A Comprehensive and Current Overview Guide to Assistance

Targeted guides are available for specific populations including the following:

Programs for Adults with and without children living with them

Programs for Families with children under 18 living with them

Policy and Advocacy

Webinars

The Economic Progress Institute is a nonpartisan research and policy organization dedicated to improving the economic well-being of low- and modest-income Rhode Islanders. The Assistance Guides provide information about government assistance programs and community-based resources that help low- and modest-income Rhode Islanders meet basic needs. The Assistance Guides provides a general overview, eligibility rules and application information for each program in the areas of Income Supports, Food Assistance, Health Care, Child Care, Housing, Utilities and Tax Credits.

Residents of Charlestown, Coventry, East Greenwich, Exeter, Hopkinton, Narragansett, New Shoreham, North Kingstown, Richmond, South Kingstown, Warwick, West Greenwich, West Warwick, Westerly.

Program participation are subject to eligibility requirements

FCCP Intake (866) 840-6532

• Head Start and Early Head Start link
• Joyful Learning Child Academy
• Family Care Community Partnership FCCP
• Senior and Disabled Adult Services
• Heating Assistance (by appointment)
• Volunteer Income Tax Assistance

Mission:
“To provide accessible, quality, and comprehensive social, educational, health, prevention, and other services to people in need, while empowering them to achieve the highest possible level of self-sufficiency and quality of life."

Tri-County Community Action Program has 12 sites in multiple communities throughout the State of Rhode Island. Locations

Additional lead agencies for the Family Care Community Partnership 

Community Care Alliance Northern Rhode Island

Communities for People East Urban Core

Family Service West Urban Core

Child and Family East Bay

Tri-County Community Action Kent/Washington County

BVCAP offers a multitude of programs, please contact for eligibility requirements.

In response to the COVID outbreak, BVCAP is currently not accepting walk-in appointments at this time. If you need immediate assistance please call 401-723-4520 or e-mail us at help@bvcap.org.

Thank you for your continued patience and support during this time.

The Blackstone Valley Community Action Program provides a number of services to its clients from Basic Needs, energy heating assistance to job training.
Programs and services for families include:

Family Programs link

• Parents as Teachers (PAT) 
• Healthy Families America 

Education and Training Programs link

Emergency Services link

• Food Pantry
• Diapers and Project Undercover
• Rental Relief and Utilities

Tax Preparation 

Senior Services

The Blackstone Valley Community Action Program (BVCAP) is a non-profit agency and a member of the nation-wide network of Community Action Programs. Our mission is to assist low-moderate income people and empower them to become self-reliant, responsible citizens. Our programs are funded through federal, state and local grants.

Multiple Locations
BVCAP Community Center
210 West Avenue
Pawtucket, RI 02860
Hours: Monday – Friday 8:30AM – 4PM
Phone: 401-475-5071

Woonsocket Office
Woonsocket Senior Center
84 Social Street
Woonsocket, RI 02895
Hours: Monday – Friday 8:30AM – 4PM

Phone: 401-766-3734

The services we offer help make sure everyone can reach their full potential. This may mean solving immediate challenges, like access to food or housing. Or, it may mean getting and staying healthy for life. There’s medical and dental care, behavioral health care, human services and community programs. We help children, youth, families, adults and elders. EBCAP has over 20 services. Our programs focus to improve health, social, and educational outcomes through the strengthening of parent-child relationships, evidence-based curriculum, and skill development.

Head Start, Early Head Start and Pre-K Early Childhood Education Programs link

Parents as Teachers link

Healthy Families America link

The services provided by EBCAP include:

Head Start and Early Head Start services; Even Start;

family health and dental services;

family development case management services including social service information and referral and basic human needs;

youth programs;

the East Bay Coalition for the Homeless; Heating and Energy Services; the Women, Infants and Children Supplemental Feeding and Nutrition Program (WIC); the Newport Skills Alliance; youth services; and senior services including case management, senior employment, the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), Foster Grandparents and the Ocean State Senior Dining Program (meals in a social setting).

East Bay Community Action Program provides a wide array of health and human services to the residents of RI's east bay: East Providence, Barrington, Warren, Bristol, Tiverton, Little Compton, Portsmouth, Middletown, Newport and Jamestown.
A number of satellite locations for WIC:
Tiverton -401-625-1364
Newport 401-619-5970
Bristol -401-253-7577

Serving residents of Kent County including Coventry, East Greenwich, Warwick, West Warwick and West Greenwich. Eligibility requirements apply

The Intake Unit is the entry point to Westbay programs and services. Intake helps clients with basic needs, short-term assistance, and access to follow-on services. Intake link

Information on programs and services link

Basic Needs

     Food Assistance Westbay Marketplace 

     Energy Assistance Good Neighbor Energy Fund

     Low Income Energy Assistance Program LIHEAP

Family and Children Services

     Family Care Community Partnership FCCP

     Westbay Children's Center ages 0-12 Child Care link

     Lead Center link

     Women, Infants and Children WIC link

     WIC Clinic Warwick- 401-732-4660 x121
     WIC Clinic - West Warwick- 401-826-3230

 Education and Workforce Development Adult Education Academy 

Westbay Community Action is a charitable organization serving the people of Kent County. We help with food, utilities, health, safety, and education.

Westbay Children's Center
22 Astral Street
Warwick, RI 02888
Phone:
401-463-6620
Email:
infowcc@westbaycap.org
Hours:
Monday-Friday 7:00am-5:30pm

Basic Needs, Family Care Community Partnership (FCCP)

• Head Start
• Employment & Training
• Food Bank
• FCCP
• Emergency Services
• Fuel Assistance (LIHEAP)

Mission:
"To provide accessible, quality, and comprehensive social, educational, health, prevention, and other services to people in need, while empowering them to achieve the highest possible level of self-sufficiency and quality of life.”

