Never Miss a Chance to Do the Most Good

Please enter your name, email and zip code below to sign up!

Never Miss a Chance to Do the Most Good

Please enter your name, email and zip code below to sign up!

We love because he first loved us

For thousands of families in the Silicon Valley hope is just a phone call away.

Although Santa Clara County has the highest median household income of all Bay Area counties, 30 percent of families and 65 percent of single mothers are considered below poverty by the California Self-Sufficiency Standard (SSS), which includes the costs of basic needs for California’s working families. In fact, in Santa Clara County, the top-income families earn almost 16.4 times more than low-income families, and twenty percent of children across the Bay Area currently live in poverty.

"They always understand our situation"

"If it was not for The Salvation Army of Silicon Valley, my sister and I would not be able to provide the basic needs for our children. It is so good to know that when things are tough financially, we can go to The Salvation Army and receive help. They always understand our situation, give support, and provide for our needs both physically and emotionally." Anonymous Client

We help families throughout Silicon Valley through these important programs:

To assess your eligibility, please submit all required documents within five (5) business days of your initial contact with our staff. Once all documents have been received and reviewed, an intake specialist will contact the applicant. Please note that documents are processed on a first-come, first-served basis, and assistance is not guaranteed and is subject to available funding.

Utility Assistance

Please provide the following documents for Utility Assistance:

Full Utility Bill: Provide the most recent bill (dated within the last 30 days) for the utility for which you are requesting assistance. All pages of the bill are required. 
Proof of Residency: Documentation confirming you reside in the unit for which you are requesting utility assistance. This may include Rental Agreement/Lease (must include all pages and any rent increase notices). Housing Subsidy Voucher (if applicable) – Tenant Rental Portion Letter from the subsidy program indicating the tenant’s share of rent (for applicants receiving a housing subsidy voucher such as HUD-VASH, Section 8, Housing Authority program, etc.). Mortgage Statement or Property Tax Bill – Submit a current mortgage statement or property tax bill, if applicable. 
Proof of Income: (Adults Only) – Submit documentation for the past two months. Acceptable documents may include pay stubs or benefit statements (e.g., SSDI, SSI, EDD, CalWORKs, Survivors Benefits, Child Support), and/or bank statements. 
Identification: Valid IDs for all adults and birth certificates for children. 
Proof of Crisis: Documentation explaining the reason for requesting assistance (this is not a personal statement). Examples include an employment termination notice, past-due bills, medical/doctor’s note, unexpected expense invoice, court documents, police report, etc. 
Monthly Expense Statements: Provide bills dated within the last 30 days showing regular monthly expenses (e.g., utilities such as PG&E, water, garbage, phone, car insurance, etc.) for each adult in the household. 
Household Statement of Emergency: Submit a completed household emergency statement form.

Rental Assistance

Please provide the following documents for Rental Assistance:

Proof of crisis: Documentation explaining the reason for requesting assistance (This is not a personal statement. Ex. Employment termination notice, outstanding bills, Meical/Doctors Note, Unexpected expense bill, court document, police report. etc.)
Proof of sustainability: Any documentation the household can provide to verify that the household will be able to cover their rental/utilities expenses moving forward.
Rental Agreement/Lease: Any rental change notices and all pages
Identification: IDs for adults and Birth Certificate for children.
Proof of income: For the last two months. (for adults only) May include Paystubs, Benefit statements (for SSDI, SSI, EDD, CalWORKs, survivor benefits, child support, or Bank statements)
Housing Subsidy Inspection Form (if applicable): Documentation confirming the new unit has passed inspection.
Housing Subsidy Voucher (if applicable): Tenant Rental Portion Letter from the subsidy program indicating the tenant’s share of rent (for applicants receiving a housing subsidy voucher such as HUD-VASH, Section 8, Housing Authority program, etc.).
Landlord/Property Management Contact Information: Provide current contact details.
Monthly Expense Statements: Provide bills dated within the last 30 days showing regular monthly expenses (e.g., utilities such as PG&E, water, garbage, phone, car insurance, etc.) for each adult in the household.
Household Statement of Emergency: Submit a completed household emergency statement form.

