Food and Basic Needs

St. Vincent de Paul – Baton Rouge
Provides daily meals, shelter, clothing, prescription aid, and more for people in crisis.

Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank 
Helps make sure people in our region do not go hungry by collecting and distributing food to pantries, shelters, and meal sites across 11 parishes.

HOPE Ministries of Baton Rouge 
Runs a client-choice food pantry (set up like a small grocery store) and “The Way to Work,” a program that helps people build job skills, find work, and move toward long-term stability. You can come here for food and practical support or volunteer in the pantry and programs.

The Shepherd’s Market 
A 100% volunteer-run, client-choice food pantry in south Baton Rouge that serves families several days a week and even grows fresh produce in its garden.

City of Baton Rouge – Food Assistance List 
The city keeps a list of churches and community centers that offer food support, like St. Vincent de Paul, community centers, and local pantries. It is a good starting point if you are not sure where the closest help is.

This page brings together places in and around Baton Rouge that offer real, practical support when life feels heavy. You will find resources for food, shelter, healthcare, mental health, substance use recovery, safety, and community programs that welcome people who are often overlooked or pushed to the side.

**These are not emergency services**, and this is not a complete list. It is a starting point, so you do not have to search alone.

Housing

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Baton Rouge 
Works with families and volunteers to build and renovate affordable homes in the Greater Baton Rouge area. You can get involved by helping on build sites, supporting their ReStore locations, or learning more about their homeownership programs.

Start Corporation
Start Corporation is a nonprofit that supports people who are often left out of traditional care. They offer housing support, healthcare, services for veterans, and recovery programs to help people move toward stability and more independent living.

Volunteers of America BR
Volunteers of America South Central Louisiana is a Baton Rouge–based nonprofit that supports people who are vulnerable or often overlooked. They offer behavioral health services, housing and homeless support, re entry services, help for people with disabilities, veterans programs, and family services, all with the goal of helping people move toward stability and dignity.

Emotional, Recovery, and Mental Health Support

Capital Area Human Services  
The public behavioral health agency for our region. They offer services for mental health, substance use, and developmental disabilities for adults and children. A good place to start if someone needs professional help and is not sure where to turn.

Regional Recovery Hub
The Regional Recovery Hub is a free, confidential place for people who are struggling with drugs or alcohol and want support. They connect people to treatment and recovery resources, offer peer recovery coaching and groups, and help with things like mental health referrals, skills, and job support.

Redstick CARES 
Provides counseling, advocacy, resources, education, and support to help people move from “surviving to thriving.” They offer therapy for individuals, couples, and families, and work to build a more connected and resilient community.

NAMI
Part of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. They offer education, support groups, and advocacy for people living with mental health conditions and their loved ones. They can help families feel less alone and more informed.

Bridge Center for Hope (brbridge)
The Bridge Center for Hope is a 24/7 crisis center in Baton Rouge for adults facing a mental health or substance use crisis. They offer short-term care, detox support, and help connecting to ongoing services, and they do not turn people away if they cannot pay.

Youth, Mentoring, and Education

Big Buddy Program 
Builds mentoring relationships that support young people in Baton Rouge.

Baton Rouge Youth Coalition (BRYC) 
A free program that helps high-achieving, under-resourced students get into, excel at, and graduate from strong-fit colleges. Caring adults can volunteer to support students with academics, applications, and life after high school.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Baton Rouge area 
Provides safe spaces for kids and teens after school and in the summer, with homework help, activities, and programs that build character and confidence. Volunteers and mentors can support staff and spend time with youth.

Health Systems

CareSouth Medical and Dental

CareSouth is a community health center that focuses on people who often have a hard time getting care. They offer medical, dental, and behavioral health services and welcome people with or without insurance. Their goal is to provide affordable, high quality care with compassion and respect for everyone. 

Open Health Care Clinic

Open Health is a clinic that tries to be a “one stop” place for care. They offer primary care for adults and children, dental care, mental health support, women’s health, and more. They see people with all kinds of insurance and also work with people who have low income, using a sliding fee scale when needed. 

Baton Rouge Primary Care Collaborative (BRPCC)

BRPCC runs two community clinics, including a Health Care for the Homeless site. They focus on people who are homeless or medically underserved and provide primary care, screenings, women’s health services, and help with chronic conditions. Their goal is to make sure people who are often left out of the system can still see a doctor and get basic care. 

HAART / Open Health – HIV and sexual wellness

HAART (HIV/AIDS Alliance for Region Two) is now part of Open Health. Their clinic offers free or low cost HIV and STD testing, prevention services like PrEP, and ongoing care and support for people living with HIV. They aim to create a private, nonjudgmental space for people who need sexual health care and support. 

BR Metro Health

BR Metro Health focuses on HIV and STI prevention and support. They offer free and affordable HIV and STI testing, counseling, youth programs, and a wellness clinic with some basic medical services. Their work is especially geared toward people who have been pushed to the margins and need a place that feels safe and respectful.

DentaQuest Louisiana

DentaQuest is a dental benefits company that helps people get more affordable oral health care. They manage dental plans for Medicaid, CHIP, Medicare, and other programs, with a focus on regular, preventive care instead of only treating problems later.

Public Safety and Support

Baton Rouge Community Street Team

The Baton Rouge Community Street Team is a neighborhood-based group that works to reduce violence and crime, mainly in 70802 and 70805. They train trusted community members to step in after violent incidents, calm conflicts, prevent retaliation, and connect people at high risk to services and support, in partnership with the Safe, Hopeful, Healthy BR initiative.

Safe, Hopeful, Healthy BR

Safe, Hopeful, Healthy BR is a citywide effort led by the Mayor’s office that treats violence as a public health issue. They bring together residents, community groups, youth, and public safety partners to plan and support programs that reduce violence and build a safer, more hopeful Baton Rouge. 

Capital Area Family Justice Center

The Capital Area Family Justice Center is a one-stop center for survivors of domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. In one safe location, people can meet with a case manager, plan for safety, get legal and court help, and connect to counseling and other community resources, instead of having to go from agency to agency on their own. 

IRIS Domestic Violence Center

IRIS Domestic Violence Center offers a 24/7 crisis line, emergency shelter, safety planning, counseling, and legal support for survivors of domestic violence and their children. Their focus is walking beside survivors as they move from fear toward safety and healing. 

STAR – Sexual Trauma Awareness & Response

STAR provides free and confidential support to survivors of sexual assault, including a 24/7 hotline, advocacy at hospitals and court, counseling, and community education. They work to support healing for survivors and to change the culture around sexual violence. 

Victim/Witness Assistance & Hospital Violence Intervention Program - East Baton Rouge DA

The Victim/Witness Assistance Bureau at the DA’s office helps victims of crime understand their rights, navigate the court process, and connect with services. They also run a Hospital Violence Intervention Program that meets with young victims of violent injury in the hospital and supports them so they are less likely to be hurt again.