HOPE™
Rhode IslandRhode Island Survival Guide
Find help right now — shelter, food, benefits. Free. No login.
What do you need right now?
Tap a need and HOPE gets you moving fast. No login. No labyrinth. Just the help that matters.
Search happens on your phone. HOPE counts only the length bucket of no-result searches, never the words you type.
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❤️
HOPE is an app made by people who have lived homelessness.
Any help and support means the world to us. $10 is A LOT. $100 is a fortune. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
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We serve those in need — the vulnerable and the underprivileged.
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HOPE™ · © 2026 HOPE. All rights reserved.
Created by Robert Diamond
In memory of John MiG Migliaccio
Build: July 14, 2026 · EN/ES · v29.40.0 Partner Library + Guardian Alignment
I need help tonight
Who needs a place tonight?
Sleep tonight
In RI, shelter beds are accessed through Regional Access Points (RAPs). Start there — they do the intake and connect you to an open bed.
Verified partner updates
Live partner-reported bed availability
Availability changes quickly and is not a reservation. Call before traveling.
📞 Nervous to call? What to say, word for word
Everyone gets nervous. You can read this exactly as written:
"Hi. I'm calling because I need a place to sleep. I'm [alone / with my kids]. Can you tell me if you have space tonight, and what I should do next?"
That's all it takes. If they're full, ask:
"Can you put me on the list, and where else should I try tonight?" — then call 2-1-1.
You don't need perfect words, documents, or a sad-enough story. Needing a bed is the whole qualification.
Outreach — help that comes to you
Street Outreach Teams
Can't get to a RAP? Call any Regional Access Point and ask for street outreach — a team will come meet you where you are (a corner, an encampment, a meal site) to help with shelter, benefits, and basic needs. Teams cover the whole state: House of Hope (PATH), WARM, Thrive, Newport Mental Health, East Bay CAP, Community Care Alliance, Crossroads, and Amos House.
Better Lives Rhode Island
12 Abbott Park Place, Providence · day center + food pantry + outreach
A welcoming day center near Kennedy Plaza: food, hygiene, and help with a photo-ID voucher, SNAP, SSI/SSDI, health insurance, and housing applications. They also run street outreach and a 6-bed home for women leaving prison.
Day center hours: Mon–Thu 9:30am–4:30pm; Fri 11:30am–2:30pm.
Source: RI Executive Office of Housing, updated May 2026; Better Lives RI; House of Hope CDC. Always call first — hours and space change.
Food
Two kinds of help: hot meals served on the spot (soup kitchens), and food pantries that give you groceries to take with you.
Compiled from RI meal-site lists. Call before going — some sites close on certain weeks or holidays.
📋 Benefits
The main programs that put food, healthcare, and a little cash within reach. Being homeless does not disqualify you from any of these.
SNAP (food stamps)
Use SNAP for hot, prepared meals
If you're homeless, 60+, or disabled, the Restaurant Meals Program lets you buy hot/prepared food with your EBT. Look for the "Fork & Knife / SNAP Restaurant Meals" sign.
Where: participating Subway restaurants in RI. The list can change; check the current DHS list before you go.
Current list: DHS Restaurant Meals Program
Apply for SNAP
Apply online at healthyrhode.ri.gov, by phone, or in person at a DHS office. Bring a photo ID, Social Security number, and any proof of income (even if $0). No fixed address? Use a shelter address or general delivery.
Medicaid / health coverage
Free or low-cost health insurance
Medicaid (including RIte Care) covers low-income adults, kids, seniors, pregnant women, and people with disabilities. If you qualify, you can enroll any time — no waiting for open enrollment. It's free or very low cost.
Apply through HealthSource RI — one application checks you for Medicaid and other coverage.
💡 Free in-person "navigators" can help you apply in your language
Cash assistance
RI Works & other cash aid
RI Works: monthly cash + job support for families with children. General Public Assistance: limited emergency cash for some adults. SSI/SSDI: federal disability benefits you apply for through the Social Security Administration, not DHS.
For people experiencing homelessness who need SSI/SSDI, ask for SOAR — specialized help with disability applications. DHS can help with RI Works/GPA/SNAP/Medicaid; Legal Aid can help if denied.
DHS offices — walk in for help
Rhode Island DHS offices
Regional offices offer walk-in help Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, generally 8:30 a.m.–4 p.m. Drop-box access varies by office. Call or check the official page before traveling: 1-855-697-4347.
Providence: 125 Holden St · Pawtucket: 249 Roosevelt Ave
Woonsocket: 219 Pond St · Wakefield: 4808 Tower Hill Rd Ste G1
Middletown: 31 John Clarke Rd · Warwick is not currently listed as a regional walk-in office.
Community partners who can help you apply
Local Community Action Programs help with benefits, heating assistance, and more — often faster and friendlier than the phone line:
CCAP (Cranston): 311 Doric Ave · 401-467-9610
Blackstone Valley CAP (Pawtucket): 32 Goff Ave · 401-723-4520
Community Care Alliance (Woonsocket): 401-235-7000 · Tri-County CAA (Johnston): 1126 Hartford Ave
Center for Southeast Asians: 401-274-8811
Free tax prep & other benefits help
Free Tax Preparation — VITA
Federal Hill House leads the Providence VITA/EITC Coalition · multiple sites
Free IRS-certified tax preparation for individuals and families earning under ~$69K/year, seniors, people with disabilities, and limited-English speakers. Includes free Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) filing — you may be owed money you didn't claim. Available annually through April 15.
Coalition partners include Amos House, OpenDoors, Center for Southeast Asians, and others. Call 2-1-1 to find the nearest VITA site.
📞 Seasonal — available through April 15 each year. Call ahead for appointment.
WIC — Women, Infants & Children
Federal Hill House, Providence · and other WIC sites statewide
Federal nutrition program for pregnant women, new mothers, infants, and children under 5. Provides food vouchers, nutrition counseling, and referrals. Federal Hill House is a WIC provider.
Source: RI Dept. of Human Services, HealthSource RI, EOHHS, Federal Hill House, 2026. Call to confirm current rules.
🏠 Housing
Help to keep the housing you have, get back into housing, or fight an eviction. If you have nowhere tonight, use the 🛏️ Sleep tonight tab first.
RIHousing — rent help & listings
The state housing agency. Rental assistance programs, affordable apartment listings, and help for first-time renters. Also runs HousingSearchRI, a free statewide listing of available units.
Coordinated Entry — the front door to housing
To get on the list for shelter, rapid re-housing, or permanent supportive housing in RI, you go through Coordinated Entry — same system as the Regional Access Points in the Sleep tab.
Behind on rent or utilities?
A HUD-approved housing counselor can help you find rent help and deal with landlords — free. Your local Community Action Agency may also have emergency funds.
East Bay Community Action Program
East Bay / Newport County
Community action agency offering health centers, food assistance, family services, housing support, Head Start, and senior services.
📞 Call first — hours, eligibility, and availability can change
Westbay Community Action
Warwick / West Bay
Food pantry, basic needs, housing support, utility assistance, and employment support for West Bay communities.
📞 Call first — hours, eligibility, and availability can change
Tri-County Community Action Agency
Johnston / North Providence / Smithfield
Community action services including food, health, WIC, family programs, and housing support.
📞 Call first — hours, eligibility, and availability can change
Comprehensive Community Action Program (CCAP)
Cranston / Kent County
Health centers, food assistance, family services, weatherization, employment programs, and housing support.
📞 Call first — hours, eligibility, and availability can change
Source: RIHousing, HUD, RI Coordinated Entry, 2026. Verify program availability by phone.
💼 Work
Free help finding a job, building skills, and getting back to work — including programs built for people rebuilding after hard times.
SNAP Employment & Training (SNAP E&T)
Free training and job support for SNAP recipients
If you receive SNAP, you may qualify for job training, education, support services, credentials, and help moving toward employment.
netWORKri Career Centers
Offices in Providence, Pawtucket, Wakefield, West Warwick, Woonsocket
RI's free one-stop career centers. Job listings, resume help, computers, interview prep, and job coaches — all at no cost, whether or not you're on benefits.
Amos House Workforce Training
Free training and certification in culinary arts, building trades, customer service, CDL/trucking, and manufacturing. Built for adults rebuilding their lives — including after incarceration or homelessness.
Skills for Rhode Island's Future
Connects unemployed and underemployed Rhode Islanders directly to real jobs with employers who've committed to hiring — plus free training. They guide you through the whole hiring process.
Job fairs & workshops
The RI Dept. of Labor & Training posts a calendar of upcoming hiring events, job fairs, and free skills workshops across the state.
