Public Benefits and Community Assistance

Our teen support text line connects young people up to age 24 with a peer they can talk to when they feel lonely, depressed, overwhelmed, or suicidal.

We offer a variety of services, supports and programs dedicated to ensuring equitable access and success for students who have a documented risk of regression during the summer months.

Our cadet training program is a paid, benefitted full-time position with a two-year commitment for Cambridge residents between ages of 18-23 who are interested in pursuing a career in public safety.

This program is designed to help youth to acquire the professional skills and coaching experience needed for working within the parkour industry, while also building valuable professional skills.

We bring together students from Harvard College and surrounding universities with kids from Cambridge's different neighborhoods.

Our program is a neighborhood gathering place where housed and unhoused neighbors can mingle and get acquainted in a low-key, judgment-free setting.

This is a program that provides a drop-in center for homeless and street-involved youth, ages 14-24, in Harvard Square, Cambridge.

Safehome: Up to 1 month stay in a confidential location for an individual or family.
Transitional Housing: Up to two years of rental assistance for up to 16 survivors and their families.

We run an overnight emergency shelter for young adults (ages 18-24) in Harvard Square, open between October 15th and April 15th.

As part of our program, we hand out various combinations of sandwiches or bagged lunches, juice boxes, snacks, socks, some seasonal items, toiletry kits, and more to the community.

We offer warm hospitality and an evening meal in a safe, dignified environment to anyone in need of nourishment, every Tuesday evening.

We provide meals and materials to individuals who are low-income or extremely low-income, and who are experiencing homeless, are housing insecure, or living in persistent poverty.

We preserve and maintain affordable apartments that are home to low and moderate income Cambridge residents. Property management and community coordinators help ensure that everyone feels at home.

We are a recreational program that caters to individuals with special needs in the Cambridge area.

Our hotline helps prevent suicide by giving free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you and loved ones, and best practices for professionals.

We can help you find what you need, offer screenings, treatment options, support groups, and more using our online screening tool.

Since 1987, First Church Shelter has provided a basic act of mercy to the poor and homeless of Cambridge and surrounding communities.

We provide homeless people with a safe, caring place to stay in the winter, plus counseling resources and transitional supports for anyone employed and saving money towards secure housing.