A Hoarding Alliance local resource guide
A respectful place to begin - whether you are looking for support for yourself, worried about someone you love, or trying to respond to a safety, housing, care, or practical concern in Shawnee County.
Start here - Fight the Blight
Our virtual groups give people affected by hoarding and clutter concerns a place to connect from Topeka, Shawnee County, and other communities. We can help you think through what is happening and what kind of next step may fit.
Call 911 for a medical emergency, fire, or immediate threat. For behavioral-health crisis support, call or text 988.
First conversations
You do not need to know the perfect service name before reaching out. These organizations can help you understand the landscape and identify a next step.
Kansas 211 is a free information and referral pathway for food, shelter, rent, utilities, healthcare, counseling, transportation, senior services, and other local needs. Ask for Shawnee County options and confirm eligibility, capacity, hours, and referral requirements directly.
Astra is the current organization formed by the merger of Valeo Behavioral Health Care and Family Service & Guidance Center. Its adult services include behavioral-health care and 24/7 crisis support. Ask whether the current team serves hoarding-related concerns and what intake route, age range, fees, or coverage applies.
ICT OCD Alliance identifies Amanda Petrik-Gardner as a clinician who specializes in OCD-related disorders, including hoarding, and practices in Topeka with telehealth availability. This is an independent clinical lead, not an Alliance or Fight the Blight provider. Ask about current hoarding-specific care, treatment approach, credentials, fees, insurance, and wait time.
Resilient Roots lists hoarding among its OCD-related services in Topeka. It is an independent care lead, not an Alliance or Fight the Blight provider and not a guarantee of treatment. Ask about the clinician's training, current hoarding experience, format, fees, insurance, privacy, and availability.
Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging provides information and referral, in-home services, transportation, caregiver support, nutrition, legal-services funding, and other pathways that can help older adults and people with disabilities remain safely independent. It is not hoarding-specific therapy or automatic free cleanup. Ask what current program fits the household.
Safety and stability
These pathways serve different situations. Read the labels carefully before calling, especially when a response may involve protective services, housing screening, crisis response, shelter, utility emergencies, or emergency assistance.
Kansas Adult Protective Services responds to concerns about abuse, neglect, self-neglect, or exploitation of adults at risk. Use this for a genuine protective concern, not as a general cleanup referral. Kansas describes least-restrictive services and adult rights; call 911 for immediate danger.
Call or text 988 for emotional distress, a mental-health or substance-use crisis, or concern about someone else. 988 is not a cleanup provider and does not guarantee an in-home response. Call 911 for immediate danger, fire, violence, or a medical emergency.
Call 911 when there is immediate danger, fire, a medical emergency, violence, or a threat that cannot wait for a scheduled service. Emergency dispatch is not a hoarding-support program, behavioral-health counseling service, or cleanup provider. When the situation is not immediately dangerous, begin with a support, care, or navigation pathway.
Astra describes round-the-clock adult crisis counselors for mental-health or substance-use emergencies, along with ongoing-care connections. It is not a hoarding cleanup or organizing service. Call to ask what current crisis response fits the situation, and call 911 for immediate danger.
The Kansas courts directory identifies Valeo as the community mental-health resource for Shawnee County, with a crisis line listed for Topeka. Because agency names and access points can change, use the current directory and confirm the number before relying on it. Call 911 for immediate danger.
The Topeka Housing Authority manages public housing and voucher pathways for low-income households, including seniors, families, and people with disabilities. Housing availability and Section 8 status can change. Ask about current applications, reasonable accommodations, household support needs, and any safety or eviction deadline.
KHRC's housing resource hub links to emergency shelter, homeless-services providers, housing-crisis counselors, rental assistance, eviction resources, utility resources, and community action agencies. It does not guarantee a housing placement or direct financial assistance. Ask for the current Shawnee County access point.
Topeka Rescue Mission lists 24/7 shelter pathways for men and for women, children, and families, plus meals, case management, and housing assistance. It is not hoarding treatment or a guaranteed bed. Call first to confirm the appropriate location, current space, identification needs, and household rules.
The City of Topeka directs housing and homeless questions through its current city services. Community partners identify EAS as the local access point for emergency housing assistance and rental-navigation questions. Confirm the current city intake route, any documentation, and whether funds or referrals are available; this is not a cleanup service.
