Helpful Resources on Various Community Support and Assistance
Manna
This is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit organization that focuses on aiding individuals who are battling serious illnesses by providing temporary meal programs that promote healing through nutrition. They offer medically tailored meals and nutrition education to empower individuals to improve their well-being and quality of life. The application process involves submitting medical professional referrals or self-referral, and then the Nutrition and Client Services team collaborates with healthcare providers. The support from the organization includes weekly meal deliveries, encompassing breakfast, lunch, dinner, entrées, wholesome desserts, and fresh fruits. This initiative by Manna aims to enhance health through nourishment and care, one meal at a time.
Philabundance
Philabundance, a leading hunger relief organization in Pennsylvania, has spent over 35 years addressing hunger in five PA and four NJ counties. Their focus extends to seniors who constitute 16% of weekly beneficiaries and often deal with fixed incomes and limited resources.
Supporting Low-Income Seniors
Through the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), Philabundance provides monthly "senior boxes" with USDA-donated food. These boxes are strategically placed across the Delaware Valley, offering shelf-stable sustenance for a month. Weighing around 30 pounds, each box contains items like vegetables, fruits, juices, pasta, milk, cereal, canned meat, and non-meat protein. The initiative also includes a nutritional newsletter with recipes and information. They distribute 4,500 boxes monthly.
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Housing and Utility Assistance
PAHAF
The PAHAF program offers assistance to prevent mortgage issues by covering various housing-related expenses. The maximum aid for any homeowner is $30,000 or up to 24 months.
Covered Expenses
Mortgage Reinstatement: Funds to bring the mortgage to be current, covering related costs during forbearance, delinquency, or up to the maximum of $30,000 or 24 months.
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Eligibility
To see if you are eligible for assistance, click on the Eligibility Requirements button.
PECO
If you are eligible for PECO's Customer Assistance Program (CAP), you will receive a monthly credit on your bill based on your income and energy usage. The credit is determined by your monthly gross household income, annual energy usage, and energy burden. CAP credits vary due to changing energy usage. To qualify, your household income mustn't exceed specific limits based on household size, and you must use PECO for electricity and gas supply. Apply with your address, phone numbers, names, birthdates, and income proofs for the past 30 days, and optionally, social security numbers.
Apply Here
PGW
PGW's Customer Responsibility Program (CRP) is designed to aid low-income customers in managing their PGW bills and maintaining gas services. CRP participants benefit from reduced monthly payments and forgiveness of previous debts.
Apply online now through My Account.
Philadelphia Water Department
For those struggling with water bill payments, the Philadelphia Water Department offers a streamlined application process. A single application covers various assistance programs, such as the Senior Citizen Discount, Tiered Assistance Program (TAP), and Special Hardship, determining eligibility for TAP. New programs target low-income households, seniors, and those facing unique financial challenges.
Application Checklist:
To Start your Application, click on the Begin Application button.
Mental Health Resources
Open Counseling
A lack of awareness persists regarding the presence of state-funded mental health services. Many who are seeking affordable counseling erroneously assume that private practitioners are their sole choice, disregarding community-based, publicly funded alternatives.
Nationally, intake and referral initiatives evaluate access to public mental health services based on diagnosis and seriousness of the ailment. In Pennsylvania, county mental health bureaus and service units ascertain financial aid suitability, yet they refer individuals to local programs regardless of aid eligibility. Frequently contracted providers acknowledge diverse insurance schemes, extending sliding-scale charges to the uninsured irrespective of state aid entitlement.
To search for counseling options by zip code, click on the Open Counseling Search Resource button.
Dept. of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services
For immediate, secure, 24-hour support during a mental health crisis, call 215‑685‑6440.
Dial the Mental Health Delegate Line (available 24/7) for assistance for yourself, family, friends, etc., including seeking:
