For those in need, even getting help can be a burden. Rose Afriyie saw her fellow Chicagoans sacrificing a day of work to take two busses across town, wait in line for hours, only to be told they’re ineligible for the food stamps. Experiences like this take a toll on underserved communities. Rose built a way to raise these communities up by giving them access to information and assistance via SMS.

The underserved don’t have to travel to get the answers they need. Those answers are a text away with mRelief. Users can ask about their eligibility for food stamps, public housing and more by firing off a text to mRelief’s Twilio-powered number.

mRelief is expanding outside Chicago and across the U.S. In the process of striving to bring equality and equity to the underserved, one text at a time.