No food. No money. Where to get help today?
Here are the channels that provide help quickly — without bureaucracy or long queues. Help does not require church membership or any other membership. If the situation is life-threatening, always call 112 first.
The fastest channels
The parish diaconal work (seurakunnan diakoniatyö) is often the fastest. A diaconal worker can grant a gift card or a payment commitment to a grocery store even within the same week. Help does not require church membership. Call the diaconal worker directly — not the church's general number — and explain your situation briefly. Bring an ID, a bank statement and your most recent Kela decision.
The Red Cross distributes EU-funded payment cards (2025–2026) to low-income people for S-group and K-group stores. The card can be used to buy food and hygiene products — not alcohol, tobacco or items that can be exchanged for cash.
The Salvation Army (Pelastusarmeija) provides food aid and financial support by appointment in about 20 localities. It does not give cash — it pays a bill directly or gives food aid. It also distributes S-group and K-group payment cards through an ESF project.
Facebook groups — neighbour help the same day
Facebook groups are one of the fastest channels — you can get help from neighbours the same day. Groups change constantly, so always search for the most up-to-date information using your own area's name.
Food aid groups — search Facebook's group search with your city's name. Good search terms in Finnish: "ruoka-apu [your city]", "hävikkiruoka [your city]" (surplus food), "ruokajono [your city]" (food queue), as well as nationwide ones like "Hävikkiruokaryhmä vaihda/pyydä/lahjoita" and "Ruokahävikki käsi sydämellä".
Emergency help and neighbour help are often separate groups, not limited to food: "[your city] hätäapu" (emergency help), "[your city] naapuriapu" (neighbour help), "[your city] avustuksia vähävaraisille" (aid for those on low incomes), and for example "Köyhät ja vähävaraiset vinkkiryhmä" and "Apua käsi sydämellä". In food aid groups you usually cannot ask for other kinds of help — keep your searches separate.
Urgent help from the authorities
Kela's urgent social assistance (kiireellinen toimeentulotuki): if the situation is acute, Kela (the Social Insurance Institution) can process the application urgently within 1–3 working days. State clearly in the application or by phone that the situation is urgent. First apply for the other benefits you are entitled to. Apply in OmaKela: oma.kela.fi.
Social emergency services (sosiaalipäivystys) are open around the clock. The number varies by region — find your area's number on the suomi.fi service using the search term "sosiaalipäivystys". In a life-threatening emergency, always call 112.
Local associations (Lions Club, Rotary and others) sometimes help directly, but practices vary a lot between localities. Ask your municipality's diaconal worker which organisations are active in your area.