Veteran Resource Board

Veteran Financial & Emergency Assistance

Emergency financial assistance, free tax preparation built for military and veteran filers, VA debt relief options, and consumer protection when something goes wrong.

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Veteran resource directory

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Please verify before you rely on a listing. Phone numbers, links, and office details change over time. This board was compiled from official and reputable sources and is offered as a convenience — confirm current contacts with the organization directly. In an emergency, call 911; for veteran crisis support, dial 988 then press 1. Last verified July 2026.

Financial & Emergency Help

Freedom Foundation

Cedar Rapids IA · emergency financial help

Grassroots 501(c)(3) veterans center in Cedar Rapids, founded in 2013 by local veterans. It runs the Veteran Market food and personal-care pantry (groceries every two weeks, hygiene and household items monthly), a free Thursday lunch, an emergency financial assistance fund for housing and utility needs, a drop-in social space with weekly card games and a monthly pool tournament, and a resource desk that refers veterans to employment, housing, mental health and medical services. Open to veterans, widows, active duty, Reservists, National Guard and their spouses; all services are free.

Financial & Emergency Help

Support Siouxland Soldiers

Sioux City IA · emergency financial help

All-volunteer nonprofit, founded in 2007, that runs a free food pantry open only to veterans and service members, free monthly hot breakfasts at the Sioux City Elks Lodge, holiday dinners with gifts, care packages, and free military-family and youth events. It also gives emergency financial grants directly to individuals; the group reports over 2 million pounds of groceries distributed since 2010 and more than $200,000 in emergency assistance. All programs are free and serve veterans, service members, military families and surviving families in the Siouxland area around Sioux City; there is no published phone number or office, so contact is by email or Facebook.

Financial & Emergency Help

The American Legion of Iowa – Veterans Emergency Fund

Des Moines IA · emergency financial help

One-time cash grants for Iowa veterans facing a financial emergency, paid to the individual and funded entirely by donations. Eligibility is limited to Iowa residents who are honorably discharged or currently serving. Applications are started by calling the Department headquarters in Des Moines; the site lists no application fee and no membership requirement.

Financial & Emergency Help

Great Plains Food Bank

Fargo ND · emergency financial help

North Dakota's statewide food bank, headquartered in Fargo with a regional service center in Bismarck (1315 S 20th St, 701-751-6188). It runs a veteran-specific program that mails food boxes directly to veterans in North Dakota and Clay County, Minnesota, started because transportation is a barrier for rural veterans, alongside a mobile food pantry, senior food packs, SNAP application help, and a partner network of pantries, shelters and meal sites in more than 100 ND communities. The site does not list a cost or income eligibility requirement for the veteran food box; call or email to ask about signing up.

Financial & Emergency Help

Heroes Compass

Horace ND · emergency financial help

All-volunteer North Dakota nonprofit that sends care packages of hygiene items, non-perishable food and clothing to deployed service members, veterans, military families and first responders, and runs Buddy Check, a wellness outreach encouraging calls, texts and notes to isolated veterans. Its Heroes Fund gives direct assistance to individuals: Heroes Wish requests for household and wellness items, Emergency Relief Aid for sudden hardship such as injury, medical emergency or disaster, a memorial scholarship, and QPR suicide-prevention training scholarships. Requests are submitted through online forms and reviewed quarterly by the board, with expedited review for emergencies; there is no cost to recipients. Mail goes to a PO box, so no street address is published.

Financial & Emergency Help

Heat and Housing for Heroes (Keep Wisconsin Warm/Cool Fund)

Fitchburg WI · emergency financial help

Wisconsin-only emergency energy fund for veteran households. It helps pay past-due heating and electric bills and covers crisis situations such as running out of fuel, utility disconnection, no heat, and a broken furnace, and can also refer veterans to weatherization, housing help, and their county veteran service officer. Veterans apply first to the state WHEAP energy assistance program through their county human services office, then call Heat for Heroes if they are denied or still in crisis; income limits by household size apply and assistance is free to those who qualify.

Financial & Emergency Help

VA Food Security Office

Nationwide · food insecurity help

VA screens enrolled veterans for food insecurity and connects them to a dietitian or social worker who can arrange food pantry access, SNAP enrollment and local programs. Many VA campuses now host food pantries, several through a VA partnership with Feeding America. The number reaches the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans, free and staffed 24/7.

Financial & Emergency Help

Feeding America · Find Your Local Food Bank

Nationwide · food bank locator

Enter a ZIP code to find nearby food banks, pantries and meal programs in the Feeding America network. Not veteran-specific, but it is the fastest route to food this week anywhere in the country, and it is the locator VA's own food security program points to.

Financial & Emergency Help

findhelp (formerly Aunt Bertha)

Nationwide · search by ZIP code

Free public search for local social services — food, housing and rent help, utility assistance, transportation, health care, job training and legal aid — with more than 300,000 programs listed and results filtered to your ZIP code. It carries a Veteran & Military Benefits category, and is the best starting point for the local, short-term help that changes too often for any directory to list reliably.

Financial & Emergency Help

Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society

Navy & Marines · aid

Interest-free loans, grants, and budget counseling for sailors, Marines, and families.

Financial & Emergency Help

Air Force Aid Society

Air & Space Force · aid

Emergency financial assistance and education grants for Airmen, Guardians, and families.