Finish your education (free GED & adult ed)
Adult Education Info Centers — by city
Providence: American Job Center, 50 Sims Ave (Tue 10–1); Providence Public Library, 150 Empire St (Wed 4–7, Sat 10–1)
Central Falls: RIC Workforce Hub, 934 Dexter St (Tue 5–8)
Cranston: 83 Rolfe Square (Tue & Thu 10–1, Wed 4–7)
Pawtucket: SER Jobs for Progress, 100 East Ave (Tue 10–2)
Warwick: Westbay CAP, 487 Jefferson Blvd (Tue 1–4)
West Warwick: American Job Center, 1330 Main St (1st Fri 10–2)
Woonsocket: Education Center, 115 Main St (Thu 10–2)
📞 Hours change around holidays — confirm before you go
Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training
Statewide
Unemployment insurance, workforce programs, job fairs, training resources, and career-center information.
📞 Call first — hours, eligibility, and availability can change
Source: RI Dept. of Labor & Training, netWORKri, Amos House, SkillsRI, RI Adult Education (RIDE), 2026.
⚖️ Legal help
Free legal aid for low-income Rhode Islanders. They handle evictions, benefit denials, family law, and more — at no cost if you qualify.
Rhode Island Legal Services (RILS)
56 Pine St, Providence
The state's main free law firm for low-income people. Evictions & foreclosure defense, benefit denials (SNAP, RIte Care, SSI, unemployment), family law, domestic violence. Call them the day you get any eviction paper.
RI Center for Justice
Free legal help for tenants facing eviction, housing discrimination, and landlord problems. Partners on the statewide eviction-defense effort.
RI Disability Law Center
Free legal help for people with disabilities or mental illness — protecting rights and securing benefits and services.
Free legal clinic for people facing homelessness
The RI Coalition to End Homelessness hosts a free legal clinic twice a month — divorce, custody, child support, understanding legal documents. By appointment, limited slots.
Age 60+?
The RI Bar Association offers everyone 60 or older a free half-hour consultation with a lawyer on any civil matter.
Sojourner House — legal advocacy for survivors
Providence / statewide survivor support
Domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking, housing support, legal advocacy, and immigration advocacy. Use Quick Exit if screen safety is a concern.
📞 Call first — hours, eligibility, and availability can change
Source: RI Legal Services, Center for Justice, RI Disability Law Center, RI Coalition to End Homelessness, RI Bar Association, 2026. This is general info, not legal advice.
Health & dental
Free and low-cost care, including the safety-net dental clinics most people never hear about.
Free & low-cost dental
Providence area
Providence Community Health Centers — 335R Prairie Ave · 401-444-0430 · kids to 19 & pregnant women only at this site
PCHC / Crossroads — 160 Broad St · 401-444-0430 · adults only
Rhode Island Free Clinic — 655 Broad St · 401-274-6347 · uninsured only; meet social worker + primary-care exam first
Thundermist of Providence — 557 Broad St · 401-235-6838 · Wed only; HIV/Ryan White & transgender care
Samuels Sinclair Dental (RI Hospital) — 593 Eddy St · 401-444-5284 · special-needs adults + all kids
Pawtucket / Central Falls / North
Blackstone Valley Community Health Care — 210 Main St, Pawtucket & 1000 Broad St, Central Falls · 401-729-5239 · Mon–Fri 8–5; some Saturdays
Tri-County CAA — 1126 Hartford Ave, Johnston · 401-519-1940
WellOne — Pascoag (15 Sayles Ave, 401-567-0800) & Foster (142A Danielson Pike, 401-647-3702)
Cranston / Warwick / Coventry
Comprehensive Community Action (CCAP):
• 1090 Cranston St, Cranston · 401-942-4867
• 191 MacArthur Blvd, Coventry · 401-589-2622
• 226 Buttonwoods Ave, Warwick · 401-732-9090
Thundermist of West Warwick — 1219 Main St · 401-615-2804 · size-inclusive dental chair
Newport / South County / Block Island
East Bay CAP — 19 Broadway, Newport · 401-845-0564
Thundermist of South County — 1 River St, Wakefield · 401-783-5646
WellOne — 308 Callahan Rd, N. Kingstown (401-295-9706) & 35 Village Plaza Way, N. Scituate (401-647-6262)
Wood River Health — 823 Main St, Hope Valley · 401-539-2461 · also Block Island (2 Thu/month)
Woonsocket
Thundermist of Woonsocket — 25 John A. Cummings Way · 401-767-4161 · Mon–Thu 8–8, Fri 8–5
CCRI Dental Hygiene Clinic (cleanings)
1762 Louisquisset Pike, Lincoln
Offers: low-cost cleanings & preventive care (student clinic, during semesters)
📞 Call to schedule
Medical & mental health
Need a doctor or mental health care?
RI's community health centers (Thundermist, Providence Community Health Centers, Blackstone Valley, WellOne, and others above) serve everyone regardless of insurance or ability to pay — medical, not just dental.
The Providence Center
528 North Main St, Providence · accepts Medicaid, Medicare & most insurance
A major RI behavioral-health organization — mental health and addiction treatment for adults, teens, and kids. Walk-in crisis stabilization, recovery programs, and the Home Base program built specifically for people who are chronically homeless with mental health and substance use needs, helping them find permanent housing.
Intake / first appointments: Mon–Fri 8am–4:30pm
📞 Ask about the Home Base program if you're homeless
🌱 Addiction & recovery — now its own tab
Free naloxone/Narcan, harm reduction, methadone & Suboxone (MAT), peer recovery, and recovery housing — all moved to their own front door.
Blackstone Valley Community Health Care
Pawtucket / Central Falls
Primary care, dental care, behavioral health, and pediatrics for Pawtucket and Central Falls communities.
📞 Call first — hours, eligibility, and availability can change
Wood River Health
Hope Valley / Westerly region
Primary care, dental care, behavioral health, and social-service support for southwestern Rhode Island.
📞 Call first — hours, eligibility, and availability can change
Source: RI BHDDH Centers of Excellence (updated May 2026), RICARES, Project Weber/RENEW, The Providence Center, + 211. Call to confirm hours.
🌱 Addiction & recovery
Using, thinking about stopping, in recovery, or loving someone who is — there's a door here for you. No judgment, and no sobriety required to ask for help.
📞 First call ever? What to say
"Hi. I want to talk to someone about treatment. It's my first call and I don't know how this works."
That sentence is enough — they take it from there. You can call before you're sure. Asking a question doesn't commit you to anything.
Peer recovery & harm reduction
RICARES
166 Valley St, Suite 105, Providence · peer-led, non-judgmental
Rhode Island's recovery community organization — peer support groups, recovery coaching, and help finding recovery housing (they certify it statewide). Run by and for people in recovery, any pathway welcome.
Project Weber/RENEW
Drop-ins: 45 Willard Ave, Providence · 124 Broad St, Pawtucket
Peer-led harm reduction, staffed entirely by people with lived experience. Free naloxone/Narcan, fentanyl test strips, clean supplies, HIV/Hep C testing, recovery support, and basic needs — plus dedicated support for sex workers and trans people. Anyone is welcome to stop in, rest, and talk.
Methadone & medication treatment (MAT)
Start treatment by phone — 24/7
RI Buprenorphine Hotline connects you to a clinician who can start you on Suboxone by telehealth, any time, day or night.
BH Link — 24/7 crisis & treatment
975 Waterman Ave, East Providence
Walk in any time, or call. Behavioral health and substance-use crisis help, with a warm handoff to ongoing treatment. Also: walk into any fire station ("Safe Stations") to be connected to treatment.
CODAC — 6 locations
RI's largest nonprofit opioid-treatment provider. Methadone, Suboxone, Vivitrol + counseling. Main line: 401-490-0716
Providence (HQ): 45 Royal Little Dr · Providence: 349 Huntington Ave
Cranston: 1052 Park Ave · East Bay: 850 Waterman Ave
Newport: 93 Thames St · South County: 350 Columbia St, Wakefield
Behavioral Health Group (BHG) — 5 locations
Methadone, Suboxone, and counseling at clinics across the state.
Providence: 191 Nashua St · 401-941-4488
Pawtucket: 8 Pond St · 401-727-1287
Johnston: 985 Plainfield St · 401-946-0650
Middletown: 26 Valley Rd Ste 202 · 401-552-4673
Westerly: 86 Beach St · 401-596-0969
Gateway Healthcare
Multiple RI locations
Behavioral health services, substance-use services, and developmental-disability support through an established statewide provider network.
📞 Call first — hours, eligibility, and availability can change
Homeless and fighting both at once?
Ask about Home Base — The Providence Center's program built specifically for people who are chronically homeless with mental-health and substance-use needs, helping them find permanent housing. Details in the Health tab.
Source: RI BHDDH Centers of Excellence (updated May 2026), RICARES, Project Weber/RENEW, + 211. Call to confirm hours.
Library & day space
Libraries are free, warm, open to everyone. Restrooms, computers, wifi, and staff who help you find resources — no questions asked. One library card works at all of them.
