Link to UWSC Partner Agencies
UWSC partner agencies provide critical support to Story County in the areas of health, education, and financial stability. Please click the link above to view our list of partner agencies and their websites.
Resources in Story County:
211 is a FREE national helpline to connect you with resources, including resources right here in Story County. Call 211 any time to be connected with a knowledgeable specialist. You can also text 898211 for help (start by texting your zip code) or visit www.211iowa.org.
If your business or organization would like free 211 marketing materials, click here to order items that United Way will get to you at no cost.
Below you will find a list of some of the resources in Story County. Please note, however, that 211 is your most accurate, complete, and current source of resource information.
Local childcare resources:
Child Care Assistance application- Child Care Assistance (CCA) is available to the children of income-eligible parents. Click the link to apply.
Free resources:
Ballard Community Clothes and Food Pantry
Offers free clothing, food and household items.
Location: 602 North Main, Huxley. Open Hours: Wed 5 pm - 7 pm; Sat 10 am - 12 pm; Sun 1 pm - 3 pm. Phone Number: (515) 291-3543
Bethesda Lutheran Church Clothing Closet
Provides clothing to Story County residents in need. No one is turned away. Co-located with a Community Food Pantry.
Location: 1517 Northwestern Avenue, Ames. Open Hours: Tuesdays 1 pm-3 pm and 6:30 pm-8 pm, Wednesdays 10 am-11:30 am, Thursdays 1 pm-3 pm. Phone Number: (515) 232-6256
Clothing That Works at Collegiate United Methodist Church Annex
Free clothes and shoes for adults in need.
Location: 130 South Sheldon, Ames. (Behind Dunkin’ Donuts). Open Hours: Wednesdays 2 pm-5 pm and first Saturday of the month 9 am-12 pm. Phone number: (515) 292-6936. Website: https://www.cwames.org
Harmony Clothing Closet
Free clothing and household items in downtown Nevada. Have clothing of all kinds and sizes (work and leisure wear, outerwear, underwear, footwear, and more). Volunteer run.
Location: 1122 6th Street, Nevada. Open Hours: Mondays 4 – 7 pm, except holidays. (Donations accepted only during store hours, via the alley entrance.) Phone Number: 515-207-2974. Website: www.harmonyccweb.wixsite.com/
Iowa State University "Pop Up Shop" (For ISU Students Only)
The ISU Pop-Up Shop opens once per semester and offers blazers, suits, shirts and blouses, trousers, shoes and accessories; all for free! These range in styles and sizes.
Location for pop-up events: Varies. Follow on Instagram for information(@isupopup). Location for donations (accepted year-round): College of Human Sciences in 131 MacKay Hall. Website: hs.iastate.edu/current-students/careers-and-internships/isu-pop-up-shop/
Reliable Street – “Always Open Free Thrift”
Free clothes and household items stored in a small shed, available 24-7.
Location: 4625 Reliable Street, Ames. Email: contact@reliablestreet.com. Website: reliablestreet.com
Romero House - Daytime Hospitality Services
Provides a daytime hospitality center for those in need. Anyone needing access to a shower, laundry facilities, a hot meal, or clothing can come into the Romero House to get assistance.
Location: 709 Clark Avenue, Ames. Hours: Monday – Sunday, 1-4 pm. Phone Number: (515) 337-8088
Low Cost Resources:
Goodwill Thrift Store
Location: 3718 Lincoln Way, Ames. Store Hours: Monday - Thursday: 9am - 7pm, Friday - Saturday: 9am - 8pm, Sunday: 12pm - 5pm Phone: 515-292-8454. Email: store6@dmgoodwill.org
The Salvation Army Family Store and Donation Center
Location: 620 Lincoln Way, Ames. Store Hours: 10am-8pm Monday – Saturday. Phone Number: 515 233 3533 Email: satruck_desmoines@usc.salvationarmy.org
Habitat for Humanity
Sell new and gently used furniture, home accessories, building materials and appliances to the public at a fraction of the retail price. Location: 3504 Grand Avenue, Ames. Hours: Monday-Saturday, 10 am – 4 pm. Phone Number: 515-232-8815. Website: www.hfhci.org
Overflow Thrift Store
Location: 202 South Duff Avenue, Ames plus NEW location on east Lincoln Way. Open Hours: Monday - Friday 10 am -6 pm, Saturday 10 am-4 pm. . Phone Number: (515) 290-0732. Website: www.overflowthriftstore.org
Our local Campaign for Grade Level Reading, Story County Reads, has loads of information on local educational programs, resources, and more! Follow their Facebook page! or visit their website at www.uwstory.org/story-county-reads.
