Who do you call when you have a problem and don't know where to turn?

Who do you call when you've tried everything else? 

First Call for Help is an Information and Referral service for individuals and families. It is a community service that is free, confidential, and available to all community members living in Franklin County, Hampshire County, and the North Quabbin Region. Our knowledgeable staff use a comprehensive and extensive database to help people find and gain access to resources, such as food, public benefits, legal services, counseling, transportation, child care, emergency heat and utility assistance, medical care and housing.  Our staff is also available to provide advocacy and support services, as well as general service coordination. 

Anyone can call. At First Call for Help, we respect your right to privacy and anonymity.  For general information and referrals, it is not necessary to provide your name or any other identifying information.  For financial assistance requests, we do ask you to provide some general information about your household, so that we may better serve you.

First Call for Help also welcomes and encourages other local organizations and agencies to contact us, be it for Information and Referral services or to help build stronger community partnerships.  

Our knowledgeable Information and Referral Specialists help people find and connect to resources, such as:

• Food Stamp applications
• Food Pantry (Athol site only, open on Mondays)
• Community meals and other food resources
• Public benefits
• Legal services
• Counseling
• Transportation
• Child care information
• Emergency utility assistance
• Information about medical care
• Housing

First Call for Help always needs volunteers to assist with a variety of program related activities, including:

• Researching area agencies organizations to keep our resource database current
• Answering incoming telephone inquiries
• Assisting at the food pantry
• Helping with community outreach projects
• Completing other tasks that will help to strengthen the program

For those interested in developing a career in community services, individually designed internships are also available.

For more information about volunteering and/or interning with First Call for Help, please contact the Information and Referral Specialist at the office you are interested in working with.

Monday - Friday 9:00am - 4:00 pm

Franklin County: 106 Federal Street Greenfield, MA 01301 413.475.1570

North Quabbin: 167 South Main Street Orange, MA 01364 978.544.8091

Hampshire County: 56 Vernon Street Northampton, MA 01060 413.582.4237 800.339.7779