Find any RI library (official map)
Rhode Island has 48 public libraries across 73 locations, all in the Ocean State Libraries network. This official directory maps every one with current hours.
Providence libraries
Providence Public Library (Main)
150 Empire St, Providence 02903
Has: free wifi, computers, restrooms, social worker on staff, adult-ed help
Community Libraries of Providence — 9 neighborhood branches
All free, all with wifi, computers & restrooms. Closest to you:
Knight Memorial — 275 Elmwood Ave · 401-467-2625
Rochambeau — 708 Hope St · 401-272-3780
Mount Pleasant — 315 Academy Ave · 401-272-0106
Olneyville — 1 Olneyville Sq · 401-421-4084
Smith Hill — 31 Candace St · 401-272-4140
Fox Point — 90 Ives St · 401-331-0390
South Providence — 411 Prairie Ave · 401-467-2619
Wanskuck — 233 Veazie St · 401-274-4145
Washington Park — 1316 Broad St · 401-781-3136
Other city libraries
Pawtucket: Pawtucket Public Library, 13 Summer St
Cranston: Central Library, 140 Sockanosset Cross Rd
Woonsocket: Harris Public Library, 1 Library St
Warwick: Central Library, 600 Sandy Ln
Newport: Newport Public Library, 300 Spring St
Central Falls: Adams Memorial Library, 1 Lincoln Ave
Every other RI town has one too — use the statewide map above.
Source: RI Office of Library & Information Services / Community Libraries of Providence, 2026. Hours vary by branch and season — check before a long trip.
🧥 Clothes & basics
Free clothing, a free phone to stay reachable, and personal hygiene supplies. Small things that make a real difference.
Free clothing
The Clothing Collaborative
100 Niantic Ave, Providence (+ East Providence, Westerly, Woonsocket)
Free work and professional clothing, shoes, and personal hygiene products for people in job training, school, or job searching. Seasonal clothing for men and women.
Usually through a referral from an agency you're working with — ask your case manager or a shelter.
St. Vincent de Paul
Provides donated clothing, shoes, and linens to Rhode Islanders in need, directly and through partner agencies. Call 2-1-1 to find the nearest distribution.
House of Hope & Amos House
Both serve people experiencing homelessness and distribute seasonal clothing — coats, gloves, boots — especially in winter. Amos House also serves meals daily.
Providence Rescue Mission
627 Cranston St, Providence
Free clothing room on Saturdays (~10:30am–12:30pm). They also hand out hygiene kits. No referral needed — just walk in. Also a nightly shelter (see the 🛏️ Sleep tab).
Winter coats
Each winter, statewide coat drives distribute thousands of coats, hats, and blankets through shelters and community groups. Ask any shelter or call 2-1-1 when it gets cold.
Free phone (stay reachable)
How to get a free Lifeline phone
You qualify if you're on Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, or other assistance — or by income. Apply through a provider; they verify you through the national system. No address required for shelter residents.
Providers that give a free phone: Assurance Wireless, SafeLink, Life Wireless, TruConnect, Q Link.
⚠ One free phone per household. The old "ACP" internet program ended in 2024 — Lifeline is the active one.
Hygiene & personal care
Showers & hygiene
Shower to Empower brings free showers and hygiene supplies to different locations each weekday (see the 🛏️ Sleep tab for the daily schedule). Many shelters and day centers also offer showers and basic toiletries.
Hygiene supplies
The Clothing Collaborative (above) provides personal hygiene products. Soup kitchens, the Providence Rescue Mission, and day centers often hand out toiletry kits — soap, toothbrush, razors, feminine products. Ask at any meal site.
Source: Dorcas International / Clothing Collaborative, SVDP RI, House of Hope, Amos House, federal Lifeline program, 2026. Call before you go — supplies and referral rules change.
🧑 Youth (18–24)
The adult shelter system isn't built for young people — it assumes a rental history and family support you may not have. These programs exist just for you.
Foster Forward — Youth Drop-In Center
Ages 18–25 · Mon, Wed, Fri 10am–4pm
A welcoming place to get food, take a shower, grab clean clothes, do laundry, charge your phone, and get connected to housing, SNAP, and mental health support — no judgment.
Foster Forward — Your Way Home
If you aged out of foster care and you're now homeless, this program helps house you fast. Ask for Scott.
Family Service of RI — Host Homes
Safe place to stay (up to 30 days) with a vetted host while you work toward your own housing. For youth 18–24.
House of Hope — HYPE Team
Youth outreach workers who meet you where you are — in person or virtually — with immediate basics and help navigating resources.
Haus of Codec Emergency Shelter
Ages 18–24 · best suited for LGBTQIA+ youth · confidential location
Emergency and transitional housing with wraparound support, a food and clothing pantry, self-service kitchen, and case management. Complete their pre-screening form or call.
📞 Space changes fast. Call first, and also use a Regional Access Point in the 🛏️ Sleep tab.
Children's Friend
Providence / Central Falls / Pawtucket
Early childhood programs, Head Start, family support, parenting support, and child/family services.
📞 Call first — hours, eligibility, and availability can change
Tides Family Services
West Warwick / statewide
Youth services, family support, behavioral health, and support for justice-involved youth.
📞 Call first — hours, eligibility, and availability can change
Youth Pride, Inc.
743 Westminster St, Providence
LGBTQ+ youth support, drop-in programming, basic-needs support, and advocacy.
📞 Call first — hours, eligibility, and availability can change
Source: Foster Forward, Family Service of RI, House of Hope, Haus of Codec, 2026. Call to confirm hours.
🎖️ Veterans
You served. There's a network in Rhode Island built specifically to have your back — housing, benefits, health, and crisis support.
Operation Stand Down RI
RI's primary nonprofit for homeless & at-risk veterans
Housing (transitional & permanent), rental assistance (SSVF), a veterans' food pantry and hygiene program, help with VA disability claims, employment, and free legal help through their LAW program.
Providence VA Medical Center
830 Chalkstone Ave, Providence
Health care, mental health, substance use treatment, and homeless programs including HUD-VASH housing vouchers.
Vet Center (Warwick)
2038 Post Rd, Warwick
Free readjustment and PTSD counseling for combat veterans and their families — no cost, confidential.
Rhode Island Office of Veterans Services
Statewide
State veterans office for benefits navigation, veteran programs, advocacy, and state-level support.
📞 Call first — hours, eligibility, and availability can change
Source: RI Dept. of Health, Operation Stand Down RI, VA, 2026. Call to confirm details.
🌍 Immigrants & refugees
Help with legal status, English classes, job training, and settling in — from organizations that have done this work for decades.
Dorcas International Institute of RI
645 Elmwood Ave, Providence
Low-cost immigration & citizenship legal services (real attorneys), English classes, job training, refugee resettlement, translation, and clothing/household help. Over 100 years serving RI.
Refugee Dream Center
Refugee resettlement and ongoing support — helping people find housing, healthcare, school, and work.
Women's Refugee Care
Support for refugee families from the African Great Lakes region (Congo, Burundi, Rwanda), with a focus on women and girls.
Know your rights
Everyone in the U.S. has certain rights regardless of immigration status. Health centers and many services serve you regardless of status and keep your information confidential. For legal questions, start with Dorcas International above.
Progreso Latino
626 Broad St, Central Falls
Adult education, immigrant support, family programs, workforce development, and health navigation.
📞 Call first — hours, eligibility, and availability can change
Source: Dorcas International, RI DHS Refugee Resources, 2026. Call to confirm services.
🔑 Reentry after incarceration
Coming out with little is hard, and the system isn't built to make it easy. These organizations help you get housing, work, ID, and a real second chance.
✓ Verified HOPE Partner
OpenDoors RI
Pawtucket / statewide
RI's leading reentry organization: housing for people leaving prison, help with ID and documents, transportation, addiction recovery connections, and a dedicated women's reentry program.
✓ Verified HOPE Partner
Amos House
460 Pine St, Providence
Meals, housing, and free job training (culinary, trades, CDL, more) — explicitly built to welcome people rebuilding after incarceration.
Replacing your ID
A state ID is the first thing you need for work, benefits, and housing. OpenDoors and shelter Access Points both help with this. See also the 📋 Benefits and 🛏️ Sleep tabs.
Source: OpenDoors RI, Amos House, 2026. Call to confirm current programs.
🧓 Seniors & disability
If you're 55 or older, living with a disability, or caring for someone who is, Rhode Island has one easy front door — free and multilingual.
Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) — start here
Free · confidential · multilingual · 24/7 · formerly The Point
Rhode Island's "no wrong door" for seniors, adults with disabilities, and caregivers. They help with Medicare/Medicaid, SNAP, heating help, housing, long-term care, and transportation — all in one call. You can also start online at myoptions.ri.gov.
Office of Healthy Aging (OHA)
The state aging agency. Also runs Elder Protective Services if there's abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation.
Medicare, meals & rides
SHIP / Medicare Counseling: free 1-on-1 Medicare counseling. 888-884-8721
PACE: all-inclusive care to stay home. 401-490-6566
Elderly Transportation Program: rides to medical appointments or congregate meal sites for age 60+. Medical rides for any Medicaid recipient are also through MTM: 855-330-9131.
Meals on Wheels RI: home-delivered meals for homebound seniors.
Utilities, rights & legal help
George Wiley Center: utility shutoff protection and affordable-rate programs for low-income households.
RI Disability Law Center: 1-800-733-5332 · free legal help for people with disabilities.
Governor's Commission on Disabilities: accessibility & rights (gcd.ri.gov).
Senior & disability resource centers
Start with ADRC: 401-462-4444, 24/7. They connect older adults, adults with disabilities, and caregivers to benefits, transportation, home care, food, housing, Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, and heating help.
Local senior centers: East Providence 401-435-7800 · Warwick Pilgrim 401-468-4077 · Woonsocket 401-766-3734 · Westerly 401-596-2404 · Johnston 401-944-3343 · Lincoln 401-753-7000
Home care help
At HOME Cost Share: helps eligible older adults with in-home help, personal care, housekeeping, meal prep, and adult day programs. Ask ADRC to screen you.
Transportation: ask about the Elderly Transportation Program, the RIPTA reduced/no-fare pass, and non-emergency medical transportation.
Ocean State Center for Independent Living (OSCIL)
1944 Warwick Ave, Warwick
Independent living support, disability advocacy, benefits guidance, assistive-technology referrals, and skills training.
📞 Call first — hours, eligibility, and availability can change
Sherlock Center on Disabilities
Rhode Island College / statewide
Disability information, training, technical assistance, employment supports, and family resources.
📞 Call first — hours, eligibility, and availability can change
Looking Upwards
Middletown / statewide
Developmental disability services, children and family supports, employment supports, and residential supports.
📞 Call first — hours, eligibility, and availability can change
Source: RI Office of Healthy Aging, EOHHS, United Way 211, 2026. Call to confirm.
🚌 Transportation
Finding help is only half. Getting there is the other half. Everything you need to get around Rhode Island — free, reduced, or medical.
🚌 Public transit
RIPTA — Plan your trip
ripta.com · statewide bus service
Rhode Island's public bus system — routes, schedules, and a trip planner. Full fare: $2.00. Day pass: $6. Monthly: $70. Wave mobile app for tap-to-pay.
Free & reduced bus pass
Low-income seniors 65+ and people with disabilities can ride FREE with a "Valid All Day" photo ID pass — good for 2 years. $10 processing fee. Apply in person at Kennedy Plaza Photo ID Office (Mon/Wed/Fri 8am–4pm) or online at ripta.com/reducedfare.
Half-fare off-peak for all seniors 65+ and people with disabilities — just show a Medicare card or RIPTA Senior ID.
RI Works recipients receive a free Wave card automatically through DHS.
📞 Call before going to the ID office — bring proof of age/disability and income
RIPTA Flex — on-demand in your area
Door-to-door flexible service for areas with limited fixed-route coverage. Reserve 24 hours ahead or catch a Flex vehicle at scheduled stops. Call the FlexLine or book through the RIPTA app.
Wave — mobile fare app
Load RIPTA fares on your phone or a Wave card. Buy passes, earn free rides, and tap to board. Free to download — search "RIPTA Wave" in the App Store or Google Play.
♿ Disability transportation
RIde ADA Paratransit
Door-to-door shared van service for people whose disability prevents them from using the regular bus. $4.00 per trip. Must apply and be approved — includes a health care provider assessment. One personal care attendant rides free.
New: the MTM Go app lets you book, modify, and track RIde trips from your phone.
📞 Reservations: Mon–Fri 8:30am–4:30pm, Sat–Sun 8am–4pm. Book the day before.
RIde Anywhere — statewide
For approved RIde riders: curb-to-curb trips anywhere in Rhode Island, not just the ¾-mile ADA corridor. Same booking number, same app.
🏥 Medical transportation
MTM — Medicaid medical transport
Statewide · Medical Transportation Management
If you have Medicaid, MTM arranges free non-emergency rides to medical appointments statewide — doctor, dentist, therapy, pharmacy. Must schedule at least 2 business days in advance, Mon–Fri 5am–6pm trips only.
📞 Call 2+ business days ahead. Have your Medicaid ID if applicable, appointment/meal-site address, and return time ready.
Elderly Transportation Program (ETP)
Statewide · age 60+ for medical appointments or congregate meal sites
Free non-emergency medical transport for Rhode Islanders 60+ (or with a disability) who don't have Medicaid and don't use the RIde program. Also coordinated through MTM.
🎖 Veterans transportation
VA & DAV transportation
Providence VA Medical Center · 830 Chalkstone Ave, Providence
The DAV (Disabled American Veterans) runs free volunteer van service to VA appointments for veterans who can't drive themselves. Call the VA and ask about the DAV Transportation Network.
Veterans also qualify for RIPTA's reduced-fare bus pass — a VA letter with a disability rating is accepted as proof.
🚕 Rideshare apps
Uber & Lyft
If you have the apps installed, the buttons below open them directly with Providence as your starting point. If not, download from the App Store or Google Play — both offer occasional free or discounted rides for new users.
Uber and Lyft are paid services. Prices vary. Check the estimated fare before confirming.
🚆 Regional travel
Providence Station — Amtrak & MBTA
100 Gaspee St, Providence · open daily until midnight
Amtrak and MBTA commuter rail to Boston and beyond. MBTA to Boston South Station runs frequently — roughly $20–25 one way. Amtrak intercity to New York, Boston, and beyond.
Intercity buses — FlixBus & Peter Pan
Depart from Kennedy Plaza, Providence
Budget intercity bus service to Boston, New York, and other cities. FlixBus and Peter Pan both serve Providence — tickets often $15–40 booked in advance online.
Sources: RIPTA (ripta.com), EOHHS, RI Office of Healthy Aging, Providence VA, DAV, MTM, 2026. Call to confirm schedules and eligibility — routes and programs change.
🧭 The first 72 hours
One step at a time, in order — the order matters. Pick what's happening. Every step uses the same human-verified resources as the rest of HOPE.
🤝 Walk me through the system
Before you call, take 3 minutes. You do not need to sound perfect. You need to say the basics, ask for the next step, and write down what they tell you.
1. Say the simple situation. I am in Rhode Island. I need help today. My situation is: ___.
2. Ask for intake. Can I do an intake? Is there a waitlist? What is the next step?
3. Ask what to bring. What documents do I need? Can I start if I am missing documents?
4. Ask how to get there. Is there transportation, a bus pass, a phone appointment, or someone who can call me?
📞 What to say when you call
Hi, my name is ___. I am in Rhode Island and I need help today. I am calling because ___. Can you tell me the next step and what documents I need?
If this is not the right office, can you tell me exactly who to call? Can you give me the direct number?
Before I hang up, can I repeat back what I heard to make sure I understood?
❓ What to ask for
- An intake or screening, not just general information.
- The first available appointment and whether same-day help exists.
- Waitlist, backup shelter, entry hours, and where to go after hours.
- The person’s name, direct number, and what to do if you do not get a call back.
- A transportation plan: bus, MTM if you have Medicaid, age 60+ ride help, or agency help.
🪪 Documents: bring whatever you have
Do not wait until you have every document to ask for help. Call first. Ask what you can use temporarily.
- Photo ID or a photo of an old ID.
- Social Security card or Social Security number, if you have it.
- Medicaid/SNAP/EBT card, DHS letters, shelter letter, or mail with your name.
- Court papers, eviction papers, hospital discharge papers, prescription, pill bottle, or photos of any of these.
- Names and dates: doctor, pharmacy, caseworker, landlord, probation/parole officer, school.
🚌 Transportation: ask before you travel
- Ask: Can I do this by phone? Do I need to come in person?
- Ask whether the agency has a bus pass, ride help, remote appointment, or outreach worker.
- For Medicaid medical appointments, ask about MTM. For age 60+, ask about rides to medical appointments or congregate meals.
- If you are leaving the hospital, ask for transportation before discharge.
⚖️ Legal help and rights
HOPE does not give legal advice. This is a guide for asking for help. If you have court papers, eviction papers, denied benefits, custody, violence, immigration, or criminal charges, call legal help as soon as possible.
- Ask: What is my deadline? Do I have court? Can I appeal? What happens if I do not go?
- Do not ignore legal papers. Take a photo of every page and keep the envelope.
- If you do not understand a paper, read the first lines over the phone and ask what it means.
- Ask for confirmation by text, email, or paper when possible.
🚪 If they say no
- Ask why: eligibility, hours, documents, waitlist, or wrong office.
- Ask: What would need to change for me to qualify?
- Ask: Who would you call if you were in my situation?
