Emergency Aid
Short-term financial assistance with costs of necessities to help you maintain your health, housing, or ability to work.
In case of a financial shortfall because of illness, injury, or other hardship, this program can help with immediate costs like rent or mortgage, groceries, medical and emergency dental expenses, utilities, phone and internet bills, and more.
Important Update
Emergency financial assistance applications intake will resume on Monday, January 8, 2024.
The intake of new applications to our Emergency Financial Aid Program is currently on pause to allow us to review the hundreds of applications currently in the queue, make crucial changes to our workflow, and significantly reduce the processing times.
What does it mean?
The intake of new applications is paused, but we are not stopping or even slowing down our work at all. Our team continues to operate at top speed to review the applications and prepare and send out strike assistance payments.
We are also using this time to make our processes more efficient to be able to significantly reduce current processing times.
Reminder:
The AFC is not a crisis helpline. If you are in crisis, please call Talk Suicide Canada at 1-833-456-4566. If you are experiencing an emergency, medical or otherwise, please call 911.
National Resources
Talk Suicide Canada
- 1-833-456-4566 (24/7)
- 1-866-277-3553 in Quebec (24/7)
- Text 45645 (4 pm – Midnight ET)
Nation-wide service that assists individuals experiencing crisis, suicidal ideation, and finding mental health services nearby.
211
- Text or call 211 (24/7)
Canada’s primary source of information for government and community-based non-clinical health and social services. Find help with 211 in your community.
Food Banks Canada
- 1-877-535-0958
Food banks assist individuals looking for free food and other hunger-related organizations. Find a food bank in your community.
Credit Canada
- 1-800-267-2272
Canada’s longest-standing credit counselling agency offers free financial counselling to help people avoid bankruptcy, become debt-free, and achieve financial wellness. Contact a credit counsellor or use a live chat feature.
Additional Information
The pause in the intake of new applications allow us to take some time to process the hundreds of applications we have in the queue, make our processes more efficient, and significantly reduce wait times when we resume intake on January 8, 2024.
We will start accepting new applications again on Monday, January 8, 2024.
If you currently have an open application for emergency assistance, be assured that this application will be reviewed. The current processing time for applications is 4-6 weeks. If you have any questions or concerns about your application, please submit your request to contact@afchelps.ca.
During the applications intake pause, we are not able to answer phone and email enquiries about the program. Please sign up for our newsletter to receive updates or get in touch with us when we resume applications intake on January 8, 2024.
Applications received during the pause will not be read and will be safely deleted. If you still need support, we invite you to submit your application when the intake resumes on January 8, 2024.
Other Ways We Can Help
Peer Groups
Join the community of your peers to explore how you are feeling, share information and resources, exchange ideas, and give and receive support.
Personal Support & Advocacy
Benefit from confidential, in-depth support from a social work professional who can help you assess your circumstances, understand your needs, and carve out a viable path to improved well-being.
