Help in Indiana
For people starting over after prison, foster care, treatment, homelessness, abuse, or trafficking
We've verified 26 places in Indiana, most of them in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne and Evansville, plus 13 that serve the whole state. The most help we've found here is for people after prison or jail (14) and leaving homelessness (14).
Indiana 211
Free statewide referral line run by FSSA that points Hoosiers to shelter, food, utility help, treatment, and peer recovery support. Dial 211 or text your ZIP code to be matched with resources near you.
Indiana Refugee Services
State office that administers refugee cash and medical assistance and employment services for refugees, Ukrainian and Afghan arrivals, Cuban and Haitian entrants, and certified victims of human trafficking. Benefits are applied for through the FSSA Benefits Portal; resettlement agencies handle case support.
Exodus Refugee Immigration
Indianapolis resettlement agency serving refugees, asylum seekers, and Haitian and Cuban entrants with immigration legal intakes twice a week, help with asylum, green cards, work permits and citizenship, plus employment and household support. Walk in weekdays or call ahead.
Catholic Charities Refugee & Immigrant Services – Fort Wayne
The state-designated resettlement agency for northeast Indiana, handling arrival services and the Afghan and Ukrainian placement programs for newcomers settling in Fort Wayne. Contact details below are as listed on the FSSA refugee services page.
Wheeler Mission Shelter for Men
Downtown Indianapolis emergency shelter with meals for men. No appointment is needed; check in by 9:30 p.m. at the guest entrance on Wabash St. behind the building, with exceptions made for first-time guests arriving later.
Wheeler Mission Center for Women & Children
East-side Indianapolis shelter providing beds and meals for single women and women with children. Beds are assigned over the phone as space opens, so call before coming.
Horizon House
Day center for adults experiencing homelessness in Marion County, offering essential needs, peer support, case management, an employment program, and a path into housing, with a street outreach team covering every quadrant of the county. Open six days a week with evening hours Tuesday and Thursday.
Indiana Legal Services
Free civil legal aid for low-income Hoosiers statewide, including expungements and specialized driving privileges but not criminal defense. Apply by phone Monday through Thursday from 10 to 2 or online around the clock on weekdays.
Indiana Division of Vital Records
Issues certified Indiana birth certificates by mail, phone, or online; there is no state walk-in counter, so the fastest route is the local health department in the county where you were born. A birth certificate costs $10 and requires photo ID or two secondary documents such as a DOC ID card and Social Security card.
Indiana BMV Identification Card
State photo ID for Indiana residents who do not hold a driver's license. The fee is $9, and it is waived for U.S. citizens 18 or older who are eligible to vote. Bring proof of identity, lawful status, Social Security number, and two proofs of Indiana residency to any branch.
FSSA Benefits Portal (SNAP, Medicaid, TANF)
Indiana's single online application for SNAP, Medicaid, and TANF cash assistance, run by the Division of Family Resources. Apply at the portal or at a local DFR office; the benefits information line answers questions about existing cases.
We Bloom Recovery Café
Membership-based recovery community space in downtown Indianapolis where people recovering from addiction, mental health challenges, or homelessness share meals, recovery circles, and peer connection. Join by attending a Coffee Hour or through the Become a Member page.
Evansville Rescue Mission
Residence Center shelter in downtown Evansville with daily showers, laundry, belongings storage, case management, and P.A.C.E.S. recovery programming for guests, plus a Centennial Center day shelter. Three free meals a day are open to anyone in the public.
The Rescue Mission – Fort Wayne
Faith-based shelter network in Fort Wayne providing emergency, short-term, and long-term housing for men in a homeless crisis, and housing for women and children through Charis House at 5920 Decatur Road (260-426-8123). Free public meals are served at 7 a.m., noon, and 5 p.m. every day.
National lines that work in Indiana
SAMHSA National Helpline
Free, confidential treatment referral for substance use and mental health. Finds local programs that take your insurance or none.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call or text 988 for any mental health or substance use crisis. Available to anyone in any program.
Lifeline free phone program
Free or discounted phone and service for people on Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, or low income. Apply online or through a carrier.
National Human Trafficking Hotline
24/7 confidential hotline for survivors of trafficking and people who suspect it. Connects to vetted local services.
National Domestic Violence Hotline
24/7 confidential help for anyone affected by domestic violence. Advocates connect you to local shelters and legal help.
Start right where you are
Each program has a step-by-step checklist for the first 72 hours, 30 days, and 90 days, so you always know your next step.