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General Assistance provides temporary assistance for basic or special needs to low income persons who reside in Polk County. RENTAL ASSISTANCE (Potential First Month's Rent Assistance as well) may be available to those in need. For First Month's Rent - Must be able to prove the following - property must have a valid housing certificate, must be able to show that housing is affordable, utilities must be set up in applicants name and if newly employed, must provide 2-3 check stubs. **FOR UTILITY ASSISTANCE: November 1-April 30 anyone seeking help for Electric MUST go through the LIHEAP program first. Those applying for Utility Assistance from G.A. must have an acceptance or denial letter from LIHEAP. Must have a disconnect notice and 12 month billing and payment history from the utility company. For water help - call to check on availability of funds. CREMATION EXPENSE ASSISTANCE may be available to those who meet the income guidelines. MEDICAL EXPENSE ASSISTANCE may be available for medical supplies (no longer helps with prescription costs) and assistance with transportation to out of town appointments. MORTGAGE PAYMENT ASSISTANCE may be available to those needing help with their mortgage payment. PROPERTY TAX PAYMENT ASSISTANCE may be available to assist elderly (aged 65 and older) and disabled homeowners who may qualify for suspension of property taxes. TRAVELER'S ASSISTANCE may provide transient transportation expenses to person stranded in Polk County for 24 hours or less. Applicant may be eligible if they are not a resident of Polk County and is traveling to another destination where he/she has family or other housing available to them.

Provides financial assistance (assistance with utilities, gas, groceries, and more), a limited food pantry, and other care as needed.

Offers emergency services following any kind of local disaster (tornado, fire, power outage, and more); often serves as a designated Red Cross shelter in those situations.

Offers a Disability Access Point (DAP) that helps individuals with disabilities, their families, and caregivers find services and supports they need, both short-term and long-term. DAPs provide information, help individuals make informed choices, make referrals, and follow up to help ensure individuals receive the support they need to live healthy, independent lives.

Services include:

• Information and Assistance: Provides information about programs and services based on identified needs and helps connect individuals with service providers in their communities.

• Options Counseling: Helps individuals make informed choices about available supports and services, typically for up to 90 days. Services may include benefits screening, application assistance, and follow-up to ensure supports are meeting the individual's needs.

• Financial Assistance: Provides gap funding and service coordination for programs and services that support individuals and caregivers and help individuals remain in the home and community of their choice. Assistance may include short-term and long-term services.

Short-Term Supports (time-limited): Services may include adaptive and assistive equipment, home and vehicle modifications, peer and parent support services, transportation assistance, and other basic needs not covered by insurance.

Long-Term Services and Supports: Services may include adult day programs, consumer-directed attendant care (CDAC) (non-skilled and skilled), day habilitation, employment services, including job skills training, prevocational services, and supported employment, intensive residential services (IRSH), personal response systems, respite services, including in-home, in-facility, and day camps, home-based habilitation (hourly), and residential living settings.

Program focused on removing transportation barriers for victims of domestic violence and human trafficking.

Provides a one-way trip to a safe house or program facility. The program’s transports are limited, available to single mothers fleeing an abusive relationship or survivors of human trafficking seeking refuge.

Individuals in need of transport services must complete an application or have an agency they’re working with submit an application. Once the application is submitted the client/agency will receive an email outlining the next steps.

More information is available on the program’s website.

Offers short-term financial assistance to qualified persons residing in Carroll County. Assistance can be for rent, utilities, transportation for medical care, prescription medications, and burial expenses.

Starting January 1, 2026, disabled veterans in Nebraska can receive a motor vehicle tax and fee exemption for one vehicle owned and used for their personal transportation.

Veterans are encouraged to apply in advance of their registration or renewal, as it may take up to 48 hours for information to be available to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) after a registry application is approved.

When registering or renewing a vehicle in person, a qualifying veteran will need to inform the county treasurer’s staff they qualify for the exemption. When renewing online, they will need to select the “Disabled Veteran Tax Exemption” option on the online application.

The request for the tax exemption must occur within 30 days after purchase of a vehicle.

For registration renewal, the request must occur prior to the final day of the expiration month. If the request is made outside the required timeframe, the veteran will not qualify for the exemption until the next renewal period.

Offers student free bus rides on all fixed routes operated by Cedar Rapids Transit. Cedar Rapids Community School District (CRCSD) high school students, and Coe College, and Kirkwood Community College students will need to show their student ID. CRCSD middle and high school students are required to show ID. Elementary students are not required to show ID.

Offers gas vouchers to those who have a vehicle and a medical appointment in Iowa City.

Assists SNAP participants in finding employment and/or training for employment. Provides gas vouchers and other supportive services for independent job search, to attend job search training, vocational training and for job retention.

