social service

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• noun Organized efforts to advance human welfare; social work.
• noun A service, such as counseling or health care, provided by a government or by a charitable organization to advance human welfare, especially for disadvantaged people.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• noun an organized activity to improve the condition of disadvantaged people in society