for fathers offering a 10-week fatherhood engagement workshop series, with case managers who help navigate child support or public benefits, find and sustain employment, arrange child visitation, and provide anger management and Abusive Partner Intervention Program support.
Housing & Shelter
Black Veterans for Social Justice (BVSJ)
Brooklyn
Provides comprehensive services to veterans and their families throughout NYC, including housing assistance, employment support, benefits advocacy, and counseling. Its Incarcerated Veterans Transitional Program (IVTP) offers pre-release planning, case management, employment assistance, and coordination with the VA and community partners for housing, healthcare, and reintegration support.
Employment & Job Training
BronxWorks - Workforce Development
Bronx
Job training, placement, referrals, financial education and benefits assistance for adults, plus family, senior, immigration, eviction prevention and homeless services.
Employment & Job Training
Forging Ahead for Community Empowerment and Support (FACES) - STARS
Manhattan
Offers free vocational services, academic counseling and tutoring, and mentorship for anyone who has had involvement with the criminal legal system. Also provides anger management, substance use treatment and counseling, Narcan training, child support payment reduction assistance, HIV/HCV/STI testing, a food pantry, a clothes bank, and enrollment help for health insurance and SNAP.
Benefits & Financial Help
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Free Tax Return Preparation (VITA/TCE)
Citywide
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs offer free basic tax return preparation for qualifying taxpayers, while the general IRS line answers questions on filing methods, exemptions, extensions, and credits.
Benefits & Financial Help
Medicare
Citywide
The federal health insurance program for people age 65 and over, providing information on enrollment, coverage, and costs by phone or online.
Benefits & Financial Help
NYC Free Tax Prep
Citywide
Free tax preparation for eligible New Yorkers: in-person, drop-off, virtual and assisted self-prep, including small business owners and gig workers.
Benefits & Financial Help
NYC HRA - SNAP (Food Stamps)
Citywide
Monthly food benefits on a debit card for people with limited income.
Housing & Shelter
NYC HRA HomeBase
Citywide
Eviction prevention, emergency rental assistance, benefits help, financial counseling and relocation help.
Benefits & Financial Help
NYC Human Resources Administration (HRA) - Benefits Access & Locations
Citywide
Administers a broad range of public benefits programs, including food stamps, childcare, energy assistance, job placement, HIV/AIDS services, child support, homecare, Medicaid, emergency assistance, eviction prevention, and IDNYC, with an automated phone line and website listing applications, eligibility rules, and current office locations and hours.
Benefits & Financial Help
NYC Human Resources Administration (HRA) - Cash Assistance
Citywide
Provides up to 60 months of federally funded Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) cash assistance to eligible families, with a state-funded Safety Net Program available to individuals without children or families who have exhausted TANF. Recipients must meet income, immigration status, and residency requirements and engage in work activities, with help available for job training, education, childcare, and transportation costs.
Benefits & Financial Help
Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS)
Brooklyn
An independent office within the IRS that helps people resolve tax problems they have been unable to fix on their own, including cases of undue hardship caused by IRS actions or inaction.
Family & Reunification
The Child Center of NY
Citywide
Offers counseling, substance use treatment, early childhood mental health and education programs (including Head Start and Early Head Start), and after-school and enrichment programs for youth in Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan. The Jamaica Family Wellness Center serves court-involved youth, and the Benefits Access program helps families enroll in entitlement benefits and health insurance and get referrals for financial and legal assistance.
Benefits & Financial Help
Urban Upbound
Queens
Serves public housing residents and other low-income New Yorkers with employment services, financial counseling, free tax preparation, a federal credit union, youth development, a college access program, a worker cooperative initiative, and free mental health counseling at locations across NYC.
Food & Basic Needs
Cathedral Community Cares
Manhattan
Community outreach program of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine offering food assistance and other community support services.
Benefits & Financial Help
Dollar For
Citywide
Provides free online tools and information to help patients apply for hospital financial assistance ("charity care"), which offers bill discounts or forgiveness based on income; each hospital sets its own eligibility rules.
Benefits & Financial Help
NYC HRA - Emergency Assistance (One Shot Deal)
Citywide
One-time help with rent to stop eviction, utility bills, disaster costs and health/safety purchases; some may need repayment.
