Everything you need to know about how Neighbors Helping Neighbors works, how to get help, and how to get involved.
If you or someone you know needs support with groceries, rides, rent assistance, or other essential needs, please reach out through a trusted community contact or organization that works with NHN. We receive most requests through partner organizations, faith communities, and existing community networks to ensure safety and coordination. If you're unsure how to connect, email us and we'll help point you in the right direction.
Anyone in the Twin Cities metro area who needs support can request help. We prioritize neighbors facing immediate, urgent needs — particularly those affected by immigration enforcement.
We coordinate several types of direct support:
Groceries: Volunteers shop for and deliver groceries to neighbors in need
Rides: Transportation to appointments, work, or other essential destinations
Rent assistance: Direct financial support for housing costs
Other essential needs: Case-by-case support for urgent situations
We work to respond as quickly as possible. Most grocery and ride requests are matched with a volunteer within 24-48 hours. Rent assistance and other financial support may take longer as we coordinate with our fiscal sponsors. Urgent situations are prioritized.
Fill out our Carer Application. We'll review your application and reach out with next steps. We're looking for committed volunteers who can be matched with 1–3 families and support them over the coming months.
Carers are volunteers who provide direct support to neighbors. This might include:
Shopping for and delivering groceries
Providing rides to appointments or other destinations
You choose what types of support you're comfortable providing and how often you can help.
No special skills required — just a willingness to help your neighbors. If you can drive or shop for groceries, you can be a Carer. We provide guidance and support to help you feel confident in your role.
We use a community-based vetting process rather than formal background checks. Our team reviews applications and may reach out to references or mutual connections. This approach centers trust and community accountability while remaining accessible to all who want to help.
Donations directly support neighbors in need. Funds go toward groceries, rent assistance, transportation costs, and other essential needs. We keep administrative costs minimal and prioritize getting resources to community members as quickly as possible. See our Transparency page for detailed breakdowns.
Yes! All donations to NHN through the following partners are tax-deductible. If you donated through Givebutter (Dec 2025 – Feb 2026), that went through our fiscal sponsor Flourish Placemaking. Donations made through Whittier Alliance (Feb 2026) were also tax-deductible. We're now accepting donations through our GoFundMe campaign (Feb 2026 – present), those are going through The Family Housing Fund.
Yes! Make your check out to Family Housing Fund and mail it to:
Family Housing Fund
2550 University Avenue West, Suite 255-South
Saint Paul, MN 55114
Please include a note that your donation is for Neighbors Helping Neighbors.
At this time, we primarily accept monetary donations to maintain flexibility and respond quickly to diverse needs. However, we occasionally coordinate item drives for specific needs. Follow us on Instagram for announcements about item collection opportunities.
Our round on March 1st opened at 9am Central and closed at 9pm Central. The open and close times will be listed directly on the NHN rent assistance website for future rounds.
The number listed on the application will receive a call confirming their selection and to verify need and payment process.
All applicants will hear back by the following day whether their application has been randomly selected for rent support or not. An email will be sent to all applicants whose application was not randomly selected, and a phone call will be made to all applicants whose application was randomly selected.
The rental assistance application will reopen once additional funds are received. We are aiming to open every Friday 9am through Sunday 9pm until we no longer have funds to distribute. It will be noted on the website when the form will be open next.
Mutual aid is when community members support each other directly, outside of traditional charity structures. It's based on solidarity, not charity — the understanding that we all have something to give and we all sometimes need support. Our ultimate goal is a community where no one needs to sign up to be a carer and no neighbor needs to reach out for help — because people have already formed lasting relationships and are looking out for each other.
NHN is run by a team of volunteer organizers from the Twin Cities community. We started as three friends coordinating rides and have grown to a network of 60+ team members handling operations, vetting, matching, and outreach. Read more on our Story page.
No, NHN is not an independent nonprofit. We've operated through fiscal sponsorship arrangements that enable tax-deductible donations while we focus on direct community support. From Dec 2025 – Feb 2026, Flourish Placemaking served as our fiscal sponsor through Givebutter. Whittier Alliance partnered with us in Feb 2026 to raise and administer additional funds. Currently (Feb 2026 – present), donations through our GoFundMe campaign go through Family Housing Fund and are tax-deductible. See our Transparency page for full details on how funds are managed.
You can reach us by email or follow us on social media for updates. Find our contact information in the footer below, or connect with us on Instagram.
Still have questions?
Reach out to us directly or get involved to learn more about how NHN works.