Trusted help, without the runaround

What do you need today?

Choose the closest match. We will point you to the strongest first step we know, then give you a backup if that door is closed.

No formNo feeNo story to submit

Net Wish no longer accepts wishes or gives money directly. It now helps people reach trustworthy services without collecting personal information.

Choose the closest match

I need help with…

Best first step

Find food close to home.

Feeding America connects you with local food banks and nearby partner pantries using your ZIP code.

Feeding AmericaFind food near you

SNAP by stateFind monthly food benefits WIC near youFood support for parents and young children

More ways to get help2 trusted routes

Free and reduced-price mealsSchool and summer meals for children Senior food supportFood programs for adults 60 and older

Helpful to have: Your ZIP code and household size may be useful.

Your story stays yours.

No account, application, upload or public post.

Help should not cost you.

Net Wish charges no fee and accepts no payment.

A real person is available.

Call 211 when you are unsure where to begin.

If none of the choices quite fits

Call 211. Start with what is hardest.

You do not need the right program name or perfect words. Local 211 specialists search community services by ZIP code and situation.

Call 211 Find local help online Ayuda en español

“I live in ZIP code _____. I need help with _____ before _____. What should I try first?”

More specific situations

The right kind of help matters.

These services are designed for needs that deserve trained people and more than a general directory.

Veterans and familiesHousing and confidential VA support, available 24/7.Get VA housing help People with disabilitiesIndependent living, advocacy and local disability services.Search DIAL After a disasterCheck official federal help after a declared disaster.Find disaster assistance Young peopleFree, confidential support and a safer next step, 24/7.Contact the Runaway Safeline Immigration legal helpFind authorized providers and avoid immigration scams.Find authorized help Pets and their peoplePet food providers and possible emergency veterinary help.Find pet help

Stay safe while asking for help

Need should never make you a target.

Never pay to release aid.

Gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers and upfront fees are serious warning signs.

Report fraud to the FTC

Keep private details private.

Do not post identity documents, bank information, Social Security numbers, phone numbers or home addresses publicly.

Get a recovery plan

20022026

The Net Wish legacy

A small wish could change a day.

For 24 years, Net Wish quietly helped people with modest, immediate needs. No public spectacle. No contest to prove who was most deserving. Just one person helping another when a small act could matter greatly.

Direct wishes ended when the scale of need, fraud and the duty to protect applicants made the old model impossible to continue safely. This new chapter keeps the promise that came first: we care and we try.

Thank you for being a light when people feel they are out of options.
From the Net Wish guestbook

Thousands of words left behind

The guestbook is part of the story.

The original public guestbook is no longer open because people sometimes shared names, contact details and deeply personal information. We preserve its spirit through a small number of anonymous, lightly edited messages—without preserving the risk.

Names and identifying details have been removed.