Emergency Services

Applicants living in Shelby County may be eligible for assistance after proving a crisis occurred within the last 90 days that prevented the ability to pay the bill. Eligibility is not based on income but preference is given to those off work for medical reasons. Applicants must document a temporary, unavoidable loss of income or crisis in the household such as job lay-off, off work without pay due to illness, reduction in pay, or house fire. Assistance is available only once within 24 months.

Applicants must provide picture identification for all adults, Social Security cards for the household, verification of children’s ages, proof of address, proof of loss or crisis such as a lay-off notice, proof of household income, the household’s utility cut-off notice or late rent or mortgage notice. Applicants must provide proof that they can cover the remainder of the bill.

For food assistance consideration, applicants must provide picture identification for all adults, Social Security cards for the household, verification of children’s ages, proof of address, proof of loss or crisis such as a lay-off notice. Documents must be presented with each application for a food voucher. Each household is eligible for four vouchers per year and requests for vouchers must be five days apart. Vouchers can be redeemed for non-perishable food at a food pantry as close as possible to the applicant’s address.

 

Support for Emergency Services comes from the City of Memphis, Plus-1 donors, the CASES fund, and the H.W. Durham Foundation. Emergency Services also partners with food pantries all over the city.