From all of us at Curryblossom
Help when you need it
Community resources for the Curryblossom family — Chapel Hill, Carrboro & Orange County, NC.
You are not alone. These services are free or low-cost and confidential. It is okay to ask for help.
If you need help right now
Calling 911 about a mental-health crisis? You can ask for a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) officer. The OCRCC and Compass lines are confidential and open to everyone, regardless of immigration status.
Food
Everybody Eats
When Vimala cooks, everybody eats. If you're hungry and can't pay, you'll always be served a warm meal here — no questions asked. And if you're able, the donation jar on our counter lets you pay it forward for a neighbor.
Inter-Faith Council (IFC) — Community Market & Kitchen
110 W Main St, Carrboro · 919-929-6380
Free hot meals daily (lunch ~11:15am, dinner ~5pm weekdays). Grocery pantry once a month, by appointment. Open to anyone who lives or works in Chapel Hill/Carrboro.
Heavenly Groceries
St. Joseph CME, 510 W Rosemary St · 919-960-1670
Food pantry & home delivery. Mondays, distribution from 3:30pm.
PORCH Chapel Hill–Carrboro
Monthly free grocery distribution & partner pantries. Find a location: porchcommunities.org
Meals on Wheels — Orange County
919-942-2948 · Meal delivery for seniors & homebound neighbors.
Farmers Market SNAP/EBT match
Carrboro & Chapel Hill Farmers Markets double (sometimes triple) your SNAP/EBT dollars for fresh food.
TABLE (families with kids)
Weekend & summer food for local children. tablenc.org
Rent, utilities & housing
Orange County Housing Helpline
919-245-2655 · housinghelp@orangecountync.gov
Mon–Fri 10am–4pm. Start here for any housing or eviction worry — they route you to the right program.
IFC — Emergency Financial Assistance
110 W Main St, Carrboro · 919-929-6380
Rent and/or utilities once every 12 months (live/work in Chapel Hill/Carrboro). Also IDs, clothing, transportation.
Emergency Housing Assistance (EHA)
Rent, mortgage & utility help (up to $4,500) after a recent life-changing event. Apply via the Housing Helpline, or Tuesdays 8:30am–4pm at 2501 Homestead Rd.
IFC HomeStart & Community House
HomeStart (women & children): 919-932-6025. Community House (men): 919-967-1086. Transitional housing + cold-weather shelter.
Duke Energy / utility help
Ask DSS or the Housing Helpline about LIEAP & Crisis Intervention (shut-off help). Duke Energy: 800-777-4898.
Chapel Hill Transit — fare-free
All Chapel Hill Transit buses are free to ride, no fare ever. Routes: townofchapelhill.org/transit
Health & mental health
Piedmont Health Services
Sliding-scale medical & dental, regardless of insurance or ability to pay. Carrboro Community Health Center + others. piedmonthealth.org
Planned Parenthood — Chapel Hill
1765 Dobbins Dr, Ste A · 919-942-7762
Birth control, STI testing/treatment, pregnancy testing, cancer screening, gender-affirming care. Low/no-cost options; Spanish available. Scheduling: 1-800-230-PLAN.
Mental Health Association in Orange County
Your local 988 crisis center — free, confidential, 24/7. Call or text 988 anytime.
NAMI North Carolina Helpline
800-451-9682 · Info, support & connection to local mental-health resources. (Not a crisis line — for a crisis, call 988.)
Freedom House Recovery Center
Mental illness & substance-use treatment, children & adults. 24-hr access: 919-942-2803
Narcan / overdose reversal
Free Naloxone (Narcan) kits are available in Orange County. Ask at IFC or the County Health Department.
Safety & personal support
Orange County Rape Crisis Center (OCRCC)
24/7 call or text · 919-967-7273
Free, confidential support for survivors of sexual violence & their loved ones — therapy, advocacy, support groups, hospital/court accompaniment. An LGBTQ+ advocate is on staff. Open to all, regardless of immigration status.
Servicios gratuitos y confidenciales, en español.
Compass Center
24-hr help line · 919-929-7122
Domestic-violence support, safety planning, court advocacy, financial-independence programs.
National Domestic Violence Hotline
24/7 · 800-799-7233 (or text START to 88788).
LGBTQ+ — Trevor Project
24/7 crisis support for LGBTQ+ young people. 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678-678.
Trans Lifeline
Peer support run by & for trans people. 877-565-8860
Veterans Crisis Line
Dial 988 then press 1, or text 838255. 24/7, confidential.
Immigration & legal help
Ayuda legal y de inmigraciónEl Centro Hispano — Carrboro
201 W Weaver St · 919-945-0132
Free/low-cost immigration legal services, citizenship classes & support — in Spanish.
Servicios legales de inmigración y apoyo — en español.
Legal Aid of North Carolina — Carrboro
Free civil legal help for low-income residents. Help line: 1-866-219-5262 · legalaidnc.org
NC Justice Center — Immigrant & Refugee Rights
Free legal advice & representation for low-income immigrants. 1-888-251-2776 · ncjustice.org
Legal Aid IMMPAV Project
Free immigration help for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, or trafficking (U-visa, VAWA, T-visa). Via Legal Aid: 1-866-219-5262
Refugee Support Center — Chapel Hill
Employment, financial literacy, housing & immigration support for refugees. refugeesupportcenter.org
El Pueblo
Know-your-rights info, education & advocacy for the Latinx community. elpueblo.org
Money, work, family & everything else
Community Empowerment Fund (CEF)
208 N Columbia St, Ste 100 · 919-200-0233
One-on-one financial coaching, savings programs, help opening a bank account, employment support.
Orange County Dept. of Social Services (DSS)
2501 Homestead Rd · 919-245-2800
SNAP (food), Medicaid, child-care subsidy, energy assistance, and more.
Child care assistance
Subsidized child care through DSS (above), and Orange County Partnership for Young Children: orangesmartstart.org
NC 211 — for anything not listed
Dial 2-1-1 (or 1-888-892-1162), free, 24/7, connecting you to local help for almost any need.
WIC (women, infants & children)
Nutrition support for pregnant people & young children, via the Orange County Health Department: 919-245-2400
Free tax help (VITA)
Free tax prep for low-income filers in season — ask at the library or dial 2-1-1 for the nearest site.