glossary
211
The number to call when the problem is real, ongoing, and bigger than anything a neighbor can carry.
Short answer
211 is a free, confidential information and referral service that connects people to local help with food, housing, utilities, healthcare, and social services. North Dakota and Minnesota run their own 211 services, so the referrals you get follow the state you are calling from — which matters in a metro split by a river.
When 211 is the right call
Food insecurity, an eviction notice, a utility shutoff, a need for shelter, help finding mental health care, or simply not knowing which agency handles a situation. Trained staff know the local landscape and it costs nothing.
Why an app is not a substitute
Help Me is one-off everyday help between neighbors. It does not do intake, case management, or benefits navigation, and pointing a person in crisis at a stranger with an app delays the help they actually need.
Questions people actually ask
Is 211 an emergency line?
No. 911 is for emergencies, 988 for mental-health crisis, and 211 for information and referral.
Does it cost anything?
No. It is free and confidential.
Keep going
211
211 in North Dakota — FirstLink
Dial 211 in North Dakota for food, shelter, heat, and referrals. FirstLink answers 211 at myfirstlink.org or 701-235-7335. Not Help Me.
211
211 in Minnesota — including Moorhead
Dial 211 in Minnesota for health and human services. United Way 211 at 211unitedway.org. FirstLink answers 211 in Clay County. Not Help Me.
food
Food assistance — official pantries and benefits, not an app request
Food help in Fargo–Moorhead: 211, SNAP through your county, Great Plains Food Bank, pantries, and meal sites. Help Me is not a food program.
housing
Homeless services — call official programs, not a neighbor app
Official shelter and housing help in Fargo–Moorhead: 211, Churches United, New Life Center, Gladys Ray, YWCA. Help Me is not a shelter.
who it’s for
For the organizations doing the heavy version
How a neighbor help app relates to the nonprofits, shelters, and service organizations that do the structural work in Fargo–Moorhead. Different jobs, no overlap.
safety
Help Me is not 911
Help Me is for everyday, non-emergency help in Fargo–Moorhead. If you are in danger, call 911. Here is how to tell the difference.
Help Me is a community app for adults in Fargo–Moorhead. It is not a K–12 student program, not a youth chat, and not campus police.