Find Help: Knoxville & Knox County Community Resources | FPR
Current, verified Knoxville and Knox County help for homelessness, shelter, food, utilities, crisis care, transportation, jobs, legal aid, domestic violence support and veterans.
Knoxville & Knox County Community Resources
Verified help for homelessness, shelter, food, utilities, transportation, jobs, legal aid, mental-health crisis care, domestic-violence support, veterans and other basic needs. Availability, funding and eligibility can change quickly, so confirm directly with the provider before traveling or relying on a specific service.
Last verified: October 22, 2026 · Sources prioritize City of Knoxville, Tennessee agencies, VA, official providers and current nonprofit program pages.
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East Tennessee 2-1-1
Live referral for almost every basic need
Connects people with housing, shelter, food, clothing, utilities, transportation, legal, health, mental-health, addiction, disability, veteran and other community services.
Call: 211 · outside an 865 area code: 865-215-4211
Staffed: Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m. ET; online directory remains available.
Verified: United Way of Greater Knoxville / City of Knoxville.
Knoxville-Knox County Office of Housing Stability
Local homelessness-response coordination
Coordinates the Knoxville-Knox County homelessness system and the federally recognized Knox Housing Continuum of Care (TN-502). Use its resources alongside 2-1-1 and front-door service providers when navigating homelessness assistance.
Verified: Official local-government housing-stability office.
Emergency shelter, homelessness & housing stability
Knox Area Rescue Ministries (KARM)
24/7 emergency shelter, meals and basic needs
KARM reports operating every day of the year and provides emergency shelter, meals, hygiene and clothing assistance, plus longer-term restoration programs.
Where: 418 N. Broadway, Knoxville, TN 37917
Call: 865-673-6540
Verified: Official KARM website.
Volunteer Ministry Center (VMC)
Homeless services, day resources, rapid rehousing and street outreach
VMC provides free services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, including the Bush Family Refuge, Resource Center, rapid rehousing and street outreach.
Main office: 511 N. Broadway, Knoxville, TN 37917 · 865-524-3926
Bush Family Refuge: 865-673-0235
Verified: Official VMC hours and program pages.
Family Promise of Knoxville
Family homelessness prevention, shelter and stabilization
Helps families prevent homelessness, enter emergency shelter when needed and stabilize after housing through case management, rental assistance, transportation and related supports.
Call: 865-584-2822
Verified: Official Family Promise of Knoxville program and contact pages.
Knoxville-Knox County CAC — Homeward Bound / Social Services
Housing placement, case management and stability support
CAC Social Services assists individuals, families and unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness with housing placement, employment and education support, case management and connections to other resources. Eligibility requirements apply.
Where: 2247 Western Ave, Knoxville, TN 37921
Call: 865-544-5200
Verified: Official Knoxville-Knox County CAC.
The Salvation Army — Knoxville
Emergency shelter and social services
Tennessee’s homelessness resource directory lists the Knoxville Salvation Army as an emergency-shelter provider. Call first to confirm current intake, eligibility and bed availability.
Where: 409 N. Broadway, Knoxville, TN 37917
Call: 865-525-9401
Verified: Tennessee Housing Development Agency homelessness directory.
Food & groceries
FISH Hospitality Pantries
Free groceries with multiple Knoxville locations
FISH says guests do not need identification and are not limited in how often they can visit. Current Knoxville pantry locations include Northwest, East and South Knoxville.
Northwest: 122 W. Scott Ave · Tue/Thu and every 4th Sat, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. · 865-971-4000
East: 600 S. Chestnut St · Mon/Wed, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. · 865-522-3474
South: 201 Ogle Ave · Wed/Fri, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. · 865-577-9600
Verified: Official FISH get-help page.
Utilities, energy & household stability
Knoxville-Knox County CAC — LIHEAP & Project HELP
Energy-bill assistance
CAC administers LIHEAP and Project HELP. LIHEAP assists eligible low-income households with heating/cooling costs; Project HELP provides emergency energy assistance for qualifying KUB-service-territory households. Funding and eligibility rules apply.