Family & Reunification
Social Justice Network (SJN)
Manhattan
Runs three programs for people impacted by incarceration: the Reentry Assessment Program connects currently incarcerated or transitional-housing residents to service providers; the Reentry Educational Program supports access to higher education; and the Family Assistance Program connects families of impacted individuals to clothing, food, mental health, and healthcare providers. Also runs a Comic Books for Justice literacy initiative in correctional facilities and NYC public schools.
Benefits & Financial Help
About Face
Citywide
An organization of Post-9/11 service members and veterans organizing to end a foreign policy of permanent war and the use of military weapons, tactics, and values in communities across the country.
Employment & Job Training
Accion Opportunity Fund
Citywide
Small business loans and coaching for entrepreneurs with limited access to credit.
Benefits & Financial Help
ADA National Network - Northeast ADA Center
Citywide
The regional ADA center that serves NYS as well as NJ, PR, and the USVI. Provides information, training, and guidance on the Americans with Disabilities Act. Call or email northeastada@ cornell.edu for more information.
Benefits & Financial Help
American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) - Military Assistance Program (MAP)
Citywide
Provides free immigration legal services to active-duty service members or recent veterans, and their family members, whose legal matters may be complex and require the knowledge of experienced immigration attorneys. Visit the website for full requirements and to request assistance.
Employment & Job Training
Ascendus
Citywide
Microloans and business coaching for small business owners, including first-time entrepreneurs.
Benefits & Financial Help
Bank On NYC
Citywide
Lists certified safe bank accounts with low or no fees, for people opening their first account.
Benefits & Financial Help
Bronx Independent Living Services (BILS)
Bronx
Peer-run services and advocacy for people with disabilities in the Bronx.
Benefits & Financial Help
Brooklyn Center for Independence of the Disabled (BCID)
Brooklyn
Advocacy, benefits counseling and peer support for people with disabilities in Brooklyn.
Benefits & Financial Help
Brooklyn Cooperative Federal Credit Union
Brooklyn
Community credit union offering accounts, credit-building loans and free tax prep.
Benefits & Financial Help
Brooklyn DA - Community Resources & Re-Entry Program (ComALERT)
Brooklyn
Runs the Kings County Re-entry Task Force, ComALERT and GRASP: Medicaid/SNAP enrollment, clothing, HSE classes, resumes, treatment, counseling; pays for lost birth certificates and NYS ID.
Housing & Shelter
Catholic Charities of New York
Manhattan · Bronx · Staten Island
Emergency food, housing help, immigration services and case management; serves all faiths.
Benefits & Financial Help
Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York (CIDNY)
Citywide
Benefits help, housing assistance and advocacy for people with disabilities.
Benefits & Financial Help
Center for Independence of the Disabled, NY (CIDNY)
Manhattan
Benefits and health insurance help, housing help and advocacy run by and for people with disabilities.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
City Bar Justice Center - Veterans Assistance Project
Manhattan
Provides veterans and their survivors facing systemic barriers in NYC with pro bono legal assistance on issues related to their claims for benefits from the VA. Veterans and their survivors may call to have their cases screened and, as appropriate, invited to a monthly legal clinic.
Education & GED
FAFSA - Federal Student Aid
Citywide
Federal application for college financial aid, including Pell Grants (restored for incarcerated students in approved programs).
Healthcare
Family Planning Benefit Program (FPBP)
Citywide
Provides health insurance for free, confidential reproductive health services, including birth control, STI testing, and pregnancy counseling to eligible New Yorkers who are uninsured, privately insured, or covered by Child Health Plus.
Benefits & Financial Help
Freedom for Immigrants
Citywide
An advocacy organization fighting to end immigration detention. Operates a Direct Support Fund which provides financial support for people affected by immigration detention, and a National Detention Bond Fund to help those who cannot afford bond amounts set by ICE or by immigration judges.
Benefits & Financial Help
HEAP - Home Energy Assistance Program
Citywide
Helps pay heating and cooling bills; emergency benefits if utilities are shut off.
Food & Basic Needs
Hunger Free America - National Hunger Hotline
Citywide
Hotline that finds nearby food help and assists with SNAP and WIC.
