PA 211 – Get Connected. Get Help.

PA 211 is a free, 24/7/365 service that connects Pennsylvania residents with essential community services, such as housing, food, utilities, and healthcare assistance, by dialing 211, texting a zip code to 898-211, or visiting the PA 211 website. The service is confidential, anonymous, available in multiple languages, and staffed by trained specialists who provide information and referrals for a wide range of human services, including mental health and addiction services, and disaster relief. 

Refugee Eligibility for Car Grants – Rides for Refugees is a volunteer-run, 501(c)3 charity that provides vehicles to low-income, legal-permanent-resident refugees in the United States, so they can get to work and become self-reliant. Vehicles help refugees work and become financially independent, which benefits them and strengthens U.S. communities. Refugees from Afghanistan, Haiti, Ukraine, Syria, and many other countries need transportation urgently.

In order to qualify for a vehicle or vehicle grant from Rides for Refugees, applicants must: Be a refugee who fled to the United States from another country; Need private transportation to foster self-reliance; Have permanent legal status in the United States (not a temporary or parolee status, no pending asylum claim); Have a U.S. driver license or be in the process of earning one; Be enrolled in or income-eligible for one or more government programs for low-income recipients; Be able to afford fuel, insurance, and maintenance for a vehicle; To apply for a car, refugees must complete an application with a nonprofit organization or employer who knows the applicant(s) and can attest to the accuracy of information submitted in the application. Sponsoring organizations or refugees can request an application by writing to:  Hello@RidesforRefugees.org.

Cumberland County Guide to Human Services

Please use this guide to help you find services in Cumberland County that can assist you with your needs.

Pennsylvania Furniture Mission

The Pennsylvania Furniture Mission is a 501(c)3 non-profit serving Pennsylvania residents experiencing challenges related to living near or below the poverty line. They work to redirect gently-used, donated furniture to families in need, keeping usable furniture out of our landfills.  They are dedicated to creating warm and welcoming homes for all Pennsylvania residents by providing free gently-used furniture to families and individuals in need. Pennsylvania Furniture Mission also seeks to create a more sustainable environment, and simultaneously allows clients to select their own furnishings.

Community Needs Road Map 

By: New Life Community Church, Carlisle PA

Click here to access resources for people living in the Carlisle, PA area.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

SNAP is a federally funded program through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and administered in Pennsylvania by the Department of Human Services (DHS), Office of Income Maintenance. SNAP benefits provide assistance to eligible individuals and families to supplement monthly food expenses. Eligibility and monthly benefit amounts are based on household size, income, and other factors such as citizenship and household composition. SNAP benefits are accessible through an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card that works just like a regular debit card. All SNAP recipients are eligible for free nutrition education to help them make sound nutritional choices on a limited income. For more information and to find out where to apply, visit www.dhs.pa.gov/Services/Assistance/Pages/SNAP.aspx or contact the DHS Helpline at 1-800-692-7462 (PA Relay Services for the hearing and speech impaired at 711).

Click here to access the brochure. 

Affordable Housing

Here is a source for all Affordable Housing properties and programs in the United States.

ADAMS COUNTY LOCAL FOODS GUIDE

Compiled every two years, the Adams County Local Foods Resource Guide is intended to connect customers with farms, markets and products in order to improve health while building a more sustainable local food system.   Click here to access guide.

Food Assistance Resources

Food Pantries
If you need food, York County has a network of food pantries that can help with a one-time emergency or offer monthly appointments as needed.

Beacon Clinic for Health and Hope Goals:
• Provide free primary healthcare services and medications to underserved and uninsured
adults in the Greater Harrisburg Community (Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry Counties)
• Promote wholeness and wellness through education and coaching
• Provide excellence, continuity and accountability in healthcare service provided to
eligible patients

Click here for complete flyer

Re: FREE MEDICAL CLINIC
The Joshi Health Foundation is a charitable foundation started with a primary goal of providing FREE health care to those in need. They offer: FREE MEDICAL CLINIC with FREE tests: Essentially FREE health care services for those who cannot afford care (typically those without insurance, but others as well who are unable to afford). This is accomplished through a totally FREE clinic that offers consultation and follow up for general medical care. Limited blood tests and X Rays are also free thanks to arrangements with UPMC Pinnacle and Penn State Hershey. Scheduled appointments are on every Monday, but accommdations can be made for those who may need appointments on other days. We are NOT an emergency service and encourage scheduled appointments. Typical diseases treated have been general medical disorders such as Diabetes, High Blood pressure, heart disease, asthma, common infections, depression and other medical conditions. A diversity of patients are being served, ranging from new immigrants, those who have lost their jobs during Covid, or those who have a job but have been unable to afford health insurance. The office is located in Mechanicsburg behind the Carpet Mart complex off of Carlisle Pike with ample parking and easy access.
For more information please visit our website at joshihealthfoundation.org. For appointments or more information call 717-500-1470, or write to nirmal@joshihealthfoundation.org
Nirmal Joshi, MD FACP
President, Joshi Health Foundation
Suite 102, 5008 Lenker Street, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050

Click here to access a flyer from the York County Food Alliance on COVID Food Resources.

The York County Food Alliance has been created to…

• Involve local individuals, organizations and businesses in building a sustainable local food system that promotes the health of individuals, communities and the natural environment
• Gather and share information about how York County’s food system works
  Develop programs that address gaps in the county’s food system
• Advocate for and advise on food system and food policy implementation

Living Wage Calculator

Families and individuals working in low-wage jobs make insufficient income to meet minimum standards given the local cost of living. The websites listed below developed a living wage calculator to estimate the cost of living in your community or region based on typical expenses. These tools help individuals, communities, and employers determine a local wage rate that allows residents to meet minimum standards of living.

http://livingwage.mit.edu/

Cost of Living