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STATEFloridaGainesville

Gainesville Local Assistance Programs

This page lists local organizations in Gainesville, Florida that provide free legal help, food and social services. Statewide programs are described on the Florida page.

Three Rivers Legal ServicesFree civil legal aid
Websitetrls.org
Phone352-372-0519
Address1000 NE 16th Avenue, Building I, Gainesville, FL 32601
HoursMonday through Thursday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM; Friday, 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM; closed daily, 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM for lunch

Three Rivers Legal Services provides free civil legal help to eligible low-income residents of Alachua County and five nearby counties, covering housing, family law, public benefits, consumer issues, elder law and disability. Apply by phone at the toll-free intake line, 1-866-256-8091, or online, or in person during business hours.1

Food

Bread of the Mighty Food BankRegional food bank for North Central Florida
Websitebreadofthemighty.org
Phone352-336-0839
Address325 NW 10th Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32601
HoursMonday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Bread of the Mighty Food Bank is the regional food bank for Alachua, Gilchrist, Levy and Union counties. It supplies food to partner pantries, shelters, schools and churches. Groceries are handed out at partner pantries and mobile distributions, not at the warehouse address. Call to find a distribution site near you, and call ahead to confirm hours.2

Gainesville Community MinistryFood pantry and emergency help
Websitegcmhelp.org
Phone352-871-2143
Address238 Southwest 4th Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32601
HoursMonday through Thursday, 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Gainesville Community Ministry runs a food pantry for Alachua County residents in crisis, with emergency food, USDA food distributions, clothing and help with utility bills, IDs and other basic needs. Pantry visits are limited to once in a 30-day period. Bring a photo ID, Social Security card and proof of income, and call ahead to confirm what to bring.3

Social services

Central Florida Community Action AgencyHelp with rent, energy bills and self-sufficiency
Websitecfcaa.org
Phone352-373-7667
Address411 N Main Street, Suite 210, Gainesville, FL 32601
HoursMonday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM

The Central Florida Community Action Agency helps low-income families in Alachua, Levy and Marion counties become self-sufficient, with emergency rent and energy help, weatherization and case management. Its LIHEAP program helps with home energy bills. Call to schedule an appointment.4

Alachua County Social ServicesCounty emergency financial and health care help
Websitealachuacounty.us
Phone352-264-6750
Address218 SE 24th Street, Gainesville, FL 32641
HoursMonday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM

Alachua County Social Services, part of the county Community Support Services Department, helps eligible low-income county residents with emergency financial help for rent, mortgage and utilities, plus health care help, medical referrals and prescriptions. Contact the office to request an application for services.5

Sources & notes
Data and figures on this page come from the sources and notes below:

Footnotes

  1. Three Rivers Legal Services, Locations. ↩

  2. Bread of the Mighty Food Bank, Home page. Address and phone from the City of Gainesville, Food Recovery & Diversion. Hours from a business listing; the food bank home page lists no address, phone or hours. Food reaches households through partner pantries, per 1Degree. ↩

  3. Gainesville Community Ministry, Home page. Listings give a different phone, (352) 372-8162, and pantry hours of 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM; the Ministry’s own site gives the phone and hours used here. The once-in-30-days limit and documents to bring rest on a University of Florida listing, Local & Campus Resources. ↩

  4. Central Florida Community Action Agency, Contact Us. Hours from a business listing, Financial Help Resources; the CFCAA website lists the address and phone. ↩

  5. Alachua County, Social Services. Hours from the 2024 Gainesville Community Resource Guide; the county website lists the address and phone. ↩

  1. Hialeah Local Assistance Programs, Florida.
  2. Hollywood Local Assistance Programs, Florida.
  3. Jacksonville Local Assistance Programs, Florida.
  4. Lakeland Local Assistance Programs, Florida.
  5. Miami Local Assistance Programs, Florida.

About this information

SingleMotherGuide.com is an independent state-by-state reference guide and is not affiliated with any government agency. Program amounts and income limits are compiled from official federal and state sources, which are cited on the page, and are reviewed periodically and updated as those sources change.

The information is provided for general guidance and is not legal or financial advice. The administering agency makes the final determination of eligibility and benefit amounts. To report an error, please contact us.

Data freshness

Figures on this page are compiled from the public sources cited above and may change; refer to the cited sources for the most current information.

Last updated
Updated by
Ada Hu
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