Tri-County Community Action Agency has 12 Locations across the state. Helping individuals and families on the road to self-sufficiency since 1964."

• Fuel Assistance and Weatherization
• Head Start
• Food Assistance
• Employment and Training

Mission:
“To provide accessible, quality, and comprehensive social, educational, health, prevention, and other services to people in need, while empowering them to achieve the highest possible level of self-sufficiency and quality of life."

Tri-County Community Action Program has 12 sites in multiple communities throughout the State of Rhode Island.

RI Department of Human Services oversees a number of programs to help individual and families in Rhode Island. A complete comprehensive list is on their website.

Childcare

Includes Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) and Head Start link

Supplemental Nutrition Program SNAP

Medicaid and Medicare Programs

Includes Katie Beckett Katie Beckett is an eligibility category in Medicaid that allows certain children under age 19 who have long-term disabilities or complex medical needs to become eligible for Medicaid coverage.

The Sherlock Plan

Medicaid for Working People with Disabilities Program is a type of Medicaid eligibility for working adults with disabilities.

Medicare Premium Program

SSI State Supplemental Payment

Long Term Services and Supports

Includes Medicaid Long Term Care Supported Services (LTSS) and Enhanced Assisted Living Program for elderly and adults with disabilities.

RI Works Program

RI Works is a financial and employment assistance program for parents and families with little to no income who have children high school age or younger.

General Public Assistance Programs

Includes Bridge Fund, Hardship Program and Funeral/Burial Assistance 

Refugee Assistance Programs

Energy Assistance Programs

DHS' programs and services, including those offered by our four divisions, collectively serve more than 300,000 families, adults, children, older Rhode Islanders, individuals with disabilities and veterans each year. Each have their own eligibility requirements and our staff are happy to assist those who need us through the application process and any other needs. 

Office locations

Must be a Providence resident and meet program eligibility requirements

Programs and Services Link

Basic Needs

• Food Pantry
• Senior Meal Delivery
• Good Neighbor Energy Fund
• Project Undercover
• Rental/ Mortgage Assistance
• Appliance Management Program
• Rhode Island Home Energy Assistance Program (RIHEAP)

Training and Workforce Development

• RI Works
• Parent Leadership Training Initiative (PLTI)
• Summer Youth Employment Program

CAPP is a leading provider of social services in Providence. The organization operates, promotes and supports the development of human service programs aimed at improving the lives of low-to-moderate income individuals and families living in Providence. CAPP works to minimize poverty while empowering members of the community to be self-sufficient.

• Emergency Services
• Fuel Assistance (LIHEAP) & Weatherization
• Food Bank

Income guidelines and eligibility criteria available on website

Rhode Islanders who need assistance from the Fund should visit their local Community Action Program (CAP) agency. CAP agencies use the guidelines found below to determine qualification. If you are unsure of the CAP agency nearest you, please contact United Way 2-1-1 in Rhode Island. Simply dial 2-1-1 or visit us online.

For more than 35 years, the Good Neighbor Energy Fund has provided assistance to Rhode Island households who are unable to meet a current energy expense due to a temporary crisis.

The Fund was founded by local energy companies that recognized their customer's generosity with various giving programs. The Good Neighbor Energy Fund's 2022-23 sponsors include:

• Block Island Utility District
• Rhode Island Energy
• Pascoag Utility District
• Petro Home Services
• RISEC, LP
• Ocean State Power

Income eligible and participation in a qualifying government assistance program (list can be found online).

Provides free cell phone plans for low income families. Use services locator on website.

Must meet all these criteria: Be located where Comcast offers Internet service; Have at least one child receiving free school lunches through the National School Lunch Program; Have not subscribed to Comcast Internet service within the last 90 days; Not have an overdue Comcast bill or unreturned equipment.

Offers families $9.95 (plus tax) a month Internet service and a low-cost computer to qualified applicants.
Never pay any price increases or pay any activation or equipment rental fees.
Option to buy a computer at initial enrollment for the low price of just $149.99 + tax
Free Internet training available — online, in print and in person.

Provides telephone assistance for disabled: vision-or hearing-impaired, or who have mobility, cognitive or other disabilities.

Hearing Augmentation Aids
Specialized Telecommunications Equipment
Telecommunication Relay Services
Visual/Reading Aids

Lifeline Assistance program is available for only one wireline or wireless account per household. Low income (see online income chart) and/or recipients of any of the following programs: Medicaid; Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); Food Stamps/SNAP; Section 8/ Federal Public Housing Assistance; Supplemental Security Income (SSI); National School Free Lunch Program (NSLP); Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).COVID-19 Update: The unemployed may use the Unemployment Benefit Letter as proof of eligibility until 11/30/20.

• Discounted Telephone Service
• Discounted Internet Service

• Discounted Telephone Service

Income based. Call for more information.

The federal Lifeline Program (formerly known as UTAP) assists families by providing a discount to either voice or broadband internet connectivity services, but not both. Eligibility for either discounted phone or internet service is determined by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC). For eligible cell phone or internet service, contact the local phone or internet company.

Find a company: Locator for companies participating in the lifeline program.

• Discounted Telephone Service
• Discounted Internet Service

Application required. No need to apply if you are currently enrolled in the Lifeline Program.

The Emergency Broadband Benefit is an FCC program to help families and households struggling to afford internet service during the COVID-19 pandemic.