- Write down the name, date, time, and next number. Then try the next HOPE path.
More paths coming. Is your situation missing? Tell us — that's how HOPE grows. · Be part of HOPE
🏚️ I lost my housing
Breathe. There's an order that protects your rights and gets you a bed faster.
1
Still have keys? Fight first.
If you got any eviction paper but haven't left yet, call RI Legal Services TODAY — many evictions can be fought, and moving out early can hurt your case.
2
Get on the shelter list
Most shelter beds in RI start with a Regional Access Point — they do the intake. After hours or need a bed tonight: call 2-1-1 (24/7), or go straight to a shelter and ask — they'll take you if there's space.
3
Eat today
Hot meals by day and city — don't spend the money you have left on food you can get free.
4
One bag for your papers
ID, birth certificate, Social Security card, benefit cards, medications, chargers, this phone. Papers are the hardest thing to replace.
5
Don't lose your benefits
If you get SNAP or other benefits, report your address change so lost mail doesn't cut you off. 2-1-1 can help with that.
6
Help that comes to you
Can't get to an Access Point? Call any of them and ask for street outreach — a team meets you where you are.
7
↺ Start over · Same human-verified resources as the rest of HOPE. Hours and space change — call before you go.
🔑 I just got released
The system doesn't make coming back easy. This order does.
1
Call OpenDoors first
RI's leading reentry organization: housing, ID and documents, transportation, and a dedicated women's program.
2
ID first
A state ID unlocks work, benefits, and housing. OpenDoors and Access Points help; Better Lives RI helps with a photo-ID voucher.
3
Bed tonight, if you need one
Regional Access Point intake, or 2-1-1 after hours.
4
A meal and a base
Amos House: meals, housing, and free job training — explicitly built to welcome people rebuilding after incarceration.
5
Restart your benefits
SNAP and Medicaid don't restart themselves.
6
Work when you're ready
Free training at Amos House (culinary, trades, CDL) and more in the Work tab.
↺ Start over · Same human-verified resources as the rest of HOPE. Call before you go.
🚗 My car is my home
You count. Sleeping in a car is homelessness — you qualify for the same help as anyone.
1
Get counted
Call a Regional Access Point and say you're sleeping in your car. Ask for street outreach — teams come to you.
2
Warmth and food every day
Hot meals by day and city. Libraries are free: warmth, wifi, restrooms, and staff who help.
3
Showers and basics
Shower to Empower rotates locations each weekday (schedule in the Sleep tab). Hygiene kits and clothing under Clothes & basics.
4
Protect the car — it's your shelter
If tickets or registration problems pile up, talk to free legal aid before they snowball. Losing the car means losing your shelter.
5
Mail, ID, applications
A day center is your office. Better Lives RI (12 Abbott Park Place, Providence): photo-ID voucher, SNAP, housing applications. Mon–Thu 9:30am–4:30pm, Fri 11:30am–2:30pm.
6
Dangerous cold or heat: don't ride it out in the car
See the cold guide under Save a life, or call 2-1-1 for warming or cooling centers.
↺ Start over · Same human-verified resources as the rest of HOPE. Call before you go.
🕳️ Rock bottom
You're still here — that's the foothold. Nobody climbs out in a day. One step. Then the next. In whatever order you can manage.
1
Today: stay alive. That's the whole job.
If you're in danger or thinking about ending it — call or text 988, or walk into BH Link (975 Waterman Ave, East Providence) — open 24/7, walk in any time, no appointment. Any fire station will also connect you to help (Safe Stations).
2
If you use — use safer
Free naloxone (Narcan) and fentanyl test strips at Project Weber/RENEW (45 Willard Ave, Providence · 124 Broad St, Pawtucket) — run by people with lived experience. Never use alone. The Good Samaritan Law protects whoever calls 911.
3
Let help come to you
Call any Access Point and ask for street outreach. No documents? Getting your ID back is one of the things they help with. The teams have seen everything — you will not shock or scare anyone.
4
Eat, wash, rest
Hot meals by day and city. Showers via Shower to Empower (schedule in the Sleep tab). Libraries are free, warm, no questions asked.
5
The first paper
No ID is not no way out. Better Lives RI (12 Abbott Park Place, Providence) helps with a photo-ID voucher — and with SNAP, SSI/SSDI, health insurance, and housing applications. Access Points help too. One document unlocks the rest.
6
When the window opens — treatment
Windows open and close; it's okay if it takes tries. You can start Suboxone by phone, 24/7, any day: 401-606-5456. Walk-in methadone/Suboxone options are in the recovery tab. You don't have to be ready forever — just for today.
7
Ask about Home Base — it was built for you
The Providence Center's Home Base program exists specifically for people who are chronically homeless with mental-health and substance-use needs — and its goal is permanent housing. Ask for it by name when you talk to outreach, BH Link, or any provider.
8
The long game — and the slips
Medicaid pays for treatment; SNAP feeds recovery (Benefits tab). Peer support whenever you want it: RICARES, 401-475-2960 — run by people in recovery, any pathway welcome. And if you slip: this list doesn't expire. Come back to step 1. Every time counts.
↺ Start over · Same human-verified resources as the rest of HOPE. Call before you go.
⏳ I'm about to lose my housing
The cheapest homelessness to solve is the one that never happens. Act while you still have keys.
1
Eviction paper? Call legal aid the same day
RI Legal Services is the state's main free law firm — call them the day you get any eviction paper. Don't move out early: it can hurt your case.
2
Behind on rent or utilities?
A HUD-approved housing counselor helps you find rent help and deal with the landlord — free. Your local Community Action Agency may have emergency funds.
3
State rent help and listings
RIHousing: rental assistance programs and HousingSearchRI, a free statewide listing of available units.
4
Everything in writing
Talk to the landlord in writing (text or email), offer a payment plan if you can, and keep copies of everything. A paper trail protects you later.
5
If it happens anyway
Coordinated Entry (401-277-4316) is the front door to shelter and re-housing — the same system as the Access Points. And there's a step-by-step path ready for you.
6
↺ Start over · Same human-verified resources as the rest of HOPE. Call before you go.
🧑 On my own, 18–24
Couch-surfing counts. Staying with people counts. You don't need to be on the street to deserve help.
1
Start with people whose whole job is you
House of Hope's HYPE Team are youth outreach workers — they meet you where you are, in person or virtually, with immediate basics and help navigating everything else.
2
A place today
Youth space changes fast — call first, and also register with a Regional Access Point so you're on the list.
3
A daytime base
Foster Forward Youth Drop-In Center (ages 18–25): Mon, Wed, Fri 10am–4pm. A place to land, charge your phone, and plan.
4
Were you in foster care?
Foster Forward's "Your Way Home" is built for you (401-438-3900 x215). Family Service of RI also runs Host Homes.
5
School and work don't have to stop
Libraries: wifi, computers, and staff who help — free. Training and career centers in the Work tab.
6
↺ Start over · Same human-verified resources as the rest of HOPE. Call before you go.
👨👧 I have my kids with me
With children, the order changes: safety and a roof first, then keeping their world as normal as possible. You're doing the hardest thing there is — asking for help is protecting your kids.
1
A safe place tonight
Call 2-1-1 (24/7) and say you have children with you — there are shelters and programs for families, separate from single-adult ones. A Regional Access Point also gets you on the family housing list.
2
Charge your phone — it's your lifeline
Library, day center, meal site, or a hospital lobby. A dead phone makes every next step harder — especially with kids.
3
Food for them today
Hot meals by day and city, plus pantries for groceries. Everyone is welcome regardless of income or immigration status. Ask about WIC too if you have little ones.
4
School can stay the same
By federal law (McKinney-Vento), your children can stay in their same school even if you move or you're in a shelter, and the school helps with transportation. Ask to speak with the district's homeless student liaison — every RI district has one.
5
Their papers, not just yours
Birth certificates, Social Security cards, immunization and school records. If you're missing them, an Access Point or Better Lives RI (401-454-7422) helps replace them.
6
Benefits that hold a family up
SNAP for food, RIte Care/Medicaid for their health, and cash help (RI Works) for families with children. 2-1-1 points you to the fastest route.
7
↺ Start over · Same human-verified resources as the rest of HOPE. Call before you go.
🕊️ I'm escaping violence
The red Quick exit ✕ button at the top-right takes you fast to a local news site (The Providence Eye). The Esc key does the same. For real privacy, use your browser's private/incognito mode and clear your history afterward.
Your safety first, always. Move as fast or as slow as is safe — you can skip any step.
1
In danger right now? Call 911
If you're in immediate danger, 911 comes first. If you can't speak, many areas let you text 911.
2
Talk to advocates 24/7 — confidentially
Sojourner House runs a 24-hour hotline for domestic violence, sexual assault, and trafficking. They arrange safe shelter and plan your safety with you. Confidential.
