General Assistance
One by One Project
One by One Project partners directly with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts to secure resources and address needs. Referrals can be made via BBBSEM staff.
From medical bills to utility payments, from childcare to groceries – the One By One Project is here to help. Through our non-profit partners, they address pressing needs quickly and seamlessly, (resolving payments directly with the service provider) so struggling families and individuals can get back on their feet.
Welcome Home
Strives to provide families experiencing hardship with basic household items they need to live with dignity. A local nonprofit organization in Newton, Massachusetts, that collects and redistributes like-new household items to hundreds of people in need each month with no fees, no forms and no requirements.
Speak with your Match Support Coordinator for assistance with applying. If transportation is a challenge, there are options to partner with One By One Project to get transportation assistance for picking up items. Also offers opportunities for Bigs and Littles to volunteer. Speak with your Match Support Coordinator about how to get involved!
Gifts to Give
Focused on building a new currency for philanthropy by building a more caring community that’s focused on child poverty, literacy, service to others and giving. By sharing our gifts we can ensure that children are connected with what they need both physically and mentally.Gifts to Give provides needed items such as winter coats, household items, car seats, or birthday gifts (just to name a few!).
Opportunity available for South Coast matches.
Speak with your Match Support Coordinator for assistance with applying. Gifts to Give requires an agency referral. Bigs may be asked to assist with pick-up of goods at their location in Acushnet, MA.
Also offers opportunities for Bigs and Littles to volunteer. Speak with your Match Support Coordinator about how to get involved!
Find Help / Aunt Bertha
Search and connect to support. Financial assistance, food pantries, medical care, and other free or reduced-cost help.
Sitterstream
Support individuals, parents and companies with their virtual, on-demand babysitting education and wellness services for children and adults.
Sitterstream partners directly with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern to provide free access to a variety of their online classes, virtual babysitting, and a variety of options. Ask your Match Support Coordinator if your Little qualifies.
Mass211
Mass 211 is an easy to remember telephone number that connects callers to information about critical health and human services available in their community. It serves as a resource for finding government benefits and services, nonprofit organizations, support groups, volunteer opportunities, donation programs, and other local resources.
Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
Dial 2-1-1
Massachusetts Nonprofit Network
Massachusetts Nonprofit Members is a database that allows you to enter your region/zip code to find access to helpful non-profit organizations near you.
Massachusetts Community Resource Guide
Search for free or reduced-cost services like medical care, food, job training, and more.
Retire Guide
A variety of resources for grandparents who are raising their grandchildren, including “Taking Care of Yourself While Raising Your Grandchildren.”
Mesothelioma Hope
An advocacy organization who provides free educational resources, support, and information to anyone that may have questions about a few different cancers/diseases caused by asbestos.
Mental Health
Massachusetts Behavioral Health HelpLine (BHHL)
Connects individuals and families to the full range of treatment services for mental health and substance use offered in Massachusetts, including outpatient, urgent, and immediate crisis care. Anyone in MA can call for real time support, initial clinical assessment, and connection to the right evaluation and treatment.
The BHHL is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by phone call and text at 833-773- 2445 (BHHL), and online chat at masshelpline.com.
Maternal Mental Health Hotline
Those who contact the hotline can receive a range of support, including brief interventions from trained counselors who are culturally and trauma-informed, as well as referrals to both community-based and telehealth providers as needed. Callers also will receive evidence-based information and referrals to support groups and other community resources.
Accessible by phone or text at 1-833-9-HELP4MOMS (1-833-943-5746) in English and Spanish.
TTY Users can use a preferred relay service or dial 711 and then 1-833-943-5746.
Food Security
Project Bread
Summer Eats is a totally free-of-charge program that provides free meals to all kids and teens, ages 18 and under, at locations all across Massachusetts during the summer months.
1-800-645-8333 FoodSource Hotline
- Free & confidential for all Massachusetts residents, expert counselors are ready to assist callers in 180 languages. FoodSource Hotline provides free, expert assistance in understanding what programs are out there to help.
The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) partners with more than 600 hunger-relief agencies, including food pantries, community meal programs and other food assistance providers throughout the nine counties and 190 towns and cities across Eastern Massachusetts.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a nutrition program that gives you money for food. SNAP benefits are put on an electronic card that you can use to buy food at supermarkets, convenience stores, farmers’ markets, and even some online retailers.
For help applying for SNAP Call 617-598-5022
Monetary Assistance
Cash Assistance
Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) and Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled and Children (EAEDC) are economic assistance (cash benefit) programs that help individuals and families explore opportunities, improve their finances, and reach their goals
Homelessness
Bridge Over Troubled Waters
Bridge is Boston’s foremost organization dedicated to transforming the lives of runaway, homeless, and high-risk youth through safe, supportive, and encouraging relationships and effective services guiding youth towards self-sufficiency.
Phone: 617-423-9575, available 24 hours a day and monitored by an answering service after 5:00pm.
Email: bridge@bridgeotw.org
Address: 47 West Street, Boston, MA 02111. Walk-ins are welcome!
