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Are you or a friend coping with a family conflict like separated, divorced, drug addicted, abused or abusive parents?
family
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Are you or a friend coping with a problem friendship, boyfriend, girlfriend, authority figure, cult or gang?
relationships
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Are you or a friend coping with poor self-esteem, stress, anxiety, loneliness, grief, anger or depression?
feelings
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Are you or a friend coping with depression or thoughts of suicide?
suicide
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Are you or a friend coping with a lack of basic needs like food, clothing, housing, employment, or trouble at school?
basic needs
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Are you or a friend coping with prejudice, neglect, emotional, physical or sexual abuse, survival sex, prostitution, domestic violence or crime?
abuse
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Are you or a friend coping with a physical disability, sexually transmitted disease (STD), HIV/AIDS, self-harm, a psychiatric or eating disorder?
health
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Are you or a friend coping with questions about sexuality, sexual hygiene, a pregnancy, sexually transmitted disease (STD) or HIV/AIDS?
sex
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Are you or a friend coping with tobacco, alcohol, street drugs or prescription drugs?
drugs & alcohol
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Are you or a friend coping with thoughts of leaving home, running away or are you already homeless?
running away
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It's free. It's 24/7. It's for you.
How do I get help?
The Covenant House NINELINE 1-800-999-9999 (TTY: 1-800-999-9915) is ready to talk with you any time you call.
What are basic needs?
Am I lacking basic needs?
How do I get help?
How can Nineline help me?
meet a Covenant House kid
visit our forum on basic needs
download info on basic needs (pdf)
abuse information for caregivers
There are many private – not for profit – social service agencies that provide assistance with basic needs like food, clothing and shelter (Catholic Charities, The Catholic Worker, Lutheran Social Services, The Salvation Army, the YMCA, YWCA, YMHA, YWHA, to name a few). Many churches assist people with some or all of these services; many smaller, local, community based programs also assist people in need. In addition, many state and city governments have departments of social services, which exist to help the most needy individuals and families with basic services.
If you need any of these services, do not be embarrassed, talk to someone who can help you: A family member, friend, priest, minister, rabbi, counselor or therapist. Call Nineline and one of our crisis counselors can help you access what you need in your community. If you know of others who may need help, again, don’t be embarrassed or afraid to reach out and help them get the services they need.
The most needy people are often ashamed or embarrassed because of lacking what many of us take for granted: three meals a day; proper clothing, a nice apartment or house and all the other benefits associated with being a citizen of the United States. Many people in this situation blame themselves for being poor, or for not being successful enough to provide for themselves or their families. There is also a tendency in society to blame others for not being self-sufficient. There is a tendency to see individuals who are struggling just to survive as being lazy, or shiftless, or on drugs, or alcoholic or worse –immoral. We don’t believe any of this. We believe that there are people: men, women, children and families that simply need a hand.