All food help in Alto →Food across Cherokee County →
Food pantry, Free produce, a East Texas Food Bank partner. Serves Alto.
Call first. Hours come from the East Texas Food Bank map. Please call to confirm before you go.
Housing across Cherokee County →
Public housing apartments and Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8) for low-income families, older adults and people with disabilities.
Call first. Office hours are not published. Call to ask about openings and the waiting list.
Family across Cherokee County →
Food benefits, nutrition help and breastfeeding support for pregnant women, new mothers, babies and children under 5.
Call first. Hours are not listed. Please call first.
These serve more than one town. Check each listing for who they serve.
Food pantry, a East Texas Food Bank partner. Serves Cherokee.
Call first. Hours come from the East Texas Food Bank map. Please call to confirm before you go.
Food pantry, Senior Box (60 and older, income limits apply), a East Texas Food Bank partner. Serves Cherokee.
Call first. Hours come from the East Texas Food Bank map. Please call to confirm before you go.
State-funded help with electric and gas or propane heating and cooling bills, plus weatherization. It is usually one-time help for households at or below 150% of the federal poverty level, which in 2026 is $49,500 a year for a family of four. Priority goes to people who are elderly or disabled, families with a child under 6, and working families. It does not pay rent or water bills. There is no online application: download the paper form at get-cap.org and bring or email it, or book an appointment at 936-720-7474. Bring ID and proof of all income from the last 30 days. Decisions can take 60 to 90 days, and GETCAP says to keep paying your bills while you wait.
Call first. The state lists GETCAP as the energy bill help provider for Cherokee County. This is its Tyler office, and its hours are not published. Call to ask where Cherokee County residents apply.
Job center with job search help, training and child care help for working families (child care line 800-676-8283). Veterans and eligible spouses get priority. The region's main line is 1-844-ETWORKS.
A veteran resource center that says it serves all of East Texas. It helps with VA benefits and claims, home loans, counseling and housing, and offers free rides to medical appointments. Its Direct Assistance Program, by appointment only, can help veterans with rent or mortgage, utilities, insurance, internet and phone, car payments and repairs, and groceries. Bring your DD214 or military ID, the bill, and a current bank statement. Veterans with a dishonorable, bad conduct or entry-level discharge are not eligible.
Call first. Hours are not published. CampV says it serves all of East Texas; call to confirm help for this county.
Report abuse, neglect or exploitation of a child, an older adult or a person with a disability to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, which runs Child Protective Services (CPS). Call any time, or report online at TxAbuseHotline.org. In an emergency, call 911.
The state child support line, run by the Texas Attorney General. Ask about a case, payments or how to apply for child support services. Automated payment and case information is available any time, and you can also manage a case online at childsupport.oag.texas.gov.
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.
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.
Free legal advice by phone from Texas Legal Services Center attorneys. Advice on Medicaid, Medicare and long-term care is open to all callers. Estate planning and consumer problems, such as debt collection, are for people 60 or older. Advice only: they cannot write documents, negotiate or go to court.
The state agency for veterans, with VA-accredited claims counselors, job help for veterans, education approvals, and grants to local veteran groups. Henderson County is in its Tyler and Longview area, but we could not read its office list, so call to ask who to see and how to book.
Call first. The agency's own website blocked our check, so the phone number comes from VA and the state veterans portal. Please call to confirm.
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.
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.
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CheckMyVoucherSection 8 voucher? See what you could get.Your county's income limits and rent amounts, and the housing authority taking applications. No account needed.Check my voucher →
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See all of Cherokee County · Know a place in Alto we missed?
We have confirmed 3 places that can help in Alto: Alto Food Pantry (Food pantry: Wednesday, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Free produce: Wednesday, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM), (936) 465-9797, call first; River of Life Christian Center in Rusk (Thursday, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. 3rd Thursday, 4:00 PM to 6:30 PM), (903) 683-3132, call first; HOPE Inc. in Jacksonville (Food pantry: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM), (903) 586-7781, call first. Please call first to confirm the ones marked call first. You can also dial 2-1-1 to talk to a person.
We have confirmed 2 places that can help in Alto: GETCAP, energy assistance (Tyler office), (903) 962-2670, call first; CampV, veteran resource center and emergency bill help (Tyler), (903) 566-1010, call first. Please call first to confirm the ones marked call first. You can also dial 2-1-1 to talk to a person.
We have confirmed one place that can help in Alto: Housing Authority of Alto, (936) 858-4921. Please call first to confirm. You can also dial 2-1-1 to talk to a person.
We have confirmed one place that can help in Alto: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (24 hours a day, 7 days a week), 988. If you are in crisis right now, call or text 988. You can also dial 2-1-1 to talk to a person.
We have confirmed 5 places that can help in Alto: CampV, veteran resource center and emergency bill help (Tyler), (903) 566-1010, call first; Texas Veterans Commission, (800) 252-8387, call first; Veterans Crisis Line (Open 24 hours a day, every day), 988. 2 more are listed on this page. Please call first to confirm the ones marked call first. A veteran in crisis can call 988 and press 1, or text 838255.
We have confirmed one place that can help in Alto: Legal Hotline for Texans (Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Call 800-622-2520 and choose option 3), (800) 622-2520. You can also dial 2-1-1 to talk to a person.
We have confirmed 2 places that can help in Alto: Texas WIC, Alto clinic, (903) 589-0734, call first; Workforce Solutions East Texas, Tyler center (Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM), (903) 561-8131. Please call first to confirm the ones marked call first. You can also dial 2-1-1 to talk to a person.
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.