People and practical help
These listings offer connections for care, education, housing, benefits, utilities, aging, organizing, or disposal. They are independent organizations; ask about current availability, cost, scope, consent, and safety before relying on them.
Shawnee County Solid Waste offers weekly refuse service and one large-item pickup per week free of charge for listed items such as furniture, mattresses, and certain yard materials. Its household hazardous-waste facility accepts e-waste; CRT televisions and monitors carry a stated fee. Confirm accepted materials, scheduling, access, and current fees before moving items.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment explains household hazardous-waste programs and safe handling of products such as paint, chemicals, pesticides, batteries, and other hazardous materials. It is guidance and oversight, not a home pickup service. Do not mix or move hazardous materials without confirming the local facility's instructions.
Kansas LIEAP is a federally funded, one-time annual benefit for eligible households with home-energy costs. The 2026 application period has ended, so confirm when the next period opens and what documents are required. LIEAP is not a cleaning grant or emergency shutoff response; use an active utility-assistance pathway for an immediate deadline.
Community Action Topeka describes assistance for past-due electric, gas, or water bills when service is pending disconnection or disconnected. It requires an intake and documents such as a disconnect notice, proof of residency, income, lease, ID, and current bill. Assistance is not guaranteed and does not pay for cleanup or disposal.
Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas says its Topeka Family Support Center offers free services based on need, including food, case management, housing and utility assistance, clothing, and referrals. It is not a hoarding-specific cleanup program. Call during current office hours to ask what is available and what documents or appointments are required.
Doorstep provides Topekans with food, clothing, prescription, transportation, and other support. It says utility assistance is by appointment and funds may be limited; rent requests go through the City's EAS program. Ask what current support fits the household and whether a referral or documentation is needed.
Community Resources Council lists water assistance and the City of Topeka utility-credit program. Its site says assistance depends on available funds, applications do not guarantee approval, and missing documents can prevent acceptance. This is a utility-stability resource, not a hoarding-support or cleanup service.
Let's Help describes community meals and basic-needs services in Topeka. Use it as a food and connection pathway when household instability is making it harder to address a clutter or safety concern. Confirm current hours, available services, and whether an appointment or referral is needed.
Remove Junk Topeka advertises room-by-room and whole-home organizing, decluttering, sorting, donation or resale support, and related hauling. It is an independent commercial lead, not an Alliance or Fight the Blight provider. Ask for a written scope, consent-centered process, insurance, disposal plan, privacy practices, and cost before hiring.
Hoarding Cleanup Pros advertises customized hoarding cleanup, decluttering, deep cleaning, organizing, and disposal in Topeka. It is an independent commercial lead, not an Alliance or Fight the Blight provider. Ask about worker training, consent, written scope, privacy, disposal, insurance, and a pace that keeps the person involved.
ZC Demo-Haul lists residential cleanouts, junk removal, debris hauling, and eviction clear-outs in Topeka. It is an independent practical lead, not an Alliance or Fight the Blight provider and not a substitute for peer or clinical care. Ask about hazardous materials, sorting, consent, privacy, insurance, disposal, scheduling, and a written estimate.
The Peer Tree offers nonclinical hoarding and clutter support, including organizing help, groups, family guidance, and practical next steps. Ask about current availability, service area, scope, pacing, privacy, and fees before beginning. The Peer Tree is a separate private-pay pathway from Fight the Blight's nonprofit programming.
Unburied, from The Peer Tree, is a judgment-free digital peer-support pathway for people affected by hoarding and clutter concerns and for friends and family. It can offer ongoing connection, tools, and momentum from Topeka or anywhere else. It is not therapy, clinical care, or emergency support.
A note from the Alliance
This guide is anchored in Topeka, the county seat of Shawnee County, and includes city, countywide, statewide, national, and independent pathways. A listing here does not mean Fight the Blight endorses every provider or can guarantee availability. The Hoarding Alliance is not a city or county agency, therapy practice, emergency service, or cleanup company. We will keep reviewing this page, but please confirm details directly before relying on them.
Need help choosing a path? Contact Fight the Blight