Mortgage Assistance

Please provide the following documents for Mortgage Assistance:

Mortgage Statement: Submit a current mortgage statement. 
Completed W-9 Form: Must be fully completed by the finance or mortgage company. 
Proof of crisis: Documentation explaining the reason for requesting assistance (This is not a personal statement. Ex. Employment termination notice, outstanding bills, Meical/Doctors Note, Unexpected expense bill, court document, police report. etc.)
Proof of sustainability: Any documentation the household can provide to verify that the household will be able to cover their rental/utilities expenses moving forward.
Identification: IDs for adults and Birth Certificate for children.
Proof of income: For the last two months. (for adults only) May include Paystubs, Benefit statements (for SSDI, SSI, EDD, CalWORKs, survivor benefits, child support, or Bank statements)
Monthly Expense Statements: Provide bills dated within the last 30 days showing regular monthly expenses (e.g., utilities such as PG&E, water, garbage, phone, car insurance, etc.) for each adult in the household.
Household Statement of Emergency: Submit a completed household emergency statement form.

Deposit and/or First Month's Rent Assistance

Please provide the following documents for Deposit and/or First Month's Rent Assistance:

Proof of crisis: Documentation explaining the reason for requesting assistance (This is not a personal statement. Ex. Employment termination notice, outstanding bills, Meical/Doctors Note, Unexpected expense bill, court document, police report. etc.)
Proof of sustainability: Any documentation the household can provide to verify that the household will be able to cover their rental/utilities expenses moving forward.
Intent to Rent Letter or Rental Agreement/Lease: For the unit you plan to move into, (Any rental change notices and all pages)
Identification: IDs for adults and Birth Certificate for children.
Proof of income: For the last two months. (for adults only) May include Paystubs, Benefit statements (for SSDI, SSI, EDD, CalWORKs, survivor benefits, child support, or Bank statements)
Housing Subsidy Inspection Form (if applicable): Documentation confirming the new unit has passed inspection.
Housing Subsidy Voucher (if applicable): Tenant Rental Portion Letter from the subsidy program indicating the tenant’s share of rent (for applicants receiving a housing subsidy voucher such as HUD-VASH, Section 8, Housing Authority program, etc.).
Landlord/Property Management Contact Information: Provide current contact details.
Monthly Expense Statements: Provide bills dated within the last 30 days showing regular monthly expenses (e.g., utilities such as PG&E, water, garbage, phone, car insurance, etc.) for each adult in the household.
Household Statement of Emergency: Submit a completed household emergency statement form.

How to Submit Documents:

By Email:

Send all documents in a single email to: FAMILYSERVICESSJ@USW.SALVATIONARMY.ORG
Do not send links to Google or other shared documents, they won’t be opened

Drop-Off:

Available Monday–Friday, 8 AM–12 PM or 1 PM–4 PM at: 359 N 4th St, San Jose, CA 95112 (entrance faces 4th St).
Parking: Street parking is recommended; lot near the building may be full before 12 PM on weekdays
Important: Please do not leave original documents, copies will be made, and original documents will be destroyed.
- You can ask office staff to make copies of your original documents.
- Secure them together using a clip or envelope.

Food Pantry Assistance

New Schedule: Starting May 4th 2026

Mondays & Wednesdays: Drive-Thru (Entrance on 3rd Street) — 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays: Walk-Up (Client Choice) (Entrance on 4th Street) — 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Households may receive assistance once per week. On your first visit, you need to show a photo ID, proof of address, and complete an intake form.

General Assistance

Information on other agencies can be provided for services we do not offer.
We do not provide assistance for gas vouchers, motel vouchers or transportation vouchers.
Office hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 12:30 pm and 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Please bring current proof of income, proof of address, and a valid ID
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