Sierra Roots provides weekly meals and clothing to people who are homeless. Clothing, including socks and shoes, is available every week. Individuals can get clothing once every two weeks.

During winter months, lunch served on Thursdays at 11:30am at the First Community Church at 300 Main Street, Nevada City.

During summer months, Thursday lunches are served at 11:30am at Pioneer Park, 421 Nimrod Street in Nevada City in the picnic area near the horseshoe pits.

Web pages

• Home - https://sierra-roots.org/

The San Juan Ridge PARTNERS Family Resource Center (FRC) provides families in the San Juan Ridge area with information and referrals to local resources, services, and facilities on a drop-in basis for visitors of all ages.

General services include:

• Playgroups for children ages 0-5
• Weekly activities for older children
• Child development information
• Parenting support
• Counseling
• Education
• Employment tools

Specific offerings include:

• Buss passes
  • Bus passes are issued as 2 one-way trips with transfers that can be used on all routes to make a roundtrip from the San Juan Ridge.
• Laundry vouchers
  • Laundry vouchers come with one detergent pod and are good for a single wash and dry at Launderland in Grass Valley. 
  • Details for when and how to redeem is printed on the voucher. 
  • The number of laundry vouchers issued at one time will depend on family size and other factors.
• Adult yoga
  • Mon 6-7:15pm and Wed 9-10:30am
• A food pantry
  • Tue & Thu 12-3pm (for emergencies)
• A computer, phone, fax, and p…

The Nevada County Department of Social Services provides drop-in benefits information and application assistance.

They help people in enrolling in or renewing benefits programs like:

• Cash Assistance | CalWORKs & more
• Food Assistance | CalFresh
• Healthcare | Medi-Cal
• Housing
• In-Home Supportive Services
• Veterans Services

Drop-In Days and Locations

• Grass Valley Library
  • 207 Mill St, Grass Valley, CA 95945
  • 530-273-4117
  • First Tuesdays, 10:30am-12:30pm
• Madelyn Helling Library
  • 980 Helling Way, Nevada City, CA 95959
  • 530-265-7050
• First Wednesdays, 10am-12pm

Additional notes:

These are drop-in services and no appointment is necessary.

Web pages

• Home - https://www.nevadacountyca.gov/879/Social-Services
• Drop-in Services Information - https://www.nevadacountyca.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=7270

The Salvation Army offers a small emergency food pantry for people needing short-term food assistance.

Services include:

• Emergency pantry access for people and families unable to make it to larger distributions

Web pages

• Home - https://grassvalley.salvationarmy.org/

The Food Bank of Nevada County offers food distributions in various locations.

Grass Valley - Western Nevada County
2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month from 10am-1pm
Grass Valley Seventh Day Adventist Church
12889 Osborn Hill Rd, Grass Valley, CA 95945

Higgins Corner - Grass Valley - Southern Nevada County
3rd Thursday of each month from 3:30-5:30pm
Sierra United Methodist Church (near Lake of the Pines)
22559 W. Hacienda Dr, Grass Valley, CA 95949

North San Juan
2nd Tuesday of each month from 10am-12pm
Oak Tree School
18847 Oak Tree Rd, North San Juan, CA 95959

Town of Washington
3rd Wednesday of each month at 12pm
Washington Fire Department
15406 Washington Rd, Washington, CA 95986

Truckee
Tuesday from 4pm-5pm
Sierra Community House
12116 Chandelle Way, Suite D2, Truckee, CA 96161
Call to confirm if weather or other factors might affect distributions. 775-545-4083

Income guidelines are posted under the USDA tab here.

An alternate schedule will be on website during Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks. …

The Spirit Peer Empowerment Center offers peer-led services and activities for people experiencing mental health challenges, substance use, or housing instability.

Basic needs & support services:

• Naloxone (Narcan) on-site for opioid overdose
• Food, clothing, and period product distribution
• Hot showers (5 per day, 10am-1:30pm; arrive early; ADA-compliant but not roll-in)
• Laundry and clothing closet access
• Assistance with Medi-Cal, CalFresh, and housing applications
• Lifeline phones for eligible Nevada County residents (Wednesdays, 9am-3pm; photo ID and proof of income required)

Recovery & planning groups:

• WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) | 8-week course
• Housing Circle; application support and housing navigation (call 530-274-1431 for schedule)
• Peer support groups for:
  • Co-occurring disorders
  • Identity Diversity (LGBTQ+)
  • Anxiety and depression
  • A Diagnosis with Dignity
  • Men’s and women’s groups

Wellness & creative activities:

• Restorative yoga and guided wellness sessions
• Beading for We…

Meals on Wheels provides qualified home-bound seniors in Nevada county with nutritious lunches.

Services include:

• Meals delivered directly to the homes of clients
• Monthly menus and varied dishes
• Pet food deliveries (if the client is enrolled in the Pet Food Pantry program)

Additional notes:

Delivery takes place on Tuesdays & Thursdays, with no deliveries on weekends, major holidays, or when roads are unsafe to travel.

Gold Country Senior Services oversees the Meals on Wheels program in Western Nevada County.

Web pages

• Home - https://www.goldcountryservices.org/meals-on-wheels/
• Gold Country Senior Services - https://www.goldcountryservices.org/

The Food Bank of Nevada County offers food home delivery for eligible families.

Call FREED at 530-477-3333 for a screening to learn if you are eligible for food home delivery due to inability to leave your home to get your own groceries. For seniors and people with disabilities who have absolutely no way to get to a food distribution anywhere.

Web pages

• Home - https://foodbankofnc.org/
  

The SAFE (Stability, Access, Foundation, Empowerment) program is committed to finding and helping youth ages 12 -25 who are experiencing homelessness.

Many youth experiencing homelessness do not have access to local or state funding or simply don’t know what services are available. And few nonprofit organizations in the region can help.

SAFE fills the gap by connecting youth who have alternative, unpredictable, or inconsistent housing access with community resources and well-trained professionals.

SAFE helps mitigate homelessness in Nevada County by providing:

• Basic needs, such as food, clothing, housing, hygiene supplies, showers
• Education and training, including transitioning to college and/or trade school
• Physical health and mental wellness counseling
• Training to develop the necessary skills to live independently

Web pages

• Home - https://bffyouth.org/safe/

Interfaith Food Ministry provides supplemental groceries, including baby formula and baby food when available, to low-income individuals and families.

People needing free supplemental groceries are allowed to come to IFM once every other week.

Food Distribution

• ​When? Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10am-1pm. Also, every Saturday from 10am-1pm in collaboration with United Way of Nevada County.
• Where? 440 Henderson Street, Grass Valley, CA 95945

Reservation System

• Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 10-11:30am - Reservations Only.
  11am-1pm First come, first served.
• Saturday: 10am-12pm - No Reservations. First come, first served.
• Make reservations on the IFM Portal.

Free Phones

Free phones (also known as lifeline phones or Obama phones) are available at Saturday food distributions for eligible low-income Nevada County residents. Eligibility is based on income. For example, people who receive CalFresh/EBT and Medi-Cal are eligible. Expect to present proof of income and have a photo ID.

• When? 8:30am-…