Short answer
211 is a free, confidential information and referral line that connects people to local help with food, housing, utilities, health care, and social services. North Dakota and Minnesota each run their own, so the referrals follow the state you call from, which matters in a metro split by a river.
The facts, in one place
- Free and confidential.
- ND and MN each run their own, so call from the right side of the river.
- It connects you to services, but is not an emergency line.
- For danger, call 911.
What 211 is for
Food insecurity, an eviction notice, a utility shutoff, a need for shelter, help finding mental health care, or simply not knowing which agency handles a situation. Trained staff know the local landscape, and it costs nothing.
- Food, housing, and utility help.
- Health and mental health referrals.
- Not sure who to call? Start here.
Two states, two services
North Dakota and Minnesota each run their own 211, so the referrals you get follow the state you are calling from. Fargo and West Fargo are in North Dakota, and Moorhead and Dilworth are in Minnesota. The Resources pages list both.
Where Help Me fits
Help Me is for small favors between neighbors: a charger, directions, a hand with something heavy. It does not do intake, case management, or benefits help, and pointing someone in crisis to a neighbor with an app can delay the help they need. For bigger problems, call 211.
Help Me is not an emergency service. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911 or your local emergency number.
Questions people actually ask
No. It is for information and referral. For immediate danger, call 911.
Minnesota's. Fargo and West Fargo use North Dakota's. Referrals follow the state you call from.
No. 211 is free and confidential.
Keep going
- 211211 in North Dakota — FirstLinkDial 211 in North Dakota for food, shelter, heat, and referrals. FirstLink answers 211 at myfirstlink.org or 701-235-7335. Not Help Me.
- 211211 in Minnesota — including MoorheadDial 211 in Minnesota for health and human services. United Way 211 at 211unitedway.org. FirstLink answers 211 in Clay County. Not Help Me.
- resourcesOfficial help, listed on purposePolice, 911, 211, campus safety, food, shelter, and county services in Fargo, Moorhead, and West Fargo. Help Me is not these pages.
- Not 911Help Me is not an emergency serviceHelp Me is for small favors in Fargo-Moorhead. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911 or your local emergency number. Here is how to tell the difference.
- Who it's forFor the organizations doing the heavy versionHow a neighbor help app relates to the nonprofits, shelters, and service organizations that do the structural work in Fargo-Moorhead. Different jobs.
- Glossary988988 is the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, by call or text. Veterans press 1. For a mental health crisis it is the right number, not an app.
Help Me is a community app for adults in Fargo–Moorhead. It is not a K–12 student program, not a youth chat, and not campus police.