Free Clothing
CAP Closet Free Clothing Program
Open to all Cayuga County residents: 89 York Street, Auburn, NY
Hours of operation are Mondays and Wednesdays 10 am-2 pm and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 pm- 5 pm.
CAP Closet provides clean, gently used clothing in good condition to individuals and families in need. The program includes Dress for Success which provides job interview attire and other work-related clothing.
Seneca County
25 Center Street, Waterloo NY, 315-567-5647
Operated entirely by volunteers, the Free Clothing program provides clean, gently used clothing in good condition to individuals and families in need.
Operated entirely by volunteers, the Free Clothing program provides clean, gently used clothing in good condition to individuals and families in need.
Warm the Children
This collaborative, multi-partner program provides warm winter coats and accessories to income-eligible children in need in Cayuga County aged 14 and younger.
The 2022 Program is now accepting applications through September 30. If you are in need of a coat, please contact your child’s school, service provider or CAP at 315-255-1703 to complete an application.
Seneca County Coat Project
This collaborative, multi-partner program provides warm winter coats, accessories and school supplies to income-eligible children in need in Seneca County.
Domestic Violence Services
CAP is a vital resource, providing confidential assistance including emergency safety services such as shelter and 24-hour hotline – 315-255-6221
Program advocates have accurate information about domestic violence and are experienced in providing assistance. They understand the criminal justice, court and social services systems, and are familiar with other community resources that might be useful to you.
Domestic Violence Intervention
This program assists survivors of domestic violence and their children to attain a life free of violence. Services include a 24-hour hotline (1-315-255-6221), safe, temporary shelter, advocacy, safety planning assistance, supportive counseling, survivors’ support group, children’s group, and educational presentations.
Transitional Housing Assistance Program
This program provides rental subsidies and case management to survivors of domestic violence and their children.
Victim Compensation Claims Assistance
This program is funded through NYS Office of Victim Services and provides assistance to victims of crime with applying for financial assistance to assist with items such as medical bills, lost wages, and counseling expenses related to the crime.
Supervised Visitation/Safe Exchange Center
This program supports and facilitates safe visitation and exchanges for families experiencing domestic violence. Free of charge, court-ordered or self-referred parents can exercise visitation or safe exchange of their children with the non custodial parent when appropriate. The “Center” provides a secure, nurturing, welcoming child-friendly environment.
Child Passenger Safety Program
This program provides children’s car seats, free of charge, to eligible families. The program also provides education to increase the proper use and installation of child safety seats.
Early Head Start / Head Start / UPK
2024/2025 Enrollment Now Open
We are currently accepting applications for the 2024/2025 Program Year. Click here to enroll today or contact Kathi Craig at kcraig@caphelps.org. For questions or assistance with enrollment, please contact Kathi at the above email address or call 315-252-0038.
Early Head Start’s (EHS) mission is to promote healthy prenatal outcomes for pregnant women, enhance the development of the very young child, and promote healthy family functioning. The program provides education, health, dental, mental health, and disability services through a centered-based option. Currently, participants are enrolled in the Auburn and Moravia areas of Cayuga County. Participants in the EHS program have the opportunity to receive early, continuous, intensive, and comprehensive child development and family support services from pregnancy to age 3, at which time they can transition to the Head Start program and continue services until entering Kindergarten.
Head Start is a comprehensive child development program for income eligible children ages 3-5 and their families. The program provides health, nutrition, education, disability, and family services at no charge. The Agency’s Head Start program partners with the local school districts to offer Universal PreKindergarten (UPK) services in coordination with Head Start services. The Agency provides full day UPK programming in partnership with the Auburn, Moravia, Cato-Meridian and Moravia Districts.
Cayuga County: 1 Brookfield Place, Auburn NY, multi-site, 315-252-0038
Head Start Backpack Program
This program provides children enrolled in the Head Start Program in Auburn with nutritious food on the weekend, during the third week of each month when other household resources have dwindled.
Kinship Care Program
Kinship Care provides trauma-informed case management, practical assistance and supportive services including a Kinship Support Group to kinship families.
Sometimes a child cannot live safely with their parents. Relatives or friends of the family may then provide full-time care to the child in the relative or family friend’s home. This is known as kinship care. This can be done informally by the family, or formally by Family Court when the local child welfare agency is involved in a child protective case.
There are several different kinds of kinship care, with varying levels of obligation and financial help. It is important that you fully understand your options before making a decision. Above all, you must carefully consider the needs of the child when deciding what is best for you and your family.
