703-J-CARING: free hotline set up for anyone in need of social services in the DMV.

ROCKVILLE, Md. (ABC7) — In a cozy office in Rockville, Maryland Kris Price answers the call for those in need.

“I’m so sorry to hear that," she tells a caller.

Price is a trained intake specialist with the Jewish Social Service Agency or JSSA: one of the most respected social service agencies in the region. Soon after COVID-19 struck, JSSA partnered with The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and a network of several other organizations to provide a central entry point - one telephone number - that anyone can call to find out how to get assistance for everything from housing to mental health services to employment, to food and finances.

Price says, "A lot of people are having a really difficult time right now: lost jobs or not as many hours or somebody has gotten sick. There’s so much pain out there in the world and so many tough situations that people are going through so this just feels like one way that during this time I can help people.”

All anyone in the DMV has to do is call 703-J-CARING (703-522-7464 ) Monday-Friday from 9 am-6 pm and experienced case managers like Price will direct you to resources that may make these confounding times more manageable. We should stress that this service is free and open to anyone of any faith, or no faith at all. All calls are confidential.

“We cannot ask people who are struggling for basic survival to call 5, 6, 7 different people to get help. That is the responsibility of the community to make sure that people are able to access the services they need," says the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington CEO Gil Preuss.

And Price believes as critical as it is to get people help, it's also important to be there, a friendly, reassuring voice, on the other line.

“It is an important component for somebody to just listen to your story and to care," concludes Price.