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HelpByState

Black Hawk County, Iowa

Free help in Cedar Falls, Iowa

5 places in Cedar Falls, plus 9 that serve more than one town. Each listing shows the day we checked it, and anything we could not confirm says call first.

Food pantries and meals in Cedar Falls4

Cedar Falls

Matthew 25 Food Pantry

Food pantry, a Northeast Iowa Food Bank partner. Serves Cedar Falls IA, Waterloo IA.

Hours
Monday, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Thursday, 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Address
705 Main St., Cedar Falls, IA 50613

Call first. Hours come from the Northeast Iowa Food Bank map. Please call to confirm before you go.

Cedar Falls

St. Lukes Food Pantry

Food pantry, a Northeast Iowa Food Bank partner.

Hours
Wednesday, 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM
Address
2410 Melrose Dr., Cedar Falls, IA 50613

Call first. Hours come from the Northeast Iowa Food Bank map. Please call to confirm before you go.

Housing in Cedar Falls1

Cedar Falls

Cedar Falls Housing Commission

Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8) for low-income families, older adults and people with disabilities.

Hours
Please call for hours
Address
220 Clay St, Cedar Falls, IA 50613

Call first. Office hours are not published. Call to ask about openings and the waiting list.

Also helps people in Cedar Falls9

These serve more than one town. Check each listing for who they serve.

Waterloo

Operation Threshold Community Action Agency

Community action agency for this county. Apply here for LIHEAP, the federal help with heating and electric bills, and ask about weatherization and other family programs. If you cannot reach them, call the Iowa HHS Community Action Agencies Unit at 515-776-8871.

Hours
Please call for hours
Address
1535 Lafayette St, Waterloo, IA 50704

Call first. Hours are not listed. Call first to ask what help is open now and what to bring.

Checked October 9, 2026. Source: Iowa HHS Find a Community Action Agency page.Suggest an update
Statewide

National Domestic Violence Hotline

Free, confidential help for anyone hurt or threatened by a partner or family member: safety planning, shelter referrals and someone to talk to. Call 1-800-799-7233, text START to 88788, or chat at TheHotline.org. In an emergency, call 911.

Hours
24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Statewide

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Call or text 988 to reach a trained crisis counselor any time, for a mental health crisis, thoughts of suicide or a substance use crisis. It is free and confidential. Veterans can press 1.

Hours
24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Statewide

Veterans Crisis Line

Dial 988, then press 1. Or text 838255, or chat at veteranscrisisline.net. Free and confidential. You do not need to be enrolled in VA health care.

Hours
Open 24 hours a day, every day
Statewide

VA national phone lines

VA benefits: 800-827-1000. VA health benefits: 877-222-8387. Homeless veterans, open 24 hours: 877-424-3838. MyVA411, the main VA line, open 24 hours: 800-698-2411.

Hours
Benefits line, Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM Eastern

Questions people ask in Cedar Falls

Where can I get free food in Cedar Falls, Iowa?

We have confirmed 4 places that can help in Cedar Falls: Matthew 25 Food Pantry (Monday, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Thursday, 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM), (319) 277-3036, call first; Nazareth Evangelical Lutheran Church (Monday and Tuesday, 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM), (319) 266-7589, call first; North Cedar Nazarene Food Pantry (Tuesday, 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM), (319) 239-9136, call first. 1 more is listed on this page. Please call first to confirm the ones marked call first. You can also dial 2-1-1 to talk to a person.

Where can I get help paying rent or a utility bill in Cedar Falls, Iowa?

We have confirmed one place that can help in Cedar Falls: Operation Threshold Community Action Agency in Waterloo. Please call first to confirm. You can also dial 2-1-1 to talk to a person.

Where can I get housing help in Cedar Falls, Iowa?

We have confirmed one place that can help in Cedar Falls: Cedar Falls Housing Commission, (319) 273-8669. Please call first to confirm. You can also dial 2-1-1 to talk to a person.

Where can I get help with addiction or mental health in Cedar Falls, Iowa?

We have confirmed 2 places that can help in Cedar Falls: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (24 hours a day, 7 days a week), 988; SAMHSA National Helpline (Open 24 hours a day, every day), (800) 662-4357. If you are in crisis right now, call or text 988. You can also dial 2-1-1 to talk to a person.

Where can I get help with veterans benefits in Cedar Falls, Iowa?

We have confirmed 2 places that can help in Cedar Falls: Veterans Crisis Line (Open 24 hours a day, every day), 988; VA national phone lines (Benefits line, Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM Eastern), (800) 827-1000. A veteran in crisis can call 988 and press 1, or text 838255.

Where can I get free legal help in Cedar Falls, Iowa?

We have confirmed one place that can help in Cedar Falls: Iowa Legal Aid, (800) 532-1275. Please call first to confirm. You can also dial 2-1-1 to talk to a person.

Something missing, or out of date?

If you run a pantry or program, or saw a listing that is wrong, tell us. We check every message against the organization's own page before anything changes.