About this project
The Spokane Community Assistant helps anyone in Spokane County find free and low-cost help, such as food, shelter, health care, help with bills, and legal aid. You ask in plain words, by typing or speaking, in any of ten languages. Answers come from a directory of more than 2,500 local organizations, public programs, and state-licensed care providers, rechecked every month. The service is free and private, and it has no advertising. It works alongside 211 and 988 and does not replace 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 started from a simple observation. The help people need in hard moments already exists in this community, but it can be hard to find.
Share your thoughts
Thoughts, comments, and suggestions are welcome from residents who have used the assistant, caseworkers, service providers whose listing needs updating, and possible community partners. Write to vivek@plainwords.io.
See incorrect information about an organization? The fastest fix is the “⚠ Report a problem” link on that organization's card. Reports reach a person the same day.
Where the listings come from
Listings come from the sources below and must meet a written rule (what gets listed). A listing that closes or no longer qualifies is hidden, not deleted, and the reason is recorded. 2,560 listings are live as of 2026-11-10.
Addiction treatment and recovery listings draw on Addiction Help Finder, the directory kept by the Rayce Rudeen Foundation in Liberty Lake. The Foundation shared its records with Ask Spokane in October 2026. Thank you. Every card that uses their information says so and links to their listing.
| 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 | 678 | nonprofit service or public program (each row re-categorized by model, reviewed) |
| Innovia Foundation community resource list | 2026-06-30 | 310 | nonprofit service or public program (each row re-categorized by model, reviewed) |
| Licensed childcare (Child Care Aware of Eastern Washington / DCYF) | 2026-07 (approximate) | 165 | licensed care accepting public payment (Working Connections subsidy) |
| IRS-registered nonprofits (NCCS Business Master File), verified | 2026-07-01 | 115 | nonprofit service (verified to provide a direct service) |
| Hand-verified additions | 2026-08-10; extended 2026-09-07; partner-supplied updates 2026-09-24 | 113 | 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 | 36 | 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) |
| Addiction Help Finder (Rayce Rudeen Foundation) | 2026-10-22 | 16 | treatment provider accepting public payment, or free nonprofit or faith program open to the public |
| 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 · Terms of use