If You Need Assistance,
We Are Just a Phone Call Away.

Our Emergency Assistance Program is geared to meet crisis situations and is available to deal with matters of obtaining essential medications, food, housing, utility payments, gasoline required for getting to job or medical care, rent, some medical, dental and vision conditions, and other essential needs.

Before receiving such assistance, the client must have exhausted all governmental assistance for meeting these needs and must show he or she has acted responsibly with regard to his or her own resources. In the event that the client has not contacted other agencies for help, or has been unaware of such resources, staff will act as advocates for them when it is appropriate.

Housing Services

We offer several services that help provide housing assistance to families and single women that target a basic human need, shelter. For the ill, the poor, and those who suddenly find themselves out of work and out of means, Community Services offers the following help:

Family Living Center
Our homeless shelter provides temporary housing for Stark County homeless families and single women. The three-month program emphasizes self-sufficiency and assists with follow-up services so the transition from homelessness to independent living can be made more easily and successfully.

Transitional Housing
This comprehensive out-of-poverty program is designed not only to shelter but to address all of the traditional barriers which prevent movement out of welfare dependency. It provides housing and supportive services for 24 months to Stark County's homeless families.

Housing Assistance for Persons with AIDS
This financial assistance program provides rent, mortgage and utility assistance to persons with HIV/AIDS who are at or below 80% of area median income. The program focuses on self-sufficiency and assisting individuals and families to access and maintain safe, decent and affordable housing in Stark, Wayne, Holmes, Carroll and Tuscarawas Counties.

Non-housing Financial Services

The Samaritan's Table
Established in 1986, The Samaritan’s Table is a nutrition center that provides free hot meals to those in need. The meals are served at St. John The Baptist Catholic Church Parish Hall, 717 McKinley Avenue NW, Canton, each Thursday between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM.

Homeless Prevention Program
Short-term rent and utility assistance are provided to help persons in need of temporary relief to avoid eviction and the threat of homelessness. This program targets low-income households in Central and Eastern Stark County who are at or below 35% of area median income. In addition, the Homeless Prevention Program can provide financial assistance to help prevent homelessness to Stark County homeowners who are at or below 35% of area median income. The program’s goal is to avoid foreclosures and impending homelessness.

Prescription Program
The Prescription Program is underwritten by the United Way of Greater Stark County, in which Community Services of Stark County, Inc. collaborates with the Stark Prescription Assistance Network, a county-wide program, to provide prescription assistance for uninsured persons.

Supportive Services for the Homeless
This program provides support to homeless individuals and families by providing assistance with rent and/or deposit and car repairs for residents of Stark County. To be eligible, applicants must reside in a homeless shelter, transitional housing or a place not designed for human habitation (i.e., car, abandoned building, park, etc.). Services include, but are not limited to, counseling, money management and case management.