3
Protect your phone and location
Your phone can track you. Check location sharing, shared apps, and family locators. If you can, use a trusted person's phone or a prepaid one for these calls. An advocate helps you with this.
4
Regional support near you
Blackstone Valley Advocacy Center (Pawtucket/Central Falls) 401-723-3057. Women's Resource Center (Newport/Bristol) 401-846-5263. Advocacy, safety planning, and court support.
5
Protective orders and rights
Sojourner House offers legal advocacy, and RI Legal Services (401-274-2652) helps with restraining orders, family law, and custody — free. An advocate can go with you to court.
6
If children or pets come with you
Tell the advocate you have children or pets — they plan for it with you, and many programs have arrangements so a pet isn't a reason to stay. There's also a family path in this section.
7
↺ Start over · Same human-verified resources as the rest of HOPE. Call before you go.
🌙 I have nowhere to sleep tonight
Tonight is the whole problem. Solve tonight first — everything else can wait for morning.
1
The call that opens shelter doors
Coordinated Entry (401-277-4316) and the Regional Access Points are the front door to every shelter bed in the state. Say the words: “I have nowhere to sleep tonight.”
2
After hours or no answer
Call 2-1-1 — free, 24/7, multilingual. Ask for emergency shelter tonight. After you call, keep your phone line free: shelters call back.
3
A walk-in option
Providence Rescue Mission takes walk-ins — no Access Point referral needed. Call before you go: 401-274-8861.
4
See what is open right now
One screen shows what is open near you at this hour — meals, day centers, help.
5
While you call: warm, safe, reachable
Get somewhere public and safe — a library, a hospital lobby, a transit center. Charge your phone and screenshot the numbers on this page.
6
Eat something
Every decision is worse hungry. Hot meals by day and city — free.
7
The morning plan
Call the Access Point again when offices open. Can’t get there? Ask for street outreach — a team comes to you. And if tonight gets too dark: BH Link 401-414-5465, or call/text 988.
↺ Start over · Same human-verified resources as the rest of HOPE. Call before you go.
🪪 I lost my ID / documents
No ID locks every other door — benefits, work, housing. People rebuild this every week. There is help, and there is an order.
1
Don’t do it alone
Better Lives RI (401-454-7422) helps replace photo IDs and documents. Access Points and case managers do this constantly too.
2
Start with any one paper
Each document unlocks the next. A shelter letter, a benefit award letter, or mail with your name counts as a start. Ask your shelter or case manager for a verification letter — it can help waive fees.
3
Birth certificate
Born in RI? RI Vital Records (health.ri.gov). Born in another state? That state’s vital records office — your helper from step 1 speeds this up a lot.
4
Social Security card
Replacement is free — SSA 1-800-772-1213 or ssa.gov. Never pay anyone for it.
5
State ID
RI DMV (dmv.ri.gov). Bring everything from steps 2–4 — and the verification letter if you got one.
6
Applying for disability without papers
For SSI/SSDI while unhoused, ask for SOAR — specialized help with disability applications, built for exactly this situation.
7
Protect what you rebuild
One bag or folder for papers. Photograph every document on your phone. Report your address change so lost mail doesn’t cut off your benefits — 2-1-1 can help.
↺ Start over · Same human-verified resources as the rest of HOPE. Call before you go.
💊 I need medication today
Running out is a real emergency, and there is a right order of calls. Never just stop — tell someone today. HOPE doesn’t give medical advice; these steps get you to the people who do.
1
Severe symptoms right now? 911
Chest pain, seizure, trouble breathing, confusion, fainting — call 911. Everything else on this list can wait behind that.
2
Call your pharmacy first
Say the words: “I run out today.” Ask about an emergency supply — pharmacists can often bridge a few days of many ongoing medications. Bring the bottle, or a photo of it.
3
Then your prescriber — or a health center
No prescriber? Community health centers see you regardless of insurance or housing.
4
5
Suboxone / opioid treatment
RI Buprenorphine Hotline 401-606-5456 — a clinician can start or restart treatment by phone, 24/7. Or walk into any fire station (Safe Stations).
6
Just discharged from a hospital?
Call the hospital back and ask for the social worker. Discharge without medication is their problem to fix too.
7
Say it to everyone you call
Insulin, seizure, psychiatric, and blood-pressure medications can be dangerous to stop suddenly. The sentence that moves mountains: “I run out today and I have nowhere to fill it.”
↺ Start over · Same human-verified resources as the rest of HOPE. Call before you go.
🧓 I’m a senior and need help fast
One phone number starts almost everything. You don’t have to figure out the system — that’s their job.
1
Call the ADRC
Aging & Disability Resource Center: 401-462-4444 — free, confidential, multilingual, 24/7. Rhode Island’s front door for older adults, adults with disabilities, and caregivers. Online: myoptions.ri.gov.
2
Nowhere safe to sleep tonight
There is a step-by-step path for exactly that — and Coordinated Entry (401-277-4316) is the shelter front door at any age.
3
Food today
Ask the ADRC about Meals on Wheels and congregate meal sites — hot food, no cooking, company included. Meals open now are in the Food tab.
4
Rides
MTM 855-330-9131: free medical rides for anyone on Medicaid — and the Elderly Transportation Program takes anyone 60+ to medical appointments and congregate meal sites.
5
Medicare making no sense?
SHIP: free 1-on-1 Medicare counseling, 888-884-8721. Bring your questions — all of them.
6
Benefits that add up
SNAP, heating help, and Medicaid through DHS. SSI/SSDI go through Social Security — and if you’re unhoused, ask for SOAR.
7
↺ Start over · Same human-verified resources as the rest of HOPE. Call before you go.
🟢 Open right now
Sorted by what's open this minute according to listed hours. Places without clear hours appear at the end.
🤝 Organizations, Agencies & Partners
Your door, correctly listed — in English and Spanish, confirmed by a real person, free. When your information is right, people arrive prepared and nobody makes a wasted trip.
FreePublic help: no loginVerified publishingNo client records
Three doors, one studio
Start where it helps today: confirm your listing in 2 minutes, open the tools in 5, or join the full network in 15. Your work carries forward if you continue later. Everything else — flyers, corrections, ideas — is welcome too.
Free tools now; live publishing after verification
Register or claim your organization. The Helper Toolkit and provisional Workbench tools open immediately. Live status and network publishing require an affiliation check and a one-time partner code. Public help never requires a login.
Draft, print, and referral tools are immediate. Human review still applies before organization information is published or marked verified.
✅ Verification HubMonthly check-in
This is why people trust the guide
Partners tell us what changed — hours, phones, capacity, closures. Then a real HOPE human confirms it by phone before anything appears publicly. Your report raises the signal; the phone call lights the lamp.
Loading verified partner preview…
🏛️ Why join
Your services get found in the moments that matter, in two languages. Less wrong-door traffic from stale hours and dead numbers. One responsible contact for updates.
🧰 What you get
Free Helper Toolkit for your team: one-tap field packets, copyable referrals, call scripts, and printable handouts. Plus print-ready HOPE materials.
🛡️ What we never ask for
No client names, IDs, medical records, SSNs, private addresses, or case notes. An organization registry, never a client database.
📣 Be blunt with us
Tell us what is confusing, outdated, duplicated, or impossible to use in the field. HOPE gets better when partners speak plainly.
Signed MOU or questions? Email hope401ri@gmail.com or call 401-649-8377. A person answers — that is how we work.
📘 Partner Onboarding Guide
For organizations, agencies, libraries, churches, shelters, clinics, outreach teams, and community partners. This guide explains how to register, immediately open the free Helper Toolkit, sign the MOU, update services, share resources, and give feedback.
Start here
HOPE needs partners, not spectators. Register your organization, confirm your listing, send your MOU status, and keep us updated when something changes. Your registration creates a private organization profile in the Command Center so HOPE can track updates responsibly.
How onboarding works
1. Claim or register your organization.
2. Open the Helper Toolkit and provisional Workbench tools immediately.
3. Confirm public hours, phone, address, intake rules, languages, accessibility, and documents.
4. Create a first handout, referral slip, or status draft.
5. Complete the affiliation check and enter the one-time partner code for live publishing.
6. Keep sending corrections and field feedback so HOPE stays alive.
2. Open the Helper Toolkit and provisional Workbench tools immediately.
3. Confirm public hours, phone, address, intake rules, languages, accessibility, and documents.
4. Create a first handout, referral slip, or status draft.
5. Complete the affiliation check and enter the one-time partner code for live publishing.
6. Keep sending corrections and field feedback so HOPE stays alive.
Organization registry
When a partner form is submitted, HOPE saves the organization in a private backend registry. The Command Center shows organization name, contact, service area, MOU status, Helper access request, last update, and interaction history. This keeps partner onboarding organized without creating a client database.
