Resources
Help we couldn't give, from people who can.
Mother's Grace is built for a narrow moment, and we say no more often than we'd like. Being told no by us doesn't mean the need isn't real. It means someone else is better placed to meet it.
Everything below was checked by hand in July 2026. Start with whatever matches your situation. If nothing does, start with 2-1-1.
If you need help right now
Thoughts of suicide, or a mental health crisis
988Call or text. Free, confidential, 24 hours a day. Press 2 for Spanish. 988lifeline.org
Abuse at home, any hour
1-800-799-7233National Domestic Violence Hotline. Or text START to 88788. Free, confidential, 24/7.
Any other crisis
2-1-1Arizona's front door to food, rent, utilities, shelter and more. Free, 24 hours a day.
If you only do one thing, do this one.
2-1-1 Arizona is the state's official directory of help, and a real person answers. They keep track of which programs still have money left this month, which is the part no website can tell you.
Tell them where you live and what you're short on. They will search thousands of programs against your actual situation. It costs nothing.
Rent, mortgage, or eviction
Behind on housing, facing a notice, or with nowhere to sleep tonight.
- Rent and mortgage help near you2-1-1's live list of programs still taking applications.
- Shelter beds near youUpdated by 2-1-1, including family shelters.
- Short-Term Crisis ServicesArizona DES. Emergency money for rent, utilities and other essentials when a sudden crisis hits. Start here if the emergency is recent.
- Your county's Community Action AgencyWildfire AZ. These agencies administer most emergency rent and utility money in Arizona. Find yours by county.
- Cash Assistance (TANF)Monthly cash for families with children and very low income.
- St. Vincent de PaulRent and utility help, food boxes, free medical and dental. Phoenix area.
- Community Legal Services · 800-852-9075Free lawyer if you've been served eviction papers. Call before your court date, not after.
Utilities and shut-off notices
Power, water, or gas about to be cut off, or already off.
- LIHEAP energy assistanceArizona DES. Pays heating and cooling bills, with a separate crisis benefit for shut-offs.
- Wildfire AZ energy assistanceExplains which program fits you and where to apply.
- APS assistance programsCrisis bill help and a discount rate if APS is your provider.
- All utility help near youIncludes SRP, TEP, Southwest Gas and city programs.
- Water bill assistanceArizona DES. Separate program from energy help, and easy to miss.
- Heat relief and cooling centersFree places to cool off in an Arizona summer.
Food
Not enough to eat, or nothing in the house for the kids.
- Find food near you, todayArizona Food Bank Network's map of pantries and distributions.
- St. Mary's Food Bank · 602-242-3663Emergency food boxes, no appointment needed at most sites.
- Apply for SNAP food stampsArizona DES. Monthly grocery money. Emergency applications can be processed in days, not weeks. Say it's an emergency.
- Emergency Food Assistance (TEFAP)Free USDA food boxes through local agencies.
- WICFormula, milk and food for pregnant women and children under five.
Medical bills and prescriptions
A hospital bill you can't pay, or medication you can't afford.
- NeedyMedsSearchable database of drug assistance programs, plus a free discount card anyone can use.
- Patient Advocate FoundationCase managers who negotiate medical debt and insurance denials for you, at no cost.
- PAF Co-Pay ReliefDirect co-pay money for insured patients with qualifying diagnoses.
- HealthWell FoundationGrants for co-pays, premiums and travel by specific condition.
- Medical expense help in Arizona
- Ask the hospital's billing office for their financial assistance or charity care policy. Nonprofit hospitals are required to have one, and most people never ask.
Health coverage
No insurance, or you just lost it.
- Apply for AHCCCSArizona's Medicaid. Free or very low cost coverage. Losing a job or income can qualify you right away.
- HealthCare.govLosing coverage opens a special enrollment window. Don't wait for open enrollment.
- Community clinics near youSliding-scale care whether or not you're insured.
Mental health, grief, and counseling
Struggling to cope, or grieving someone you lost.
- 988Call or text, 24 hours. Not only for suicide. Any mental health crisis counts.
- Crisis Text LineText HOME to 741741 to reach a trained counselor by text.
- Arizona crisis lines
- NAMI HelpLineFree guidance on finding treatment and navigating the mental health system.
- Dougy CenterGrief support for children and families after a death, plus a national directory of local programs.
Abuse, violence, or feeling unsafe
Someone is hurting you or your children, or you're afraid they will.
