Help Beyond Our Doors
Rihla walks alongside families, but no one organization can meet every need. These are trusted San Diego services we point our community toward — for crisis support, resettlement, family safety, and everyday assistance. All of them serve refugee, immigrant, and Muslim families.
Call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or reach the San Diego Access & Crisis Line at (888) 724-7240. Both are free, confidential, available 24/7, and offer interpreters in more than 200 languages. If there is immediate danger, call 911.
Crisis & Mental Health
Free, confidential, and available around the clock. Looking for a therapist who speaks Urdu, Arabic, Pashto, Dari or Farsi? We can help you find one.
San Diego Access & Crisis Line
County behavioral health line for crisis support, suicide prevention, mobile crisis response, and referrals to mental health and substance use services. Interpreters in 200+ languages.
211 San Diego
One call connects you to food and CalFresh, housing help, Medi-Cal enrollment, utility assistance, employment support, and hundreds of other local services. Free and confidential, 24/7.
Refugee & Newcomer Services
Resettlement, case management, employment, and English language support.
Catholic Charities Diocese of San Diego
Runs the Afghan Newcomer Support Program and Afghan Support and Investment Program — case management, housing assistance, cash assistance, and social adjustment services for Afghan arrivals.
International Rescue Committee — San Diego
Employment and financial coaching, English and digital literacy classes, youth programs, small business development, immigration legal services, and the Women's Resilience Center.
San Diego Refugee Forum
A coalition of resettlement agencies, community groups, and county partners. Publishes community resource guides, arrival reports, and Afghan-specific resource pages. Meets monthly.
Family Safety
Confidential support for survivors, in your language.
License to Freedom
El Cajon-based organization serving refugee and immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. Crisis intervention, case management, legal aid, housing navigation, and mental health support in 8 languages.
Immigration & Legal Aid
Free and low-cost legal help. You do not need to pay a notario or a consultant.
Casa Cornelia Law Center
Pro bono immigration law firm serving low-income immigrants in San Diego County. Asylum cases, unaccompanied children, and victims of crime and human rights violations. Free of charge.
Legal Aid Society of San Diego
Immigration court representation, family petitions, green cards through family or asylum, naturalization and citizenship, and help for survivors of abuse or trafficking. For low-income residents. Mention any court deadline when you call.
CAIR San Diego
Civil rights and immigration legal support for Muslims — discrimination at work or school, law enforcement encounters, and hate incidents. Requests are submitted through their legal intake form.
Benefits & Basic Needs
Food, health coverage, and groceries. Applying is free everywhere below.
BenefitsCal
California's official portal to apply for CalFresh (food benefits), Medi-Cal (health coverage), and cash assistance — all in one application. Available in multiple languages.
GetCalFresh
A free guided walkthrough for CalFresh, run by Code for America with the state. Easier to follow than the main portal if it is your first time applying, with real help if you get stuck.
San Diego Food Bank
Free groceries countywide. Use the distribution finder to locate the site nearest you — no appointment or immigration status required at most locations.
Medi-Cal — San Diego County
County guidance on how to apply for Medi-Cal, including in person, by phone, and by mail. Eligibility for immigrants depends on status — the county can tell you what you qualify for.
Education & Employment
English classes, job training, and career support — free for adults.
San Diego College of Continuing Education
Free adult classes across the city: ESL and English literacy, high school diploma and GED, citizenship preparation, and career training in skilled trades. No tuition for eligible students.
San Diego Workforce Partnership
No-cost job search help, career coaching, workshops, apprenticeships, and free online skill building. Career centers across the county offer in-person support.
Nile Sisters Development Initiative
Refugee and immigrant families in City Heights — emergency relief, nursing assistant vocational training, tutoring, and cultural orientation. Especially strong support for refugee women entering the workforce.
Caregiving at Home
For families caring for an elderly, ill, or disabled loved one at home.
IHSS Planner
A free tool for California In-Home Supportive Services providers — schedule hours within monthly caps, track pay and overtime, and avoid the timesheet violations that can suspend your eligibility. No login required.
San Diego County IHSS
The county program that pays family members and caregivers to provide in-home care for eligible low-income seniors and people with disabilities. Apply through Aging & Independence Services.
Not sure where to start, or need someone to walk through it with you in your own language?
Reach Out to RihlaThese organizations are independent of Rihla Community Services. We share them because our community has found them helpful, but we do not operate, fund, or supervise them, and we cannot guarantee eligibility, availability, or outcomes. Details change — please confirm directly with each organization. If a link here is broken or a service has changed, let us know at Rihla.org@gmail.com so we can keep this page accurate.