What HOPE asks from partners
Keep your information current. Tell HOPE when programs are full, hours change, walk-ins stop, phones break, weather closes a site, new resources open, or a public flyer should be shared. Feedback is the fuel. Without it, even the best app becomes a haunted filing cabinet.
Privacy rule
Do not submit client names, IDs, medical records, SSNs, private addresses, photos of documents, private case notes, or anything that could put a person at risk. HOPE handles public resource information, not client files.
Free Helper Toolkit access
The Helper Toolkit and provisional Workbench open immediately after registration or claim. A one-time partner code is required only for authorized live status and network publishing. Human review still controls public listings and verified status.
What changed in this version
Loading help updates…
This help panel reads from assets/data/helper_toolkit_updates.json. Future releases can update that one file and this guide will refresh with the new version notes.
Printable guides
Questions, signed MOU PDFs, flyers, and partner materials: hope401ri@gmail.com
🏫 HOPE Partner Academy
A small training center inside HOPE so partners can learn fast, repeat onboarding with their own teams, and stop depending on one human being for every single orientation.
Visual
Repeatable
Built for the field
Train once. Scale a hundred times.
The Partner Academy turns partner onboarding into a system: quick orientation, update practice, privacy rules, simulations, and certification. Better for partners, better for HOPE’s accuracy, and much kinder to Robert Diamond’s blood pressure.
5–20 minShort modules people actually finish
SaferClear privacy and safety limits before anyone publishes
RepeatableTraining no longer lives in one person’s head
60 seconds
Watch why HOPE exists.
The pamphlet that lies and the anchor that holds. Sixty seconds, no audio, made for staff meetings and every volunteer’s first day.
call ahead — may be out of date
Shelter intake ...... 555-0142
Hot meals ........... closed?
Benefits office ..... moved
Detox beds .......... ???
Everyone in crisis gets the same piece of paper.
Half of it is already wrong.
“Some of this information may be out of date.”
— the most honest sentence the system ever wrote.
⚓
HOPE
One place. One true answer.
Rhode Island Survival Guide
Find help right now.
Shelter, food, benefits, health
Free. No login. Works offline.
English & Español
Meet Bridge
I’m 72 and can’t afford my meds.
Here’s where to go, the number to call, and what to say. I’ve got you.
Ask in your own words. Even out loud.
Built by someone who has slept in worse places than your car.
Not designed from the outside looking in.
Built from memory.
⚓
An anchor holds.
So does HOPE.
hope401.org
⚓
The HOPE film
60 seconds · why it exists
1. WatchTake orientation and understand how HOPE works.
2. PracticePractice updates, letters, and shift packs.
3. CertifyComplete bed certification and privacy rules.
4. Go liveLive publishing after training, verification, and rehearsal.
5 minutes
🎬 Five-minute orientation🧭
The fastest way to understand what HOPE is, what it does, what it does not do, and how to use it with someone under pressure.
Benefit: cuts first-day confusion and gets the whole team using the same core language.
- What HOPE is and why it exists
- How to move someone through the main screen
- When to use First 72 Hours, Bridge, and Helper Mode
7 minutes
📝 Resource-update training📍
Teaches partners how to report hours, phones, closures, intake requirements, languages, and access notes in a consistent way.
Benefit: better data comes in faster, and fewer people waste time traveling to the wrong door.
- What to update and how to say it
- How to separate temporary vs. permanent changes
- When to use Verify, Update, or Report a Gap
10 minutes
🛏️ Bed Availability certification✅
A focused module for teams who will eventually report real-time bed availability. Covers what counts as capacity, when to update, what not to promise, and how to avoid creating false reservations.
Benefit: standardizes reporting before the real launch. Less chaos, fewer misunderstandings, more trust when it goes live.
- Status layers: available, limited, full, uncertain
- Golden rule: availability is not a reservation
- Current mode: training only; not public-live yet
Live publishing remains off until partners are trained and comfortable.
4 minutes
🔒 Privacy rules🛡️
The most important module for protecting people and partners: what information HOPE can handle, what must never be sent, and why.
Benefit: reduces legal risk, protects clients, and prevents HOPE from accidentally becoming a case-file warehouse.
- Never send client names, SSNs, or case notes
- Difference between public information and sensitive data
- Simple line: HOPE explains and routes; it does not decide or store cases
6 minutes
📬 “Explain This Letter” guidance📄
Training on how to use HOPE and Bridge to help a person understand a letter, notice, or document without turning the app into formal legal advice or case handling.
Benefit: helps partners use the feature with empathy and clear boundaries — exactly as it should be.
- What kinds of letters fit this workflow
- How to summarize without promising outcomes
- When to refer to real legal help
5 minutes
🎒 Shift Pack instructions🧰
How to prepare, print, and use quick resource packs for different shifts: outreach, library, shelter, clinic, or church.
Benefit: every worker starts a shift with a useful pack instead of improvising with 27 tabs open and the thousand-yard stare.
- What to include for different contexts
- How to use copyable referrals and printouts
- What to check before heading into the field
8 minutes
🌉 Bridge Navigator safety & modes🧭
Learn the central rule: deterministic rules route crises and block errors; AI only explains. Practice Solo, Co-op, and Handback when someone already has a human helper.
Benefit: Bridge never replaces a person, never invents a phone number, and never gets the last word on legal or benefits matters.
- Crisis pre-gate before any AI call
- Post-gate for invented numbers and prohibited verdicts
- Co-op: the human worker leads; Bridge prepares and remembers
15 minutes
📋 Paperwork Bridge + AI Copilot🤖
Practical training to explain notices, build checklists, review documents, suggest source-linked fields, spot missing items, and hand off to official portals without turning HOPE into a case-file database.
Benefit: fewer abandoned filings, fewer failed visits, and visible human review before anything is printed, copied, or submitted.
- Manual Private Mode (the default): no network, no uploads, no submissions
- State ID: readiness wizard, five scored areas, printable Readiness Packet
- Shelter Residency Letter: the 30-day rule, counted in whole calendar days
- HealthyRhode & DHS: pick the job, pick the program, print the checklist
- Explain My Notice, document photo check, and the local Receipt Locker
- AI Copilot: 12 agency lanes, 8 AI jobs, consent, and the limited waiver
- Crisis routing (S 2195) runs before the model — in the browser and again on the server
- Human review worksheet: every field carries its source, its confidence, and a confirmation box
- AI never signs, invents facts, decides eligibility, or submits alone
8 minutes
🧠 Scenario exercises🎯
Short practice with real-life situations so new partners know what to open first, what to explain, and when to refer out.
Benefit: turns theory into reflexes. Staff gain confidence before they are standing in front of someone cold, hungry, or scared.
Scenario 1: “I lost my bed and don’t know where to go”Best move: open Sleep Tonight, then First 72 Hours, and offer a call script immediately.
Scenario 2: “I have a DHS letter and I understand none of it”Best move: use Explain This Letter guidance, summarize in plain language, and refer to legal help if there are deadlines or penalties.
Scenario 3: “Our shelter has 2 beds right now”Best move: follow the bed certification protocol, time-stamp the update, and remember it is not a reservation.
Scenario 4: “AI filled a field but I cannot see where it came from”Best move: do not confirm the field. Return to the original document, require a visible source, correct or delete the suggestion, and have the person review every answer.
Scenario 5: “My caseworker already gave me a plan”Best move: turn on Co-op, save only the name, organization, optional phone, and one priority. Bridge prepares and remembers; it does not contradict or replace the worker.
🎯 Quick check
Seven questions. No tricks, no score reported to anyone — just the reflexes you need when someone is standing in front of you.
📜 Printable completion certificate
Print a simple certificate for the team member who completed the Partner Academy. Useful for libraries, shelters, churches, outreach teams, and any organization that wants a visible training record.
Benefit: creates light accountability, makes onboarding easier for new teams, and helps the training feel like a real program — because now it is one.
Terms & disclaimer
In plain language. HOPE is a free tool to help you find resources in Rhode Island.
Information can change
We work to keep everything correct, but hours, phone numbers, and availability change often. Always call before you go. If you find something wrong, use the "Report a problem" button — it helps the next person.
We're not the service provider
HOPE helps you find services, but we don't run them, control them, or take responsibility for them. Each organization has its own rules, hours, and requirements.
Emergencies & "Save a life"
The emergency guide gives basic information, not medical training, and it does not replace 911. In any emergency, call 911 first. Consider taking a free CPR and naloxone class.
Bridge (the assistant)
Bridge uses HOPE's saved data but can make mistakes. Always verify important information by calling the place or 2-1-1.
Your privacy
HOPE requires no login or account and does not track your identity. When you report a problem or send feedback, it opens your email app — you only share your email if you choose to send it.
No guarantees
HOPE is provided "as is," without warranties. By using HOPE you agree that we're not liable for outdated or incorrect information, or for third-party services. Use your own judgment and stay safe.
HOPE™ · © 2026 HOPE. This is general information, not legal advice.
