Newark Local Assistance Programs

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

Legal aid

Essex-Newark Legal Services is the Essex County office of Legal Services of New Jersey, which provides free civil legal help to low-income residents. Call the office or the statewide hotline at 1-888-576-5529 to apply.¹

Volunteer Lawyers for Justice provides free civil legal help through volunteer attorneys. Its programs cover eviction defense for Essex County tenants, criminal record expungement, help for veterans, divorce, and free legal help for parents in Newark’s South Ward. Apply online or by phone.²

Food

The Community FoodBank of New Jersey supplies food to more than 800 pantries and soup kitchens across 11 counties, including Essex County. Its food finder lists partner pantries near any ZIP code, and its Food Assistance Line at 908-838-4831 can help in English or Spanish. The Hillside warehouse is not a walk-in pantry.³

The Market at UCC is a choice-based food pantry where shoppers pick fresh produce, proteins, dairy and shelf-stable goods at no cost. Visits are by appointment only. Book by texting UCCPANTRY to 726879 or through the Plentiful app. UCC also runs community refrigerators across the city and a mobile food truck.⁴

Social services

Newark Emergency Services for Families provides programs for residents across Essex County. It runs a homeless drop-in center, emergency housing assistance, and intensive case management, plus the Weequahic Family Success Center in Newark’s South Ward.⁵