School Supply Assistance
Blast Back to School - supply distribution happens late summer every year through this community initiative. United Way is happy to serve as the fiscal agent for this work.
Check with your guidance counselor or school social workers for more information or if you need supplies during the school year.
Ames Regional Economic Alliance
IowaWorks office in Ames
903 Lincoln Way. Phone: 515-725-5495. Open Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
DMACC Workforce Training Academy
Contact Elizabeth Ross at Ames Alliance (elizabeth@amesalliance.com) or Marlana Schnell at DMACC (mdschnell@dmacc.edu) to learn of programs available in Story County. Training is free, with additional supports (transportation, childcare vouchers, etc.) available.
YSS Youth Employment Program
420 South Kellogg Ave. Phone: 515-233-3141. See https://www.yss.org/program/youth-employment/ for more information.
Clothing That Works
130 S. Sheldon Ave. in Ames (in the Annex building behind Dunkin' Donuts). Free clothing closet. Obtain clothes for work and beyond. Open Wednesdays 2-5 pm.
For lists of agencies that provide rent, utility, and other assistance, please view:
For information on Iowa Public Benefits, please click here.
Legal Assistance for Evictions
Legal Aid Society of Story County
Eviction and related landlord-tenant cases are being treated as "crisis" cases and will receive prompt assistance. Located in Nevada - 515-382-2471
Iowa Legal Aid Hotline
Free legal advice, Monday through Friday, 9am-4pm. 1-800-332-041. Please also refer to their website for information.
Money Management
America Saves - resources on taxes, student loans, SNAP benefits, and more
Concerned about how you are going to pay your bills? The best step you can take is to communicate soon with those you will be owing money to in the coming weeks. This would include landlords, and mortgage, utility, loan, and/or credit companies along with others you may owe money to. You may be able to work out a plan with each of them giving you the ability to make a partial payment or perhaps temporarily suspend payments with the promise of making them up later.
The key is to make sure to communicate with those expecting a payment before the payments are due in order to show good faith but also to find out what your options are for partial or delayed payments. In all cases do not make promises you can not keep. Document the agreements you have reached so that you don’t have to count on your memory at a later date. Finally, follow through on your promises.
Check the other resources on this page to see if there is a program that will either help with a critical bill or free up money so you can pay the critical bill such as utilizing a food pantry.
ISU Extension Family Finance Specialists
Family finance program specialists are providing free, one-on-one financial conversations. Financial educators are available to talk about options for revising a budget, prioritizing bills, paying down debt and connecting Iowans with community resources to stretch reduced incomes. Iowans can connect with a family finance specialist by phone or email. The conversations are free and confidential. Click the link above for more info.
Taxes
*NEW* Tax Tool to claim child tax payments
View available local tax assistance here.
For a list of Story County food pantries and programs, please visit our Story County Hunger Guide.
Available in Spanish Chinese Arabic Korean*
*Please note that the language translations may be outdated.
For information on available, ongoing food support programs, visit:
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides nutrition benefits to supplement food budgets. To find out more about this program or to see if you are eligible, please visit their website. You can apply online, by paper, or over the phone at 1-855-944-3663, Monday thru Friday 8am-5pm)
Senior Commodity Food Program (USDA program offered by Heartland Story County)
Supplemental food boxes available for eligible seniors 60+ throughout Story County. A person must meet income eligibility guidelines established by the USDA. Foods received monthly; shelf-stable milk, non-fat dry milk, rice or pasta, ready-to-eat cereal, farina, or oatmeal, peanut butter or dry beans, canned meat or fish, bottled juices, canned fruits, canned vegetables, and cheese. Visit the website or call 1-877-288-3655 or 515-233-2906 to see if you qualify.
