Resources
Where else to turn in the Lansing area
A referral list we keep current because a wrong phone number wastes a day someone does not have. Last reviewed 2026-07-30.
Emergency & crisis
- 911 — immediate danger, medical emergency, fire
- 988 — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, 24 hours, call or text
- 2-1-1 — Michigan statewide health and human services referral line
- Domestic violence — National Hotline 1-800-799-7233
If a situation is urgent and unsafe, please use the numbers above rather than waiting for our office hours.
Housing & shelter
- Ingham County Housing Assessment & Resource Agency — intake for shelter placement
- Michigan State Housing Development Authority — rental assistance programs
- Legal Services of South Central Michigan — eviction defence and tenant rights
- City of Lansing code office — unsafe rental conditions
Utilities
- Consumers Energy hardship and shut-off protection programs
- Lansing Board of Water & Light payment plans
- LIHEAP / Michigan Home Heating Credit — seasonal applications
- THAW — The Heat and Warmth Fund
Food
- Greater Lansing Food Bank — mobile distributions and pantry locator
- SNAP & WIC enrolment through Michigan DHHS
- School district summer meal sites — June to August, free for children 18 and under
- Our own pantry — Tuesday, Thursday and one Saturday monthly
Health & benefits
- Ingham Community Health Centers — sliding-scale primary and dental care
- Michigan Medicaid / Healthy Michigan Plan enrolment
- Hospital charity-care applications — ask us, we help fill these in weekly
- Prescription assistance through manufacturer patient programs
Work, ID & transport
- Michigan Works! — job search, résumé help, training grants
- Secretary of State — state ID and licence reinstatement
- CATA bus passes — limited supply held at our office for appointments
- Free tax preparation (VITA) — January to April, appointment only
We list these organisations because our volunteers work with them regularly. We are independent of all of them and receive no payment for referrals. Details change; call ahead where you can.
Preparing for an appointment
Bringing the right paperwork the first time can shorten a two-week process to two days. Where you do not have something, tell us — missing documents are a normal situation, not a disqualification.
- Photo ID for the head of household
- Proof of address — lease, utility bill or piece of official mail
- The specific notice you received (shut-off, demand for rent, court summons)
- Most recent income evidence, if any
- Names and ages of everyone in the household
Language & access
Volunteer interpreters are available in Spanish, Arabic and Kinyarwanda; other languages are arranged through a partner service with about three days’ notice. The Magazine Street office is step-free with an accessible restroom, and home visits are available for anyone who cannot travel.
Large-print copies of any document we ask you to sign are produced on request, and we will read paperwork aloud whenever that is easier.