Financial & Emergency Help

Coast Guard Mutual Assistance

Coast Guard · aid

Interest-free loans and grants for the Coast Guard family.

Financial & Emergency Help

USA Cares

Post-9/11 emergency aid

Emergency financial assistance and housing help for post-9/11 veterans and families.

Financial & Emergency Help

Semper Fi & America's Fund

Catastrophically injured

Financial, housing, and lifetime support for critically ill or injured service members and veterans.

Financial & Emergency Help

VA Debt Management (Overpayments & Copays)

VA debt relief options

Official VA page for reviewing benefit overpayment and copay balances, making payments, and requesting waivers, disputes, or other financial relief. You have one year from your first debt letter to request a waiver.

Financial & Emergency Help

211 (United Way)

Local help · dial 211

Free, confidential 24/7 connection to local help — food, utilities, rent, and more.

Financial & Emergency Help

Clay County Veterans Services - State Soldiers Assistance Program (SSAP)

Moorhead MN · Fargo–Moorhead · emergency financial help

Clay County's veterans service office files applications for Minnesota's State Soldiers Assistance Program, a set of state-funded grants: subsistence payments for a veteran or surviving spouse who is disabled and unable to work for at least 30 days, the once-per-lifetime Veteran's Relief Grant for hardship, and annual dental and optical assistance. Benefits are income- and asset-tested and require Minnesota residency; applications go through the County Veterans Service Officer, not directly to the state. Office hours are Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Financial & Emergency Help

North Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs - Hardship Assistance Grants

Fargo ND · Fargo–Moorhead · emergency financial help

North Dakota's state veterans agency runs needs-based grant programs for ND-resident veterans: the Hardship Assistance Grant (up to $5,000 per year) covers medical, dental, optical, hearing, transportation, and housing needs such as dentures, hearing aids, and emergency dental care, while the separate IMPACT Hardship Assistance Grant (up to $5,000 per year, $7,000 lifetime) covers emergency repairs, critical medical needs, and essential household bills. Eligibility is based on veteran status, North Dakota residency, income and asset limits, and documented need; apply through your county Veterans Service Officer. Minnesota residents are not eligible for these grants and should contact their county VSO or the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs instead.

Financial & Emergency Help

North Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs - Veterans Aid Loan

Fargo ND · Fargo–Moorhead · emergency financial help

North Dakota's state veterans agency lends up to $8,000 at 8% interest, repayable over up to 48 months; half the interest is waived if the loan and all fees are paid by the final due date. Eligibility requires at least one year of North Dakota residency plus qualifying service, or status as an unremarried surviving spouse, so Minnesota-side veterans do not qualify. Apply through a county or tribal Veterans Service Officer; the application includes a credit check and income, asset, and residency documentation.

Financial & Emergency Help

Central Texas Food Bank — mobile food pantries at Central Texas VA sites

Austin, Killeen, Temple and Waco TX · free food distributions at VA facilities

Central Texas Food Bank runs recurring free mobile food distributions at four VA facilities — VA Austin Mobile Pantry (7901 Metropolis Dr., Austin 78744), VA Clinic Killeen (1001 East Veterans Memorial Boulevard, Killeen 76541), VA Temple Mobile Pantry (1901 Veterans Memorial Dr., Temple 76504) and VA Waco Mobile Pantry (4800 Memorial Drive, Waco 76711) — plus an on-post site at the Ft Hood Warrior Way Commissary (85020 Warrior Way & 10th St., Fort Hood 76544), which requires base access. Food is free and there is no veteran-only restriction at these sites; the Temple pantry runs the 4th Thursday and the Killeen clinic pantry the 2nd Friday of the month. Schedules change, so check the Find Food tool on the food bank's site for the current date and time before going; the number above is the food bank's main line.

Financial & Emergency Help

Goodwill Central Texas — Support for Veterans

Austin TX · veteran emergency rent, utility and food assistance

Emergency assistance for rent, mortgage, utilities, transportation and food, plus financial literacy training on budgeting and debt, for veterans, dependents and surviving spouses who live in Travis, Williamson, Bastrop or Hays County, meet income limits and can show proof of veteran status. The program is supported by a Texas Veterans Commission Fund for Veterans' Assistance grant and their site states the services are at no cost to the veteran. Contact by phone at 512-637-7580 or email veterans@gwctx.org; no dedicated veteran walk-in address is published, so call first.

Financial & Emergency Help

St. Michael's Veteran Services — Catholic Charities of Central Texas

Killeen TX · Fort Hood area and Austin · veteran emergency financial assistance

Emergency financial assistance covering 30–90 days of rent or mortgage, utilities, gas/electric or a car note, plus crisis intervention for eviction or utility disconnection, family case management and financial education. Open at no charge to Texas veterans of any era including National Guard and Reservists, veteran families and surviving spouses living in one of 25 Central Texas counties — Travis, Williamson, Bastrop, Hays, Bell, Coryell, Lampasas, McLennan, Blanco, Brazos, Burleson, Burnet, Caldwell, Falls, Fayette, Hamilton, Lee, Limestone, Llano, Mason, Milam, Mills, Robertson, San Saba and Washington. Call to schedule an appointment with a case manager or submit a request online; the Killeen office also holds an information session the first Tuesday of each month, 1:00–2:30 p.m., with an RSVP required.

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