- 1-800-799-7233National Domestic Violence Hotline. 24 hours, every day. Text START to 88788, or chat at thehotline.org.
- Arizona survivor helpline (ACESDV)Arizona-specific advocates who know local shelters and courts. Weekday business hours, so use the national line nights and weekends.
- Domestic violence shelters in Arizona
- WomensLawPlain-English explanations of orders of protection and custody, state by state.
- How to make a safety planPractical steps for staying safer whether you leave or stay.
- StrongHearts Native Helpline · 1-844-762-8483For Native American and Alaska Native survivors.
Drugs, alcohol, and addiction
For you, or for someone you love.
- FindTreatment.govThe federal government's treatment locator. No ads, no referral fees, unlike most rehab websites.
- SAMHSA National Helpline · 1-800-662-4357Free, confidential, 24/7, in English and Spanish.
- Arizona opioid resourcesIncludes how to get naloxone, which reverses an overdose.
Legal help
Court papers, custody, immigration, or a denied benefit.
- Community Legal Services · 800-852-9075Free civil legal aid for Maricopa, Mohave, La Paz, Yavapai and Yuma counties.
- Southern Arizona Legal AidSame service, southern counties.
- AZLawHelpGuides and forms by topic, written for people without lawyers.
- AZCourtHelpFull list of free and low-cost legal aid across the state.
Debt and credit
Collections, credit cards, student loans, or tax debt.
- National Foundation for Credit CounselingNonprofit counselors. Free or low-cost. Avoid anyone who charges up front to "settle" debt.
- Your rights with debt collectorsFederal consumer protection agency. What collectors legally cannot do to you.
- Student loan repayment optionsOfficial site. Income-driven plans can drop a payment to zero.
- IRS payment plansThe IRS will almost always agree to a plan if you ask.
Funeral and burial costs
Someone died and you can't afford to bury them.
- Dial 2-1-1Ask for burial assistance in your county. Arizona counties handle indigent burial differently, and 2-1-1 knows which applies to you.
- Social Security lump-sum death paymentA one-time payment to a surviving spouse or child. Small, but you must apply within two years.
- FEMA funeral assistanceOnly for deaths caused by a declared disaster.
- VA burial benefitsIf the person who died was a veteran.
Getting there
No way to reach treatment, work, or school.
- Rides to medical appointmentsAHCCCS covers this for members. 2-1-1 lists the rest.
- Gas and bus fare help
- Air Care AllianceFree volunteer flights to distant medical treatment.
- National Patient Travel CenterHelps arrange long-distance medical travel.
Children and childcare
Care you can't afford, or things the kids need.
- DES child care assistanceSubsidized child care for working and job-seeking parents.
- Head Start near youFree preschool and family support.
- Family Resource CentersOne place for diapers, clothing, parenting help and referrals.
- Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline · 1-800-422-445324/7, for anyone worried about a child's safety.
Veterans and military families
If anyone in the household served.
- VA homeless veterans line · 1-877-424-383824/7. Housing, and a route into every other VA service.
- Veterans Crisis LineDial 988 then press 1, or text 838255.
- Arizona Department of Veterans' ServicesState benefits and county veteran service officers who file claims for free.
Outside Arizona
Mother's Grace serves Arizona. These work anywhere in the country.
- 211.orgSame service as Arizona 2-1-1, in every state. Dial 2-1-1 from any US phone.
- findhelp.orgEnter your ZIP code for free and reduced-cost programs near you.
- Benefits.govScreens you for every federal benefit you might qualify for.
- Modest NeedsSmall emergency grants for working households just above the cutoff for other aid.
If you were looking for help from us
Mother's Grace helps families through a nomination from someone who knows them, so we can't take a request directly from the person who needs help. If a nurse, social worker, patient navigator, counselor, clergy member, teacher, friend or family member can speak to what you're facing, ask them to nominate you.
And if something changes, a new diagnosis, a new emergency, come back to us. Circumstances shift, and so does what we're able to do.
How nominations workAbout this list
These organizations are independent of Mother's Grace. We don't run them, fund them, or take part in their decisions, and we can't promise any of them will be able to help in your particular situation. We list them because we believe they do good work, and we check the list regularly, but programs change and money runs out. If you find something here that's out of date, please tell us at mmmgrace@me.com so the next family doesn't hit the same wall.
Mother's Grace disclaims responsibility for the actions or inactions of the organizations listed here.
Last checked by hand: July 2026.