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The Emergency Care Fund

Sometimes it looks like a mother who has not slept in three weeks and has no one to call. A woman who lost her job and cannot afford the bus to her next interview. A girl who needs period supplies and is too ashamed to ask. A woman who has been dismissed so many times that her silence has started to feel like defeat.

These are the moments At The Thresholds was built for. The quiet ones. The ones that don't make headlines. The ones that slip through every official gap because they don't look like an emergency to anyone but the person living inside them.

When crisis hits, it shouldn't cost you your softness. This fund exists so it doesn't have to.

Crisis does not always arrive loudly.

What Crisis Looks Like Here

In Western Massachusetts, where over 30% of female-headed households in Hampden County live below the federal poverty line, crisis is often invisible, ordinary, and unrelenting. We know this. We built this fund because of it.

A mother who needs one night of childcare so she can sleep without her nervous system on fire
A woman displaced from housing who needs clothing for a shelter intake or job interview
A girl who cannot afford period supplies and is missing school because of it
A caregiver who has given everything and needs transportation to a single appointment of her own
A woman processing grief who needs a journal, a book, something to hold her thinking
A woman who has been dismissed, invisible, or ignored — and needs one small thing that says: you matter here

What We Offer

Microgrants of $50 to $200, distributed directly and quickly. No heavy paperwork. No proof of poverty. No case worker. Just a short form and a team that reads every one.

Support is available for: transportation, food, period and hygiene supplies, clothing for interviews or shelter transitions, journals and creative tools, and temporary relief needs not covered by other programs. If you are not sure whether your need qualifies, apply anyway and tell us what is happening. We will figure it out together.

Apply for Support →

How to Give to This Fund

Every contribution to the Emergency Care Fund goes directly to a woman in need. There is no administrative overhead taken from this fund. Your $100 funds one grant. Your $50 meets a need that no one else is meeting.

Donations to At The Thresholds are tax-deductible. We are a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Sponsor a microgrant: A gift of $100 or more can be designated to fully fund one applicant. Note "Emergency Care Fund" when donating and we will confirm receipt.

Every dollar is a thread in the fabric of collective survival. Thank you for being part of this.

Fund FAQs

Women, girls, and femmes in Western Massachusetts experiencing a moment of quiet crisis. We prioritize Black, Indigenous, and Latina women, single mothers, caregivers, and women with limited access to other support systems. We do not require proof of income or documentation of hardship beyond your own words.
We review applications within 3 to 5 business days. For urgent situations, note that in your application and we will prioritize accordingly.
Yes. You may apply using initials if you prefer. Your information will not be shared outside of the At The Thresholds team and will never be used for marketing or public documentation without your explicit consent.
You can reach us anytime via our contact page or email. We aim to respond quickly—usually within one business day.
We will tell you honestly and add you to a waitlist. We will never tell you your need doesn't qualify and leave you without a response. Every application receives a reply.