Benefits & Financial Help
James J. Peters VA Medical Center
Bronx
Provides comprehensive healthcare including primary and longterm care in areas of medicine, surgery, psychiatry, physical medicine and rehabilitation, neurology, oncology, dentistry, geriatrics, cardiology, orthopedics, infectious diseases, radiology, specialty clinics, rheumatology, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord...
Employment & Job Training
Job PATH
Manhattan
Assists in finding employment for developmentally disabled people. Must have Medicaid and Office for People with Developmental Disabilities eligibility.
Benefits & Financial Help
Lifeline (Free/Discount Phone Service)
Citywide
Federal program giving free or discounted phone or internet service to people on SNAP, Medicaid and other benefits.
Benefits & Financial Help
Lifeline Program (Phone & Internet Discount)
Citywide
Federal discount on phone or internet service for people on SNAP, Medicaid, SSI and other benefits.
Benefits & Financial Help
LinkNYC Free Wi-Fi & Calls
Citywide
Street kiosks offering free Wi-Fi, free domestic calls and device charging.
Healthcare
MetroPlusHealth
Citywide
NYC Health + Hospitals' health plan offering Medicaid, Essential Plan and other low-cost coverage.
Benefits & Financial Help
Modern Military
Citywide
Provides education and advocates for the rights and well being of LGBTQ+ service members, veterans, and their families, as well as people living with HIV. Service members, military spouses/family members, or veterans can report LGBTQ+ or HIV discrimination on the website.
Benefits & Financial Help
Neighborhood Trust Financial Partners
Citywide
Free one-on-one financial coaching to manage debt, build credit and save.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
New York Center for Law and Justice - Legal Services Program
Manhattan
Provides free legal services to indigent deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing New Yorkers on a range of civil matters, including housing, family, public benefits, student loans, immigration, and asylum cases.
Benefits & Financial Help
New York Relay Center
Citywide
Provides services that enable people who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, or those with a speech disability to place and receive phone calls. Relay calls can be made to anyone, anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Benefits & Financial Help
NYC Aging (Department for the Aging)
Citywide
Older adult centers, meals, caregiver help and case management.
Benefits & Financial Help
NYC Comptroller's Office - LGBTQ+ Guide
Manhattan
A directory of LGBTQ+ organizations and programs available in NYC. Write to request a printed copy.
Benefits & Financial Help
NYC Department of Small Business Services - PRIORITY1
Citywide
Offers intensive career services and job-placement opportunities to veterans and their spouses at all Workforce1 Career Centers in NYC. At certain locations, clients can meet with a Veteran Specialist for one-on-one advisement sessions. Call or visit the website for locations and more information.
Benefits & Financial Help
NYC Department of Veterans' Services
Citywide
Connects veterans and families to housing, benefits, jobs and health care.
Housing & Shelter
NYC HRA - CityFHEPS Rental Assistance
Citywide
City rental voucher to help eligible households move out of shelter or avoid eviction.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
NYC Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs - Immigration Legal Services
Citywide
Offers free, safe immigration legal help in a network of trusted community organizations and schools.
Benefits & Financial Help
NYC Public Schools - Student OMNY Cards
Citywide
Provides eligible NYC public school students free OMNY Card tapto-go passes for the subway and city buses. Cards are good for 4 rides a day, 24 hours a day, all year long, including weekends, holidays, and summer break.
Employment & Job Training
NYC Small Business Services
Citywide
Offers a range of services to help one start, operate, and expand a business in NYC. Provides support and help with developing a business plan, accessing business courses, finding financing, hiring workers, training employees, navigating government regulations, accessing government incentive programs, and obtaining...
Benefits & Financial Help
NYS Commission for the Blind (NYSCB)
Citywide
Provides information on financial resources and vocational training. Help with transportation and use of Braille is available.
Housing & Shelter
NYS Department of Veterans' Services
Citywide
Provides assistance to veterans and their families with any matters related to veterans’ benefits including debt waivers and help with obtaining a copy of one’s DD214. The Veterans Emergency Housing Program provides eligible veterans up to $2,000 to help cover emergency housing expenses.