Crisis now
If you're in danger or thinking of harming yourself, you don't have to wait. These lines answer 24/7.
988 — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call or text. Free, confidential, 24/7. For any emotional crisis.
Sojourner House — domestic violence
Confidential / Providence
24-hour hotline for DV, sexual assault, trafficking. Safe shelter available.
Overdose / substance use
RI's BH Link is open 24/7 for mental health and substance use crises — a real person, a safe place to go.
Someone's overdosing?
Call 911, give naloxone (Narcan) if you have it, and follow the steps. RI's Good Samaritan Law protects you from drug charges for calling.
⚖️ Know your rights
Rhode Island was the first state in America to pass a Homeless Bill of Rights (2012). Being homeless does not take away your rights. Here's what you're owed, and what to do if it's violated.
Your rights under RI law
The Homeless Bill of Rights
RIGL § 34-37.1-3 — you have the same rights as any other resident. Specifically:
🏛️ Public space: Use sidewalks, parks, transit, and public buildings. You cannot be told to "move along" just for how you look or for having belongings.
⚖️ Equal treatment by police, libraries, RIPTA, EMS, and all city/state agencies.
💼 Employment: An employer can't refuse to hire you just because your address is a shelter.
🏥 Emergency medical care cannot be denied because of your housing status.
🗳️ Vote: You can register and vote without a fixed address.
🔒 Privacy: Your belongings (backpack, tent) are protected from search/seizure under the 4th Amendment, like a home. Shelter and service records are confidential.
If your rights are violated
Report police misconduct or excessive force
RI Attorney General — Civil Rights Unit
For excessive force, civil-rights violations, or hate crimes. They forward complaints for investigation and track patterns.
ACLU of Rhode Island
128 Dorrance St, Ste 400, Providence
Submit a police-misconduct or discrimination complaint. They look for patterns of abuse even when they can't take every case. Complaints must be in writing (mail, email, or fax).
City of Providence complaint
Providence Human Relations Commission — City Hall, 11 Dorrance St
For complaints involving Providence Police, you can request a formal hearing with a written complaint to the Internal Review Board.
Crime committed against you?
You have the same right to police protection as anyone. If you're the victim of a crime — assault, theft, harassment — you can report it and be taken seriously. If an officer refuses to help, document it and report that too, using the channels above.
In immediate danger, call 911. For crisis support, see the 🆘 Crisis tab.
Advocacy & support
RI Homeless Advocacy Project (RIHAP)
Led by people with lived experience of homelessness. Meetings Wednesdays 12–1pm, 134 Mathewson St, Providence. A place to be heard and to push for change.
Discrimination & more local help
RI Commission for Human Rights: if you've faced discrimination in housing, a job, or a public place because of race, disability, age, or other protected reasons, they investigate complaints — richr.ri.gov.
City of Providence Social Services List: the city's own directory of help, updated regularly — search "Providence social services list" or visit providenceri.gov.
Blackstone Valley Advocacy Center
Central Falls / Pawtucket area
Domestic violence advocacy, emergency support, legal advocacy, and safety planning for the Blackstone Valley region.
📞 Call first — hours, eligibility, and availability can change
Women's Resource Center
Newport / Bristol County
Domestic violence support, safety planning, court advocacy, counseling, and regional survivor services.
📞 Call first — hours, eligibility, and availability can change
Sources: ACLU of RI (Homeless Bill of Rights, updated April 2026), RI Attorney General's Office, RI Commission for Human Rights, City of Providence. This is general information, not legal advice. For your specific situation, contact the ACLU or a lawyer.
🚑 Save a life
Simple steps to help someone in an emergency until help arrives. Read these now, before you ever need them — in a real emergency there's no time to learn.
Signs of an opioid overdose
• Won't wake up, even when you shout or rub their chest
• Slow, shallow, or stopped breathing — choking, gurgling, or snoring sounds
• Blue or gray lips and fingertips; very small "pinpoint" pupils
• Limp body
- Try to wake them. Shout their name. Rub your knuckles hard on their breastbone (center of chest). Do not use ice or a cold shower — it doesn't work and can cause harm.
- Call 911. Say "Someone is unresponsive and not breathing" and give your exact location. You're protected by the Good Samaritan Law.
- Give naloxone (Narcan) if you have it. Spray it fully into one nostril. It only helps and never harms, even if you're not sure it's opioids.
- Support their breathing. If trained, give rescue breaths. If not, follow the 911 operator. Naloxone works best when oxygen is getting in.
- Wait 2–3 minutes. If no response and breathing hasn't returned, give a second dose of naloxone. Fentanyl often needs more than one.
- Put them in the recovery position (on their side, face turned to the side) if you must step away, so they don't choke.
- Stay with them. Naloxone wears off in 30–90 minutes and the overdose can return. Stay until help arrives, and they need medical care even if they wake up feeling fine.
Get free naloxone in RI
Naloxone is free at many RI pharmacies (no prescription needed) and harm-reduction programs. Carry it if you can — you could save a life, maybe your own friend's.
Sources: CDC, SAMHSA, Mayo Clinic, American Red Cross (2024–2026). This is basic emergency guidance, not medical training. Taking a free CPR/naloxone class is the best way to be ready.
🧰 Helper Toolkit
Power tools for outreach workers, case managers, volunteers, librarians, shelter staff, and approved organization partners helping someone navigate services.
📝 Register once. Open immediately. Free.
The Helper Toolkit is free for organizations, outreach teams, libraries, churches, shelters, clinics, case managers, volunteers, and community helpers using HOPE responsibly in the field.
Registration opens the field tools and provisional Workbench immediately. A one-time partner code is required only for authorized live publishing. Public listings still require human review before they are published or marked verified.
Field mode, not another portal
Denser lists, copy buttons, printable plans, and call scripts. No accounts. No client records. No personal data stored.
Helper Mode active: every resource card now shows field buttons for copy referral, print handout, client plan, and report change.
HOPE rule: notes to the user, never records about the user. This toolkit creates referrals, handouts, and resource reports. It does not save names, birthdates, Social Security numbers, document photos, or case notes.
📋 Compact Resource List
⚡ One-Tap Packets
Choose a common field situation. HOPE builds a packet with resources, a call script, a printable checklist, and a short share text. It does not save client data.
The one-tap packet will appear here.
🧾 Build a 24-Hour Packet
Choose 3 to 5 resources. HOPE turns them into a plain plan you can copy, text, or print.
The packet will appear here.
☎️ What to Say When Calling
🖨️ Print Handouts
Paper is offline mode for people without a phone, data, or a charger.
💳 Wallet-card generator
Do not enter a client name, SSN, DOB, case number, or private address. This creates a tiny referral card, not a case record.
Each sheet includes big phone numbers and hope401.org. For custom packets, use Build a 24-Hour Packet.
📷 Explain This Letter
Privacy mode: the photo is recreated on this phone to strip location and camera metadata. It is never uploaded or saved. It clears automatically after five minutes and shortly after an explanation is created. Type or paste the important lines below. HOPE explains words, it does not make decisions.
No photo is held in memory.
The explanation will appear here. It is not legal advice and not a benefits decision.
🚩 Report From the Field
Report resource changes, not client information. Reports go into the verification queue. A human call still confirms before public listings change.
🕓 What Changed This Week
v29.27: partner resources now use the unified function-first design, with immediate provisional tools and live publishing after affiliation verification. v29.25: registration opens the free field tools on that device. Public listings and network publishing still require human verification. v29.24: the partner area became a guided experience — join in three short steps, verify your listing in one minute, MOU downloads where you need them, and partner reports now wait for a human phone call before counting as verified. v29.20: added one-tap field packets, SMS/share summaries, custom wallet cards, report-change toggles, stronger Helper toolbar, and partner success screen. v29.14: fixed the Spanish changelog, verified form delivery, safe Bridge message rendering, the small-screen composer, accessible labels, the Work filter, honest notification testing, and duplicate content rotation. v29.13: "You are here" became easier to spot on the Open Now map; field reports confirm delivery; Explain This Letter added crisis-first guidance and cleaner printing.
📦 Offline Pack
HOPE already stores the app shell for offline use after one connected visit. Before a shift: open HOPE, First 72 Hours, Food, Sleep, Crisis, Transport, Legal, and this Toolkit. They will be cached on this phone where the browser allows it.
No bed availability promises and no offline map promises. HOPE stores text, numbers, and steps. Always call first when you can.
Field tools. No accounts. No client records. In memory of John MiG Migliaccio.
🌉 Bridge
Tell me what's happening in your own words. I know Rhode Island's shelters, meals, paperwork, and benefits — I'll point you the right way. No judgment, ever.
SOLOWho has the helm
Bridge is navigating with you. Nothing here creates a case file.
Bridge uses HOPE's verified RI data. It can be wrong about hours or space — always call before you go.