About this project
The Spokane Community Assistant helps anyone in Spokane County find free and low-cost help — food, shelter, health care, help with bills, legal aid, and more — by simply asking, in plain language, by text or voice, in ten languages. It draws on a directory of nearly 2,500 local organizations, public programs, and state-licensed care providers, re-checked every month. It is free, private, and carries no advertising; it complements services like 211 and 988 rather than replacing them.
Who built it
Ask Spokane is a product of Plain Words LLC, an independent company in Spokane County. It was built and is maintained by Vivek H. Patil, Professor of Marketing and Director of Graduate Business Programs at Gonzaga University. It is not a Gonzaga University service. It grew out of a simple conviction: the help people need in hard moments already exists in this community — the problem is finding it. Technology should close that gap.
Share your thoughts
Your thoughts, comments, and suggestions are genuinely welcome — whether you're a resident who used the assistant, a caseworker, a service provider whose listing needs updating, or a potential community partner. Write to vivek@plainwords.io.
Spotted incorrect information about an organization? The fastest fix is the “⚠ Report a problem” link on that organization's card — reports reach a human the same day.
Where the listings come from
Every organization in the directory came in through a named source, on a known date, under a written rule (what gets listed). Nothing is added by hand without the page it was verified at, and nothing is deleted: a listing that closes or no longer qualifies is hidden with the reason recorded. 2,539 listings are live as of 2026-09-07.
| Source | Loaded | Listings | Why it qualifies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington DSHS licensed long-term care | 2026-09-07 | 824 | licensed care accepting public payment (DSHS Medicaid contract) |
| LaunchNW partner database export | 2026-06-30 | 680 | nonprofit service or public program (each row re-categorized by model, reviewed) |
| Innovia Foundation community resource list | 2026-06-30 | 313 | nonprofit service or public program (each row re-categorized by model, reviewed) |
| Licensed childcare (Child Care Aware of Eastern Washington / DCYF) | 2026-07 (approximate) | 167 | licensed care accepting public payment (Working Connections subsidy) |
| IRS-registered nonprofits (NCCS Business Master File), verified | 2026-07-01 | 119 | nonprofit service (verified to provide a direct service) |
| Hand-verified additions | 2026-08-10; extended 2026-09-07 | 96 | recorded per row |
| CHAS Health clinic locations | 2026-07 (approximate) | 78 | nonprofit service (federally qualified health center) |
| University community partner list | 2026-07 (approximate) | 72 | nonprofit service or public program |
| Google Places discovery | 2026-07 (approximate) | 51 | case by case; kept only where public payment or free service is verified |
| SAMHSA FindTreatment.gov | 2026-08-10 | 37 | licensed care accepting public payment, or nonprofit service |
| Medicare provider directories (CMS) | 2026-08-10 | 35 | licensed care accepting public payment (Medicare certified) |
| Spokane human rights and hotline resource list | 2026-06-30 | 26 | public program, nonprofit service, or hotline |
| August 2026 wildfire response resources | 2026-08-10 | 19 | public program or nonprofit service (time-limited rows expire) |
| School districts and educational institutions | 2026-08-10 | 11 | public program |
| Central Valley area resources | 2026-07 (approximate) | 6 | nonprofit service or public program |
| Web-search discovered organizations | 2026-07-01 | 5 | nonprofit service |
In an emergency call 911. For crisis support, call or text 988. · Privacy · Browse all resources · What Spokane is asking for · What gets listed