California Resources
This guide focuses heavily on North California and the Bay Area. It includes resources for food, housing, tenant rights, legal aid, and mutual aid networks. Sections are ordered North to South.
Quick Navigation
Northern California
Chico & Far North
| Link | Description |
|---|---|
| North State Food Bank (Community Action Agency of Butte County) | Distributes food across Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Plumas, and Sierra counties. Distributions at 53+ sites, a Fresh Choice Pantry, seasonal drive-through distributions (May–Oct), and Farm 2 Kids produce for school-age kids. Check the distribution calendar for locations near you. Based in Oroville. (530) 712-2600 |
| Hungry Wildcat Food Pantry - Chico State | Free food pantry for Chico State students and staff. You need a Wildcat ID card to get in - not open to the general public. |
| Legal Services of Northern California (LSNC) - Chico | Free civil legal help for low-income Butte County residents - housing, eviction defense, public benefits, health care, and more. |
| Community Legal Information Clinic (CLIC) - Chico State | Student-run free legal information clinic (not legal advice, but a good starting point). Covers housing law, consumer issues, misdemeanors, expungements, county jail law, workers' rights, family law, and disability law. Open to students and community members. |
Yuba City, Marysville & Colusa
| Link | Description |
|---|---|
| California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA) - Marysville | CRLA's Marysville office covers Yuba, Sutter, and Colusa counties. Free civil legal help for low-income residents: farmworkers, immigrants, seniors, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ folks. Housing, labor, benefits, education. |
| Tri County Diversity | "As the only 2SLGBTQIA+ non-profit in Yuba-Sutter and Colusa counties; we strive to provide community resources, education, peer support, & social events to fulfill the mission of : 'Uniting Our Community'" - Friendly people, bathroom has menstrual supplies, lube and condoms. They provide snacks and drinks. |
| FREED Center for Independent Living | Disability and aging resource center for Yuba, Sutter, Nevada, Sierra, and Colusa counties. Services include independent living skills, housing, assistive technology, peer support, and a landlord liaison program. Also runs the Yuba-Sutter Aging and Disability Resource Connection (ADRC). |
| Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP) | Nonprofit building and renting affordable housing across Butte, Glenn, Tehama, Shasta, Colusa, Sutter, and Yuba counties. Over 2,850 units built since 1973. Also has a homeownership program. |
| Yuba City & Sutter County | |
| Salvation Army Yuba-Sutter | Runs a free outdoor choice-based food market, food pantries, and a Medically Tailored Groceries program for people managing chronic illness. Located at 401 Del Norte Ave, Yuba City. Can vouch for being trans inclusive as of 2024. |
| Marysville & Yuba County | |
| Yuba-Sutter Food Bank | Regional food bank running monthly food distributions across Yuba and Sutter counties. Use their find food page to look up your nearest distribution by zip code. |
| Colusa County | |
| Colusa County Health and Human Services | County agency that handles CalFresh, CalWORKs, Medi-Cal, General Assistance, refugee and immigrant programs, and housing support including the Housing Assistance Program for people at risk of homelessness. |
| Colusa County Housing Assistance Programs | County-run case management for people who are homeless or at risk. Can help with rent, security deposits, utilities, moving costs, and shelter. 251 E. Webster St, Colusa. (530) 458-0250 |
| North State Food Bank (Community Action Agency of Butte County) | Serves Colusa County residents at multiple distribution sites - no pre-registration needed, just self-certify income eligibility on the day. Check the distribution calendar for Colusa County locations. |
Sacramento Metro (Sacramento, Roseville, Lincoln)
| Link | Description |
|---|---|
| Sacramento County | |
| Sacramento Food Not Bombs (Instagram) | Sacramento chapter of Food Not Bombs - "Serving a free vegan meal the 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month at 1:30pm on the corner of 10th & J." |
| 2-1-1 Sacramento | Free 24/7 phone and text referral line connecting people to 2,400+ local programs for food, housing, health, utilities, and more. Call or text 211. |
| Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services | Free food distribution at 200+ partner sites across Sacramento County, plus CalFresh enrollment help and monthly support programs for low-income seniors. |
| Sacramento Valley Tenants Union (SVTU) | Autonomous, all-volunteer tenant union. Membership is free for unhoused people and sliding-scale for students and unemployed members. Has a Tenants' Rights Handbook, a "What To Do If You Can't Pay Rent" guide, sample landlord letters, bi-weekly Know Your Rights workshops, and help organizing building-level tenant associations. |
| Sacramento Renters Helpline | Free phone counseling and mediation for Sacramento County renters dealing with landlord disputes, housing crises, or fair housing violations. |
| Sacramento LGBT Community Center | Free and low-cost services for the LGBTQ+ community at 1015 20th St. Mental health counseling, HIV/STI testing, trans-specific support (emergency shelter, free legal help, drop-in respite), bilingual services, and Q-Spot for youth ages 13–24. |
| Gender Health Center (GHC) | Trans and BIPOC-led org at 3823 V Street. Sliding-scale or free: mental health counseling, hormone therapy, HIV/STI testing, needle exchange, harm reduction, legal name and gender marker help (through LSNC), support groups. No one turned away for inability to pay. |
| One Community Health | Federally qualified health center with free and low-cost primary care, gender-affirming services, HIV care and prevention, behavioral health, and walk-in clinic hours. Helps with Medi-Cal enrollment. |
| Mutual Assistance Network (MAN) | Serves Del Paso Heights, Arden-Arcade, and North Sacramento with a focus on Black families and youth. Diapers, food access, rental and eviction prevention support, and health resources. |
| Placer County (Roseville, Lincoln, & Surrounding Areas) | |
