Get help with basic needs, holiday meals, and recreational resources this Fall season! To find resources in your area, click a link below and enter your zip code. Please contact individual agencies to check on program availability.
Basic Needs
PA 211 connects people and their families to resources that provide for their basic needs. Basic needs include things like food, shelter, utilities, and childcare. Food resources like SNAP or after school meal programs allow individuals and families to purchase free or low-cost food. Utility programs like electric or gas payment assistance provide people with assistance in paying their utility bills on time. Extreme weather shelters allow people to get out of harsh weather and into a safer place. Childcare programs provide children with care and supervision while their parents or guardians are working or otherwise occupied.
Community and Recreation
PA 211 helps people locate publicly available resources that can allow them to connect with both nature and the humanities. These resources include public parks, libraries, museums, recreational centers, and more. Arts centers, historical societies, and libraries allow customers to enrich their lives by connecting with art, literature, and history. Public parks and nature centers help get people outside and closer to nature. Recreational centers give their patrons a place to engage in exercise and improve their physical health.
Thanksgiving Resources
PA 211 connects people with Thanksgiving resources like take-home food baskets and free holiday dinners. Thanksgiving food basket programs provide food baskets which usually contain a ham or turkey and all the trimmings for a Thanksgiving dinner (or vouchers to purchase these items). Thanksgiving meal programs allow people to get a hot Thanksgiving meal in a congregate setting or by delivery, with eligibility for low-income individuals and families and those experiencing homelessness. Make sure to sign up early for holiday programs! To search for programs near you, click a link and refine by zip code.
Academic Support
PA 211 connects people with resources that help them make the most of their education. These resources include academic counseling, tutoring, and test preparation. Academic counseling provides students with valuable advice and direction on how to form and achieve their academic and professional goals. Tutoring services give students individualized support so they can grow more confident and knowledgeable about school subjects. Similarly, test preparation services give them the skills, resources, and confidence to do well on standardized tests.
Childcare
PA 211 connects parents and guardians with resources for caring for and supervising their children while they are at work. These resources include childcare centers, childcare payment assistance, and extended childcare services. Childcare centers provide supervision and care to children while their parents or guardians are working or otherwise preoccupied. Extended childcare services have longer operating hours to better accommodate a variety of work schedules. Childcare expense assistance programs make childcare more affordable.
Early Childhood Education
PA 211 connects people with early childhood education resources that can help their children get a head start in their social and academic skills so they can better adapt to the school system. Head Start programs are federally funded programs that help children ages 0-5 prepare for their educational journey by providing them with educational, health, and family services. Preschools provide children with the social and learning skills that they need for grade school.
Educational Centers
PA 211 can help people find a school district or technical school to further their professional success. School districts provide children with a K-12 education and a high school diploma, which increase their job opportunities and broaden their career options. Vocational education programs teach trades to their students so that they can gain marketable skills and develop their careers.
Food Programs
PA 211 connects individuals and families to resources that can help them access food at an affordable cost. Brown bag food programs provide free or low-cost meals to older adults. The National School Lunch Program provides children at public and private schools with free or low-cost meals during school hours. After school meal programs provide essential nutrition to children in the hours after school. COMPASS is a program that allows individuals to apply for health and human service benefits. Food stamps, also known as SNAP, are a government program that assists individuals and families in purchasing food.
Health Programs
PA 211 connects people with resources that help their children attain proper levels of nutrition and immunization against disease. Nutrition education programs teach people how to get proper nutrition and have a healthy relationship with food. The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provides children with low-cost healthcare coverage if their household income is too high to qualify for Medicaid.
Specialized Support
PA 211 connects students with specialized accessibility resources that help them through their educational journey. These include disability services, homeless school transition programs, and teen parent programs. Disability services and early intervention programs give people with disabilities the resources and assistance they need. Teen parent programs provide teen parents with resources and education they need to navigate the process of parenthood. Homeless school transition programs assist students experiencing homelessness with school enrollment and transportation.
School Supplies
Fall is the time when many children go back to school. PA 211 connects people with resources that can get their children supplies for the upcoming school year at an affordable cost. This includes common necessities like pencils, pens, notebooks, folders, and backpacks. Clothing programs allow children to obtain clothes for school at affordable prices.
Youth Programs
PA 211 connects youth with resources that enable them to get exercise, find connections, and enrich their lives. Youth centers help keep them active and engaged during the fall months. Community service programs motivate youth to give back to their community. Employment programs help young people gain a leg up in the working world.
