Aasra means support
Shelter, work, school and care.
For any family in Fresno who needs a place to start — and a person who knows which door to knock on.
Numbers to call now
- 911
- If it's an emergency
- 988
- Suicide or crisis — call or text
- 211
- Shelter, food or utilities, any hour
How we help
Four places to start.
Not sure which one fits? That's okay. Start anywhere.
Shelter and safe housing
The first weeks in a new place.
Find housing with you
Help with paperwork
Go through a lease together
Work
Finding a job, and being ready for it.
Connect you with employers
Help with applications
Work through qualifications
School
Keeping students in school, and keeping up.
Find practical support
Find tutoring
Talk with the school
Health and care
Getting to care, and not going alone.
Find care you can afford
Understand your options
Come with you
I need help
If you need a hand, start here.
Housing, a job, school or health care. Come as you are — there is nothing you need to bring. Call or message us and we'll find a time.
You don't need to have everything.
- To speak English
- To know which program fits
How Aasra works
We don't replace the services already here. We help people reach them.
Aasra is the bridge between families and the programs, clinics and opportunities in our community. We listen, understand what's getting in the way, and stay with the process until the next step is clear.
Learn more about our approach1. Come to Aasra
A family reaches out.
2. Understand the barrier
We learn what's getting in the way.
3. Find the right service
We identify local programs and options.
4. Calls, forms and next steps
We help with the details.
5. Stay with the process
We follow up, so you're not alone.
Why this matters
The help exists. Finding it shouldn't be this hard.
Programs, clinics and services are already here. The difficult part is knowing where to start, what the paperwork means, and who to call.
- 183,000
- Fresno County residents live below the poverty line.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024
- 40,000
- Local CalFresh recipients must now prove they meet new work requirements.
- Fresno County Department of Social Services, 2026
- 42%
- of Fresno County homes have at least one substandard condition.
- Fresno EOC Community Needs Assessment, 2024–2025
Aasra helps with the part between needing support and actually receiving it.
How we helpFigures from the U.S. Census Bureau, Fresno County Department of Social Services, and Fresno EOC. Last checked September 2026.
Our first-year plan
Hold us to it.
Four commitments for our first twelve months. We'll update this page every quarter, and at the end of the year we'll publish what actually happened — including what we got wrong.
01
Open, and staffed
Regular weekday hours in Fresno, with a person in the room who can sit down with you.
October 202602
Walk 75 families through a system
Start to finish: benefits, enrollment, housing paperwork, clinic appointments.
Planned03
Run four free walk-in clinics
On what people ask about most — CalFresh, school enrollment, health coverage and work.
Quarterly04
Train twelve volunteers
From the communities we serve, in the languages families speak at home.
Planned
For funders and community partners
Help build the part between services.
Aasra is building local navigation capacity in Fresno: a person who can sit down with a family, work out what is getting in the way, and stay with it until the next step is clear.
Fund direct navigation
A person in the room who can sit down with you.
Support community access
On what people ask about most — CalFresh, school enrollment, health coverage and work.
Build capacity
From the communities we serve, in the languages families speak at home.