Provides help to families in situations which are threatening the health or wellbeing of an eligible child and family.

Emergency Assistance payments may be made for shelter expenses, relocation expenses, or non-medical transportation. Payments are made directly to the provider of the service.

Offers a Disability Access Point (DAP) that helps individuals with disabilities, their families, and caregivers find services and supports they need, both short-term and long-term. DAPs provide information, help individuals make informed choices, make referrals, and follow up to help ensure individuals receive the support they need to live healthy, independent lives.

Services include:

• Information and Assistance: Provides information about programs and services based on identified needs and helps connect individuals with service providers in their communities.

• Options Counseling: Helps individuals make informed choices about available supports and services, typically for up to 90 days. Services may include benefits screening, application assistance, and follow-up to ensure supports are meeting the individual's needs.

• Financial Assistance: Provides gap funding and service coordination for programs and services that support individuals and caregivers and help individuals remain in the home and community of their choice. Assistance may include short-term and long-term services.

Short-Term Supports (time-limited): Services may include adaptive and assistive equipment, home and vehicle modifications, peer and parent support services, transportation assistance, and other basic needs not covered by insurance.

Long-Term Services and Supports: Services may include adult day programs, consumer-directed attendant care (CDAC) (non-skilled and skilled), day habilitation, employment services, including job skills training, prevocational services, and supported employment, intensive residential services (IRSH), personal response systems, respite services, including in-home, in-facility, and day camps, home-based habilitation (hourly), and residential living settings.

Connects youth and families with resources and support. Navigators have the ability to “fill gaps”, either through helping agencies partner around a common goal, or through flexible funding for needs such as rent, utilities, transportation, and more.

Community Response is designed to reduce unnecessary involvement of child welfare and juvenile justice while increasing the informal and community supports for youth and families. By utilizing Central Navigation, the goal is to coordinate existing resources and match participants with a resource to either solve an immediate need or develop a longer-term coaching relationship.

Travelers Aid may help with a voucher from the Salvation Army (when funds are available) for a tank of gas if person is on the highway outside Omaha city limits.

Travelers Aid may help with a voucher from the Salvation Army (when funds are available) for a tank of gas if person is on the highway outside Omaha city limits.

Flights to Healthcare by volunteer pilots in private aircraft or commercial airlines enabling patients access to distant healthcare.

Medical Care on the ground with gas cards, bus and train tickets or in the air with volunteer pilots and commercial airlines, transportation to medical care helps patients live their best lives.

Veteran Services serving those who have served our nation by providing travel to clinical care, service dog acquisition, healing retreats and PTS and TBI treatments.

Travelers Aid may help with a voucher from the Salvation Army (when funds are available) for a tank of gas if person is on the highway outside Omaha city limits.

Provides a confidential, 24/7 crisis intervention for runaway and homeless youth and their families via phone, chat, email, text, and bulletin board. Referrals, conference calling with a parent upon youth's request, conflict mediation, and information hotline. Free bus tickets home to family or shelter for qualified youth ages 12-21. Call or text 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or visit www.1800runaway.org

HOME FREE PROGRAM: In partnership with Greyhound Lines, Inc., NRS helps reunite qualified runaway youth ages 12-21 with their families, or alternate living arrangement through a free bus ticket home. Youth must call 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) to start the process.

Let’s Talk: Runaway Prevention Curriculum:

A free 14-module, interactive prevention curriculum that is available in English and Spanish. This evidence-based tool builds life skills; increases knowledge about available resources; educates about alternatives to running away; and empowers youth to access and seek help from trusted community members.

Assists SNAP participants in finding employment and/or training for employment. Provides gas vouchers and other supportive services for independent job search, to attend job search training, vocational training and for job retention.

Offers one bus pass every 30 days; the pass is an adult 10-ride pass with transfer.

• Adults 65 and older
• Persons with disabilities
• Refugees
• Students (middle and high school)

• Individuals receiving food assistance
• Individuals receiving housing assistance
• Individuals receiving workforce assistance (including unemployment and childcare assistance)

• Single Ride - $0.75
• Day Pass - $2.00
• Weekly Pass - $7.00
• Monthly Pass - $24.00
• Tokens (1 token = 1 ride) - 10/$7.50

Offers a voucher program for individuals needing extra financial assistance for food or gas during difficult financial times. ​

Provides short-term out-of-county transportation assistance via bus to locations outside of Douglas County if the indiviudal:

- Has not resided in Douglas County for six consecutive months;

- Wishes to return to their place of residence or has secured a verifiable place to reside upon their arrival;

- Has secured a verifiable employment outside of Douglas County;

- Does not have an active warrant in the state of Nebraska.