Terms of Use
Last updated: August 28, 2026
Welcome to JohnHelp. JohnHelp is a free service run by the American Society for the Prevention of Hunger and Poverty (ASPHP), a US nonprofit. These Terms are a plain-language agreement between you and ASPHP about using the JohnHelp website, phone line, text messages, emails, and mobile app (together, "the service"). By using the service you agree to them. If you do not agree, please do not use the service.
1. What JohnHelp is
JohnHelp helps people find free and low-cost help near them: food, housing, health care, money help, transportation, work, education, legal aid, and more. "John" is an artificial-intelligence assistant. When you search, chat, use the benefits check, or call the phone line, John reads what you tell him, looks at public directories of real services, and suggests places and programs that may fit. John is a helpful guide, not a person, a caseworker, or an official source.
2. Free, no account, no ID
JohnHelp never charges you, never requires an account, and never asks for identification, proof of income, or immigration status. Nobody is ever refused help for any reason. If anyone ever asks you to pay for JohnHelp, they are not us.
3. Please check before you go
The places and programs John suggests come from public directories and from John's own knowledge, and the details can be out of date or wrong. Hours change, pantries run out, programs close, and eligibility rules differ from person to person. JohnHelp does not guarantee that any organization, address, phone number, hours, or eligibility detail is accurate, current, or available, and cannot promise that any place will help you. Please call ahead or confirm with the organization before making a trip. For live, verified local help you can also call or text 211 for free.
4. Not professional advice and not an emergency service
JohnHelp does not give medical, legal, financial, tax, or immigration advice, and the benefits check is only an estimate, not a decision about what you qualify for. Only the agency that runs a program can decide that. JohnHelp is not an emergency service and is not watched around the clock. If you are in danger or having an emergency, call 911. For a mental health or suicide crisis, call or text 988 any time.
5. Text messages, emails, and the phone line
If you ask John to text or email you the details of a place, you agree to receive that one-time message at the number or address you entered, and you confirm it is yours. Message and data rates from your carrier may apply. We do not send marketing messages. The phone line is answered by an automated assistant, and what you say on the call is saved securely so John can help you better; the greeting tells you this at the start of every call.
6. Your privacy
How we collect, protect, and delete your information, including session recordings and how we measure whether JohnHelp is working, is explained in our Privacy Policy, which is part of these Terms.
7. Using the service fairly
You agree to use JohnHelp only for lawful, personal purposes: to find help for yourself, your family, or someone you are helping in person. You agree not to use automated tools to scrape or flood the service, not to send texts or emails to people who have not asked for them, not to try to break into the service or access other people's information, and not to use JohnHelp to harass anyone. We may limit or block use that harms the service or other people.
8. Ages
JohnHelp is meant for adults. If you are under 18, please use it with a parent, guardian, teacher, or caseworker. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13.
9. Other organizations and websites
The organizations John suggests are independent. JohnHelp is not affiliated with them, does not run their programs, and is not responsible for what they do or for the content of their websites. Any links to other websites are provided for convenience only.
10. Our content
The JohnHelp name, logo, design, and text belong to ASPHP. You are welcome to share links to JohnHelp, print results for yourself or someone you are helping, and tell others about it. Please do not copy the service or present it as your own.
11. No warranties
The service is provided "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including warranties of accuracy, fitness for a particular purpose, or uninterrupted availability. We work hard to keep JohnHelp accurate and running, but we cannot promise it will always be.
12. Limitation of liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, ASPHP, its directors, volunteers, staff, and partners are not liable for any loss, injury, or damage of any kind arising from your use of the service, from relying on information it provides, or from any organization or program you contact through it. Some states do not allow certain limitations, so parts of this section may not apply to you.
13. Governing law
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Georgia, USA, without regard to its conflict-of-law rules. If a dispute cannot be resolved by talking with us first, it will be brought in the state or federal courts located in Cobb County, Georgia, unless the law where you live requires otherwise.
14. Changes
We may update these Terms from time to time. The "last updated" date above shows when they last changed, and you will be asked to accept the new version the next time you visit. If any part of these Terms is found unenforceable, the rest still applies.
15. Contact
Questions about these Terms, or any legal or privacy matter: email legal@asphp.com. For everything else, including help using the site, email hello@asphp.com.
JohnHelp is an independent service and is not affiliated with findhelp.org or with 211.