Help, hope, and support when you need it most
Action Inc.’s Community Services program is a vital resource for the Cape Ann community — a safe and welcoming place where you can find help, hope, and support when you need it most. Our Community Services team helps empower people to lead healthy and successful lives.
Our Community Services Navigators will work with you to apply for public benefits – such as SSI/SSDI, MassHealth, and food stamps – and will help you navigate these complex systems. We can help you apply for housing assistance, find affordable housing, address landlord/tenant disputes, and deal with back rent. If you have received an eviction notice, we can assist you with this process and try to prevent you from losing your housing. We can connect you to mental health and substance abuse resources if you need them. If you don’t know where to turn, our Community Services team can help you move forward and get the resources you need to support yourself and your family.
All services are delivered in a confidential, one-on-one setting with an experienced social service advocate.
Public Benefits Support
Get help accessing and understanding public benefits, including:
- TAFDC (Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children)
- EAEDC (Emergency Aid to Elders, Disabled, and Children)
- Emergency Assistance
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
- Medicaid / MassHealth — immediate onsite submission available
- Food Stamps / SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) — immediate onsite submission available
Additional Support Services
- Help with eviction notices and landlord/tenant disputes
- Help managing your budget or dealing with unpaid rent or utility bills
- Referrals to local resources where you can receive clothing, food, and medical care
- Assistance is available in Spanish and Portuguese
Urgent Care Hours
Thanks to a grant from the Applied Materials Foundation, Action Inc. is able to offer urgent care hours through our Community Services department.
Urgent care hours enable us to provide advocacy services to people in crisis as quickly as possible. If someone walks in or calls with an urgent matter, they can be scheduled to meet with the Urgent Care Advocate during urgent care hours – Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9-11 am.
Examples of situations that can be addressed during urgent care hours include:
- clients who have received a heat or electricity shut off notice
- families that are living in places not meant for human habitation
- clients without access to appropriate clothing in dangerous weather conditions
- clients who have received 48-hour vacate orders
- victims of house or apartment fires
- families who are homeless but have been denied access to state-funded family shelter
Short-term Mortgage & Rental Assistance
Short-term rental and mortgage assistance is available for renters and homeowners in Gloucester, Rockport, Essex, Manchester, or Ipswich who have recently lost their jobs, been furloughed, or lost significant income due to COVID-19.
This new funding has been made available thanks to the City of Gloucester Community Preservation Act, the Manchester Affordable Housing Trust, the Ipswich Affordable Housing Trust Fund, and the Town of Rockport Preservation Funds.
Frequently asked questions
What areas of Massachusetts do you serve?
Where are your offices?
I need help applying for food stamps, MassHealth, disability, or some other benefit. How do I get help?
Resources
Neighborhood Legal Services
For Massachusetts legal information
Lifeline and Link-up
Affordable telephone service for eligible customers
Massachusetts Assistance Programs
Assistance resources for residents of Massachusetts
Benefits Check Up
Resource of the National Council on Aging’s Benefit for applying Medicare Extra Help prescription coverage and other benefits
Mass Legal Help
Information about legal rights and benefits in Massachusetts