Brendan McGrath Memorial Fund
The Brendan McGrath Memorial Fund is intended for eligible individuals with assistance advance in their journey to economic security.
Emergency Baby Pantry
This program provides income eligible families in Seneca County with children aged 0-24 months with diapers, formula, wipes, diaper cream, car seats, clothing and blankets monthly.
Emergency Services
This program works with families and individuals through crisis situations. Emergency Services provides food, advocacy, shelter, prescription assistance, emergency transportation assistance, and responds to a wide array of crisis situations.
HEAP
Community Action Programs Cayuga/Seneca is under contract with the Cayuga County Department of Social Services to process HEAP applications. HEAP (HOME EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM) provides critical financial assistance to help families and individuals in need heat their homes during the winter. Services provided at 89 York Street, Suite 1 in Auburn. To make an appointment online, click here.
For a list of required documentation for applicants, click here.
Food Pantry
CAP operates two food pantries, one in the City of Auburn and the other in the Village of Waterloo.
The Cayuga County Food Pantry, located at 89 York Street in Auburn, provides emergency food assistance twice monthly to individuals and families in need regardless of residency, to help alleviate hunger in the community.
The Seneca County Food Pantry, located at 25 Center Street in Waterloo, provides emergency food assistance once monthly to Seneca County residents in need regardless of residency, to help alleviate hunger in the community. Customers are served on a walk-in basis at both pantries.
Mobile Food Pantry
This program delivers food to isolated and homebound residents of Cayuga and Seneca Counties twice monthly.
Food Recovery Program
This program helps address hunger, a major challenge and constant need for low-income individuals and families. The Program recovers and redistributes non-perishable, perishable and gleaned food from farmers, grocers and restaurants to over two dozen participating Emergency Food Providers throughout Cayuga and Seneca Counties.
Volunteer Transportation Services
This program utilizes volunteer drivers to provide safe, reliable transportation to eligible individuals to well visits, non-emergency medical care, vaccine appointments, employment, training and workforce development meetings.
Medicaid recipients in Cayuga and Seneca Counties with “non-emergency” transportation to medical appointments can request CAP Cayuga/Seneca when scheduling through Medical Answering Service, LLC.
If you reside in Cayuga County, please call 866-932-7743.
If you reside in Seneca County, please call 866-753-4437.
For all other transportation needs, please call 315-255-1703.
Interested in becoming a volunteer driver, email volunteer@caphelps.org.
Health Insurance
NY State of Health: The Official Health Plan Marketplace is where New Yorkers can shop for, compare and enroll in health insurance coverage. You have a choice of health plans and our Navigators can help find the plan that is right for you. You may be eligible for free or low-cost coverage through Medicaid, the Essential Plan, or Child Health Plus, or you may qualify for a Qualified Health Plan with tax credits.
Health insurance offered in the Marketplace includes a comprehensive set of benefits. Preventive care, such as routine office visits and recommended screenings, are free.
To learn more and enroll, call 315-255-1703 (Cayuga County) or 315-539-5647 (Seneca County).
Emergency Assistance
This program works with families and individuals through crisis situations. Emergency Services provides food, advocacy, shelter, prescription assistance, emergency transportation assistance, and responds to a wide array of crisis situations.
Homeless Intervention and Case Management
This program provides assistance to homeless individuals and families. A CAP advocate works with other agencies to provide necessary services such as financial assistance, advocacy, and temporary housing. A key component of our homeless programs is the one-on-one support offered to families and individuals as they identify and overcome barriers to obtaining and maintaining stable housing.
Rapid Re-Housing Program
This program assists families and individuals with transitioning out of homelessness and into safe, affordable housing. Provides case management, and rental assistance in some instances, to homeless families and individuals.
Transitional Housing Assistance Program
This program provides rental subsidies and case management to survivors of domestic violence and their children.
ACCES – VR
This program is funded through the NYS Department of Education and provides employment services to individuals with disabilities through direct referrals from ACCES-VR. Employment services for both youth and adults with disabilities are available. Services include: Job Readiness, Advocacy, SSDI/SSI benefits advisement, and Community Based Work Experience
Cayuga Has Employment Support & Solutions
This program provides flexible one-time assistance to help TANF-eligible working families to obtain or retain employment. Funds may assist with housing, utilities, employment supports, car repairs, and other needs.
Ticket to Work
Ticket to Work connects individuals age 18 through 64 who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits because of their disability with free employment services to help decide if working is right for them, prepare for work, find a job or maintain success while working. Participants will receive services such as career counseling, vocational rehabilitation, and job placement and training.
