When someone is in crisis — whether they need food, a place to sleep tonight, or a way to give their kids a Christmas — they usually face the same wall: a fragmented maze of Google results filtered by SEO, outdated agency websites, and programs that only get discovered by word of mouth.
Jess cuts through that. Enter a zip code, choose what you need, and see a real map with real locations — food pantries, emergency shelters, free clothing programs, rent assistance, utility help, and seasonal programs like holiday toy giveaways and Thanksgiving community meals.
The database is actively crawled from the Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul, Community Action Agencies, Feeding America, Toys for Tots, and federal datasets. Nothing goes live without editorial review. Users can flag outdated listings. Every record is verified by a human before it appears in a search result.
Agency & API Access →"She's always the first to help anyone who needs it — goes well above what's expected, for everyone."
Just Help is named for Jessica, a nurse and friend who embodies exactly the spirit this app is built on.
Every resource in Jess is available through a free REST API. County social services, local news sites, community organizations, and nonprofits can embed Jess data directly into their own websites and apps.
No API key required. No rate limit for reasonable use. No cost. Ever. If you're building something that helps people find help, we want to support it.
https://api.jessapp.org/v1
| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| zip required | string | 5-digit US zip code |
| radius | number | Search radius in miles. Default: 10, max: 50 |
| services | string | Comma-separated service slugs (see filter reference below) |
| limit | number | Max results. Default: 50, max: 200 |
| offset | number | Pagination offset |
// Example request GET /resources?zip=53202&radius=10&services=food,shelter&limit=50 // Response { "zip": "53202", "center": { "lat": 43.0402, "lng": -87.91, "city": "Milwaukee", "state": "WI" }, "radius_miles": 10, "count": 23, "results": [ { "id": "a3f2...", "org_name": "Salvation Army — Milwaukee Corps", "address_line1": "1765 N 11th St", "city": "Milwaukee", "state": "WI", "zip": "53205", "phone": "4142656360", "website": "https://centralusa.salvationarmy.org/milwaukee/", "lat": 43.0653, "lng": -87.9268, "distance_miles": 1.8, "services": ["food", "clothing", "holiday_toys"], "programs": [ { "name": "Holiday Toy Assistance", "season": "christmas", "status": "registration_open", "registration_opens": "2026-10-01", "registration_closes": "2026-11-15", "event_start": "2026-12-13", "eligibility": "Children ages 0–12, income verification required", "registration_url": "https://..." } ] } ] }
| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| zip required | string | 5-digit US zip code |
| season | string | christmas, thanksgiving, back_to_school, summer, other_seasonal |
| year | number | Program year (e.g. 2026). Defaults to current year. |
| radius | number | Search radius in miles. Default: 25 |
GET /seasonal?zip=53202&season=christmas&year=2026&radius=25
| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| location_id required | string | UUID from a /resources result |
| report_type required | string | closed_permanently, wrong_address, wrong_hours, program_ended, wrong_phone, duplicate, other |
| description | string | Optional additional context |
POST /report
Content-Type: application/json
{
"location_id": "a3f2...",
"report_type": "wrong_hours",
"description": "They moved from Thursday to Wednesday evenings."
}
We'd love to know. If you're a county agency, local nonprofit, or news organization embedding Jess data, reach out — we'll add you to our agency directory and make sure your integration stays working as the API evolves.