Help in Tennessee
For people starting over after prison, foster care, treatment, homelessness, abuse, or trafficking
We've verified 23 places in Tennessee, most of them in Knoxville, Nashville and Memphis, plus 13 that serve the whole state. The most help we've found here is for people after prison or jail (15) and leaving homelessness (14).
211 Tennessee (Middle Tennessee)
Free information line covering 42 Middle Tennessee counties that points callers to food, rent help, shelter, utilities, and health services. Dial three digits or text a ZIP code to reach a specialist any time of day.
Tennessee Office for Refugees
Administers Tennessee's refugee resettlement program and provides resettlement, employment, youth, elder, and immigration-form services to refugees, asylees, Cuban and Haitian entrants, SIV holders, and trafficking victims. Based at Catholic Charities' Nashville headquarters.
Nashville Rescue Mission
Largest emergency shelter in Nashville with separate men's and women-and-children's campuses. Walk in for three meals a day, overnight beds, showers, hygiene items, and clothing at no charge, with no limit on length of stay. A long-term Life Recovery Program is available for adults fighting addiction.
Room In The Inn
Daytime campus near downtown Nashville where people without housing can shower, do laundry, store documents and medicine, receive mail, eat lunch, and get one-on-one help obtaining birth certificates and Social Security cards. New guests attend a weekday morning orientation to get connected to housing navigation and classes.
Memphis Union Mission Men's Emergency Shelter
Downtown Memphis shelter for men offering meals, beds, and relief from extreme weather, with new guests allowed up to 60 free nights. Check-in happens during set morning and afternoon windows. The Mission also runs Moriah House for women, the Intact Family Program, and longer-term recovery residences.
MIFA Emergency Services
Memphis nonprofit that pays rent or mortgage arrears for eligible households facing eviction, places homeless families in shelter, and offers rapid rehousing. Applications are taken online, with the main office open weekday business hours.
Knox Area Rescue Ministries (KARM)
Knoxville's main emergency shelter, open every hour of the year with beds for more than 300 men, women, and children plus showers and three daily meals at the North Broadway campus. Short- and long-term restoration programs are available for adults ready to move beyond crisis.
Volunteer Ministry Center Resource Center
Knox County day shelter with case managers who help literally homeless residents find and keep permanent housing, plus housing-readiness classes and phone and computer access. Entry starts with a CHAMP coordinated-entry assessment at the Bush Family Refuge, held weekday mornings.
Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands
Free civil legal help across 48 Middle and Upper Cumberland counties, including eviction defense, restoration of rights after a conviction, and legal clinics. Phone intake is required before any in-person appointment; the Nashville office serves Davidson and Williamson counties.
Legal Aid of East Tennessee (Knoxville)
Civil legal aid for Knox, Loudon, and Sevier counties from the downtown Knoxville office, with a dedicated Eviction Prevention Program and attorneys stationed at the Family Justice Center for abuse and trafficking cases. Apply online unless your court date is within 14 days, in which case call the office directly.
Tennessee Office of Vital Records
State office that issues certified birth certificates for $15 per copy. Because records are registered statewide, any county health department can also issue a Tennessee birth certificate; bring identification and fees, and non-parent/child/spouse requesters need proof of entitlement.
Tennessee Identification License
State photo ID for Tennesseans who do not hold a driver license. Apply at a Driver Services Center with proof of citizenship or legal presence, proof of Social Security number, and two proofs of Tennessee residency; a free permanent ID is available to residents whose disability prevents driving.
One DHS Customer Portal (SNAP, Families First, Child Care)
Tennessee's online door to food stamps and other DHS benefits, open around the clock, with a contact center for people who prefer to call. Upload copies of ID, income, and shelter-cost documents within 10 days of applying to avoid delays.
YWCA Abused Women's Services Crisis Hotline
Memphis crisis line for women and children leaving abusive relationships, leading to emergency shelter and court advocacy. YWCA Greater Memphis also runs transitional housing for homeless women with children through Memphis Family Shelter.
National lines that work in Tennessee
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.