| 2-1-1 Connecting Point (Placer County) | Free 24/7 referral line for Placer County residents - food, housing, shelter, utility help, mental health, and more. Call or text 211, or toll-free (833) 342-5211. |
| Salvation Army Roseville Corps | Free community meals, walk-in food pantry, monthly food boxes for South Placer County zip codes, rent and utility help, and showers on Fridays 6–7am. |
| St. Vincent de Paul of Roseville | Food Locker program with free supplemental groceries (plus formula, baby food, and diapers for kids under 3), and a Dining Room with free meals five days a week. No ID or application needed for the Dining Room. |
| Placer County Superior Court Self-Help Center | Free in-person help for people representing themselves in court. Covers evictions, divorce, name changes, restraining orders, small claims, and more. |
| Legal Services of Northern California (LSNC) - Placer Senior Program | Free legal help for Placer County residents age 60+, with priority for seniors facing housing loss, income issues, or financial abuse. |
San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco
| Organization | Description |
|---|---|
| Tenants Together | Statewide coalition for renters' rights with strong presence and resources in SF. |
| St. Anthony's Foundation | Dining room serving free, hot meals daily in the Tenderloin. |
| Glide Memorial Church | Daily free meals, harm reduction, and unconditional support in the Tenderloin. |
| Jazzie's Place | LGBTQ+ focused adult shelter with 24 beds. Contact a Navigation Center for access. |
| Homeless Youth Alliance | Harm reduction and support for homeless youth in the Haight-Ashbury district. |
| TGI Justice Project | Legal services and support for transgender, gender variant, and intersex people inside and outside of prisons. Includes the Melenie Eleneke Grassroots Re-Entry Program. |
| The Transgender District | Resources for housing, tenant protections, and economic empowerment. |
| Larkin Street | Larkin Street is a San Francisco based drop-in center offering meals, showers, sleeping pods, computers, housing navigators, career coaching, job placement, GED support, tutoring, medical care, mental health support, harm reduction and much more. |
| Bay Area Legal Aid | Free civil legal services for low-income residents across seven Bay Area counties. |
| Bay Area Mutual Aid Network | Disaster preparedness and response network for libraries and archives (and community info). |
| SF Bay Mutual Aid | Collective connecting residents for direct aid, grocery delivery, and support. |
| Tenant and Neighborhood Councils (TANC) | Autonomous tenant union organizing for housing justice across the Bay Area. |
| DOPE Project | Drug Overdose Prevention and Education. Naloxone distribution and training in SF. |
| San Francisco Community Health Center | Comprehensive medical care, supportive services, and outreach designed specifically for unhoused individuals. |
| Lyon-Martin Community Health Services | Affirming, trauma-informed primary care and sexual health services for LGBTQ+ communities. |
| Healthy San Francisco | Program designed to make health care services accessible and affordable for uninsured San Francisco residents. |
East Bay
| Organization | Description |
|---|---|
| East Bay Express Food Banks and Drop-Offs | Non-exhaustive list of food banks and food drive drop-off locations in the East Bay region. |
| East Bay Community Law Center | Legal services for low-income residents in housing, health, and economic security. |
| Oakland | |
| Oakland Tenants Union | Volunteer-run organization protecting tenant rights and fighting displacement in Oakland. |
| The East Oakland Collective | Community organizing and food distribution in Deep East Oakland. |
| Homies Empowerment | FREEdam Store providing free food and supplies in East Oakland. |
| Punks with Lunch (Oakland) | Guerrilla needle exchange and food distribution outreach. |
| Berkeley and Surrounding Areas | |
| Berkeley Free Clinic | Free medical and dental care, peer counseling, and harm reduction supplies. |
| Berkeley Mutual Aid | Neighbor-to-neighbor support network for groceries and essential supplies. |
| Berkeley Food Network | Sourcing and distributing food to those in need in Berkeley and Albany. |
South Bay & San Jose (WIP)
| Organization | Description |
|---|---|
| [Organization Name] | [Description] |
Central California (WIP)
Fresno & Central Valley
| Link | Description |
|---|---|
| Fresno County | |
| [Resource Name] | [Description] |
| Bakersfield & Kern County | |
| [Resource Name] | [Description] |
Central Coast (Monterey, Santa Cruz, SLO)
| Link | Description |
|---|---|
| [Resource Name] | [Description] |
Southern California (WIP)
Greater Los Angeles
| Link | Description |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles City & Central | |
| [Resource Name] | [Description] |
| Long Beach & South Bay | |
| [Resource Name] | [Description] |
Inland Empire & Orange County
| Link | Description |
|---|---|
| Inland Empire (Riverside & San Bernardino) | |
| [Resource Name] | [Description] |
| Orange County | |
| [Resource Name] | [Description] |
San Diego & Imperial County
| Link | Description |
|---|---|
| [Resource Name] | [Description] |
California Statewide
| Organization | Description |
|---|---|
| NorCal Resist | Food distributions, brake light repair, accompaniment to ICE check-ins/appointments, asylum workshops, and more. |
| TeenSource | Free condoms and sexual health resources for California youth (ages 12-24). |
| Medi-Cal Eligibility | Check if you qualify for California's Medicaid program. |
| California Tenants Guide (PDF) | Guide to residential tenants' and landlords' rights and responsibilities in California. |
| Legal Services of Northern California | A ton of helpful resources on housing, law, health, government benefits, and more. |
| Family PACT | Free family planning and reproductive health services for eligible low-income California residents. |
| Every Woman Counts (EWC) | Free breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services for low-income, uninsured, or underinsured people with breasts and/or cervixes. |
| California Impact (CA IMPACT) | Free prostate cancer treatment and medical services for qualified uninsured or underinsured people with prostates in California. |
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