Education & GED
NYS Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) - TAP
Citywide
Runs NY's Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) and other state grants and scholarships.
Employment & Job Training
NYS Office of Children and Family Services - Adult Protective Services (APS)
Citywide
A mandated service, provided by local social services districts, involving intake investigation and assessment of referrals of abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of vulnerable adults.
Healthcare
NYS Smokers' Quitline
Citywide
Free coaching and nicotine replacement starter kits to quit smoking or vaping.
Benefits & Financial Help
NYU Langone Medical Center - Military Family Center
Citywide
Provides free therapy for service members and their families who are experiencing the lasting effects of all phases of military service and other life stressors, including post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury, depression, anxiety, alcohol and substance use disorder, grief and loss, relationship and family...
Benefits & Financial Help
Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA)
Citywide
An advocacy and support organization for veterans who have experienced spinal cord injury or dysfunction.
Benefits & Financial Help
PCs for People
Citywide
Low-cost refurbished computers and internet for low-income households.
Healthcare
Point of Pride
Citywide
Provides financial aid and direct support to trans people in need of health and wellness care. Financial aid programs include the Annual Transgender Surgery Fund, HRT Access Fund, Electrolysis Support Fund, and the Thrive Fund, which cover a wide range of gender-affirming healthcare needs.
Benefits & Financial Help
Protect Our Defenders
Citywide
A national human rights organization dedicated to ending sexual violence, victim retaliation, misogyny, and racism in the military. The website provides Know Your Rights and fact sheets, along with a support page with local services.
Benefits & Financial Help
Sakhi for South Asian Survivors
Manhattan
An organization fighting for the end of violence against South Asian people of all gender identities and sexual orientations. Specializes in working with survivors of South Asian descent, but services are open to all.
Benefits & Financial Help
Senior Planet from AARP
Citywide
Helps people ages 50 and over access technology through courses, programs, and activities. Older people can also learn how to connect with friends and loved ones through video conferencing.
Benefits & Financial Help
Stateside Legal
Citywide
A website for veterans, service members, and the general public looking to understand the complex systems of laws and benefits unique to those with military service.
Benefits & Financial Help
The Deaf Hotline
Citywide
Provides safe, confidential, ASL accessible support for people experiencing abuse nationwide. Offers advocacy and information regarding domestic violence and sexual assault 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Benefits & Financial Help
The Gi Rights Hotline
Citywide
A private, nonprofit, nongovernmental organization providing free and confidential counseling and information on military discharges, AWOL and UA, and GI Rights, including orders to violate the Constitutional rights of US citizens, and more to service members, veterans, potential recruits, and their families.
Benefits & Financial Help
The Veterans Consortium - Pro Bono Program
Citywide
A national nonprofit providing Veterans across the country with free legal services.
Benefits & Financial Help
US Citizenship and Immigration Services - Green Cards
Citywide
The website provides information on Green Cards (officially known as a Permanent Resident Card) including eligibility, how to renew or replace, steps on how to apply, what happens after applying, forms and fees, and more. Call for more information and a mailing address.
Education & GED
US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Manhattan
Provides near-comprehensive healthcare services to eligible military veterans at VA medical centers and outpatient clinics located throughout the country, along with several non-healthcare benefits including disability compensation, vocational rehabilitation, education assistance, home loans, and life insurance.
Benefits & Financial Help
Veterans Crisis Line
Citywide
Connects veterans in crisis, and their families and friends, with qualified VA responders through a toll-free hotline. Online chat and texting are also available.
Food & Basic Needs
West Side Campaign Against Hunger
Manhattan
Customer-choice food pantry with benefits screening on the Upper West Side.
Benefits & Financial Help
Whatsok
Citywide
A website and helpline that offers confidential support and resources for information about safe sexual behaviors for teens and young adults ages 14–21. The helpline is available Mon 12pm–8pm; Tue, Wed, and Fri 12pm–6pm; and Thu 10am–6pm.
Legal Aid & Record Relief
Workers Defense League (WDL)
Manhattan
A nonprofit workers’ rights organization that specializes in helping people who have been denied unemployment insurance. Also conducts trainings for unions and other organizations about unemployment insurance rules, including recent important changes in law, and the hearing process.