Mobile Medical Van: You can access medical services and survival aid on Bridge’s Mobile Medical Van.
Please call 617-423-9575 for a schedule of van hours and locations.
Safe Place: If you are under the age of 18 and in need of help, you can visit any Safe Place site around Boston and they will help connect you with Bridge. For more information on Safe Place sites in Boston, click here.
Safety
Suicide Prevention Line
The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States.
Call 988
NCMEC
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation whose mission is to help find missing children, reduce child sexual exploitation, and prevent child victimization. NCMEC works with families, victims, private industry, law enforcement, and the public to assist with preventing child abductions, recovering missing children, and providing services to deter and combat child sexual exploitation.
National Domestic Violence Hotline
National Domestic Violence Hotline provides essential tools and support to help survivors of domestic violence so they can live their lives free of abuse. Contacts to The Hotline can expect highly-trained, expert advocates to offer free, confidential, and compassionate support, crisis intervention information, education, and referral services in over 200 languages.
Call 1-800-799-7233
24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year
Addiction Center
A guide regarding substance misuse and the issues surrounding substance use disorders.
Detox Rehabs
Provide resources related to addiction, substance abuse treatment, and dual diagnosis treatment.
Connect Safely
Parental Resource Guide to Popular Apps and gaming platforms and information on how to keep kids safe online.
Crisis Text Line
Crisis Text Line is here for any crisis. A live, trained Crisis Counselor receives the text and responds, all from our secure online platform. The volunteer Crisis Counselor will help you move from a hot moment to a cool moment.
Text HOME to 741741 to reach a volunteer Crisis Counselor.
RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline
RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) is the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization. RAINN created and operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline in partnership with more than 1,000 local sexual assault service providers across the country and operates the DoD Safe Helpline for the Department of Defense.
Call 800-656-4673
Addiction Resource.net
Recovery experts provide trusted resources and relevant information for individuals and their families struggling with substance abuse.
Gender and Sexuality Resources
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project provides information & support to LGBTQ young people 24/7, all year round. Individuals can call, text, or chat with a trained counselor when in need of support.
Call: 866-488-7386
LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS
Bagly Inc.
The Boston Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth, is a youth-led, adult-supported social support organization, committed to social justice and creating, sustaining, and advocating for programs, policies, and services for the LGBTQ+ youth community.
Call: 617-227-4313
Info@bagly.org
Check out our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion page for additional resources.
Employment
Mass Gov – Employment
The MassHire Department of Career Services oversees Massachusetts’s network of MassHire Career Centers that assist businesses in finding qualified workers, providing job seekers with career guidance as well as referrals to jobs and training.
(617) 626-5300
Accessibility
Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission
MRC is responsible for Vocational Rehabilitation, Community Living, and Disability Determination for federal benefit programs.
Main (617) 204-3600
Voice/TDD (800) 245-6543
Mass MATCH Assistive Technology Program
MassMATCH is the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’s initiative to Maximize Assistive Technology (AT) in Consumer’s Hands. Its mission is to promote the use of AT and AT services to enhance the independence of people with disabilities, enabling equal participation in all of life’s activities.
Check out our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion page for additional resources.
Secondary Education and Academic Resources
Check out our academic activities page here!
Bottom Line
Bottom Line partners with degree-aspiring students of color from under-resourced communities to get into and through college and successfully launch a career. We are committed to building strong connections with our students, providing them with individual support, and ensuring they have the guidance they need to persist and earn a college degree.
Let’s Get Ready
Let’s Get Ready provides high school students with free, virtual, SAT preparation, admission counseling and other support services needed to gain admission to and graduate from college. Services are provided by volunteer college students who also serve as role models and mentors.
The Arts Foundation of Cape Cod’s (AFCC) Access Program
This program is a pre-approved partnership agency that will provide funding for Littles to access arts & education programming. AFCC is processing Student Access Funding applications for Littles who are matched within BBBSCCI and interested in an arts-related program. Applicable Littles qualify for a waived financial application fee and direct payment to the agency hosting the arts program.
Year Up
Year Up’s mission is to close the Opportunity Divide by ensuring that young adults gain the skills, experiences, and support that will empower them to reach their potential through careers and higher education. Year up provides ways for students 18-26 to build skills for the professional world and as well as opportunities for internships.
UPchieve
UPchieve provides 24/7 one on one tutoring in math and science for students grade 9-12, as well as help with college applications and essays for Seniors. The UPchieve app allows students to ask questions in a chat, and share their work with a tutor who has experience in that particular subject area, without them having to be on camera. It works on most devices and is very user friendly.
Health Coverage
MassHealth Coverage
Apply for MassHealth, the Health Safety Net, or the Children’s Medical Security Plan. See if you qualify on their website
Call: (800) 841-2900
MASS Mental Health Services
Mental Health directory for MA
Legal & Immigration Assistance
Mass Legal Services
Offers resources and information about legal issues facing Massachusetts residents to legal services advocates and social services professionals.
Immigration Services
Immigration Service directory for MA