Call: 865-637-6700
Ross Building: 2247 Western Ave, Knoxville, TN 37921
East Neighborhood Center: 4610 Asheville Hwy, Knoxville, TN 37914
Verified: Current CAC utility-assistance page, including 2026 application guidance.
Mental-health crisis & urgent behavioral-health support
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
24/7 national crisis support
Call or text 988 for suicide, mental-health or emotional crisis support. Call 911 for an immediate medical or life-threatening emergency.
Call/Text: 988
McNabb Center — EmPATH
24/7 walk-in adult psychiatric crisis care
Walk-in crisis evaluation and stabilization for adults 18+, including psychiatric evaluation, medication support and transition planning. Services are available regardless of ability to pay.
Where: 1515 Saint Mary Street, Knoxville, TN 37917
Call: 865-539-2409
Verified: Official McNabb Center EmPATH page.
Domestic violence, sexual assault & safety
Project VOLO (formerly Knoxville Family Justice Center)
Domestic violence support, safety planning and partner referrals
Important location update (October 2026): Project VOLO says its former Family Justice Center organization no longer operates from its former building at 400 Harriet Tubman Street. Bridge to Safety, a separate partner, provides in-person assistance at that address. Call before traveling.
Immediate danger: Call 911.
Bridge to Safety: 865-215-7233 (400 Harriet Tubman Street, Knoxville).
McNabb Center 24/7 crisis support: 865-637-8000.
YWCA Knoxville and the Tennessee Valley: 865-523-6126.
Tennessee statewide domestic violence helpline: 1-800-356-6767.
Official organization update checked October 24, 2026. Contact providers directly to confirm availability and access.
YWCA Knoxville & the Tennessee Valley
Victim advocacy, housing and support
YWCA victim advocates provide safety planning, danger assessments, court accompaniment, help with Orders of Protection, support groups and connections to community resources. Multi-county transitional housing is available for qualifying survivors experiencing homelessness.
Downtown: 420 W. Clinch Ave, Knoxville, TN 37902 · 865-523-6126
Verified: Official YWCA victim-services page.
Transportation
Knoxville Area Transit (KAT)
City bus, fare-capping and paratransit
KAT operates fixed-route public transit across Knoxville. Current cash base fare is $1 regular / $0.50 discount. katpay fare capping limits regular riders to $2/day or $30/30 days and qualifying discount riders to $1/day or $15/30 days.
Customer service: 865-215-7800
Verified: Official KAT website.
Knox County CAC Transit
Demand-response transportation for people outside or beyond KAT service
Provides accessible transportation for eligible Knox County residents who lack transportation or are outside fixed-route coverage, including medical appointments, groceries and essential errands. Employment/training transportation may also be available.
Schedule / questions: 865-524-0319
Verified: Official CAC Transit page.
Jobs, training & workforce
American Job Center — Knoxville
Free employment and training support
Tennessee American Job Centers offer free resource rooms, job search help, résumé/interview workshops, recruiting events, training and certification pathways, and Jobs4TN assistance.
Where: 2700 Middlebrook Pike, Suite 100, Knoxville, TN 37921
Call: 865-594-5500
Verified: Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development.
Legal aid & eviction help
Legal Aid of East Tennessee — Knoxville
Free civil legal assistance for eligible people
Serves Knox, Loudon and Sevier counties. Call the Knoxville office for civil legal-help screening, including housing-related issues.
Where: 607 W. Summit Hill Dr. SW, Knoxville, TN 37902
Main: 865-637-0484 · Knoxville Eviction Prevention: 865-371-8730
Verified: Official Legal Aid of East Tennessee website.
Veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness
VA National Call Center for Homeless Veterans
24/7 confidential Veteran homelessness support
Veterans who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness—and family, friends or providers calling on their behalf—can reach trained VA staff for local housing and supportive-service connections.
Call: 877-424-3838
Verified: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, updated September 2026.
About this FPR regional directory
This page is informational and does not create an FPR partnership, guarantee eligibility, reserve shelter space or promise funding. Providers change hours, funding and intake rules. For urgent needs, call the provider before traveling. FPR will re-verify city and rural resource pages periodically and mark stale entries for review.