Women-Infants-Children Program (WIC)
This program provides supplementary food and nutrition education for women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, up to 6 months post-partum, and infants and children up to age 5. In Story County, contact Mid-Iowa Community Action (MICA) at 226 South East 16th Street, Ames, Iowa 50010 or call 1-800-890-8230 to get enrolled.
Check out our work with Story County Immigrant and Refugee Collaboration.
Good Neighbor Emergency Assistance
Funding for $35 monthly phone cards and/or to make payments on cell phone plans or internet bills. Phone cards are limited to Straight Talk, Verizon, AT&T, US Cellular. Phone cards are also limited to availability.
How to Apply: Good Neighbor is open by appointment only. Please call 515-296-1449 to set up your appointment. Please leave a message if we don’t answer – we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. You may also contact us by email at: assistance@gnea.org
What You Need to Apply:
- A photo ID
- Income information/verification for the entire household for the past 30 days
- Listing of household expenses
- If your photo ID does not have your current address, we will need proof of Story County residency
Other Resources:
Public WiFi spots available in Ames
Public WiFi is available at two locations in Ames, Furman Aquatic Center and the Ames Public Library, for students and others who need an Internet connection in the community. Click above for more details.
Legal Aid Society of Story County
If you or someone you know needs legal assistance, contact Legal Aid at (515) 382-2471. (Office is in Nevada)
Free civil legal assistance. Please follow the link to learn more. Call 1-800-532-1503 if you have an emergency.
SingleCare Prescription Savings Card
The SingleCare prescription savings card can help everyone save up to 80% on prescriptions, including the uninsured, the underinsured, and those with limited prescription benefits on their insurance plans. When calling in your prescriptions, ask that the SingleCare discount be applied by providing them the following information:
BIN: 610194
Group ID: FW200
PCN: FW
Registration is not required for this program so anyone can use it!
Statewide Resources
Statewide Crisis Line 24 hour services
Toll-free Crisis Line phone number: 855-581-8111
Live, online chat counseling, available at: yourlifeiowa.org
Text support available by texting to: 855-895-8398
National Resource
Suicide and Crisis Hotline: Dial 988 Available everywhere in the USA.
Story County Mental Health Services
For a comprehensive list of providers, please see Central Iowa Community Services’ Mental Health Services for Adults document or Mental Health Services for Children. For additional information, please visit the CICS website at: Accessing Services - CICS
Story County Mental Health Expo Resource Guide 2023
Mental Health resource guide from National Alliance on Mental Health
ACCESS (Assault Care Center)
24/7 Help Lines:
Sexual Abuse Helpline: 1-800-203-3488
Domestic Abuse Helpline: 1-855-983-4641
Emergency Housing Helpline: 1-855-696-2980
The Bridge Home is devoted to bridging the gap between homelessness and housing by providing shelter, support, and inspiring a pathway forward to individuals and families experiencing or on the verge of homelessness. Please call 515-232-8075 to request help.
Youth in crisis can find safety, support and services at any YSS emergency service and shelter:
- Rosedale Shelter (703 Burnett Avenue, Ames) can be reached 24/7 at 515-233-2330.
- All adolescent residential addiction treatment facilities in Ames are open and operating. If you or a loved one is in need of treatment, please contact Mark at 515-233-4930.
Housing Supports in Story County
Need help getting supplies to your home?
For individuals 60+, Heartland of Story County and Central Iowa RSVP are offering assistance with medication and grocery pick-up/delivery. To access this assistance, please visit this webpage: Free Grocery Delivery - Heartland of Story County or call the following:
- Story City RSVP: 515-733-4917
- Ames RSVP: 515-292-8890
For a list of all transportation options in Story County, please view the Transportation Brochure or the Story County Transportation Collaboration website
Local transportation services:
View and/or post local volunteer opportunities at:
Get Connected (administered by Central Iowa RSVP)
GivePulse (administerd by ISU)