A number of food banks, soup kitchens for hot meals and free emergency food pantries in Lake, Florida distribute groceries to individuals or families who are in some form of an emergency situation.
There are also meals, free bags of food, personal toiletries and household goods for low to moderate income families from food pantries near you.
Distribution centers can include churches, non-profit organizations, community action agencies, and many other local charities as well as non-profits.
Salvation Army Food Pantry
The Salvation Army is dedicated to eliminating food insecurity.
The Salvation Army operates free local food banks around Lake, Florida from almost all of their local social service centers. The charity organization is involved in feeding millions of families each year, with a large percentage of those assisted being children as well as the elderly.
We have located 1 Salvation Army Food Pantry locations in Lake, Florida which provides a wide array of services. We have partnered so you can also check your eligibility.
The Salvation Army of Lake & Sumter County - Lake County Corps
Knowing no social, ethnic, or class boundaries, The Salvation Army ministers to the physical and spiritual needs of individuals and families in Lake and Sumter counties.
Services provided :
- food pantry
Appointments :
You can privately and easily book your appointment online for select services 24/7. For the full set of services, you can call (352) 365-0079 to book your appointment.
Address :
2105 W Main St,
Leesburg, FL 34748.
Get Directions
Hours Of Operations :
- Mon:
- Tues:
- Wed:
- Thurs:
- Fri:
- Sat:
- Sun:
Help Residents of Cities:
- Leesburg
Help Residents of Counties:
- Lake
Church Food Pantry
A number of churches around Lake, Florida have food pantries for those in their neighborhoods who are in need of food items.
Churches operate with food donations gathered and deliver to the food pantry nearest you by individuals using food drives.
Some churches also deliver food items to elderly who are unable to drive to a nearest community food pantry. Please contact your local church directly.
We have located 0 Church Food Pantry locations in Lake, Florida which provides a wide array of services. We have partnered so you can also check your eligibility.
Catholic Charities Food Pantry
Resources provided by the Catholic Charity organization focus on addressing food, holiday, and immigration needs.
Families of all religions, backgrounds, and cultures can contact Catholic Charity centers for help.
Catholic Charities in Lake, Florida are open to families on a first-come, first-serve basis. The centers operate during normal business hours, and provide walk-ins with groceries, food boxes, and items to prepare a meal.
The food pantries are like grocery stores, allow clients the ability to choose the items they need from the groceries that are available on site.
First-time clients of the food pantry will need to apply, and this is done from a one-page application. An applicant will need to provide basic household member as well as demographic information.
We have located 1 Catholic Charities Food Pantry locations in Lake, Florida which provides a wide array of services. We have partnered so you can also check your eligibility.
Catholic Charities of Central Florida - Food Pantry (Lake County)
The mission of Catholic Charities of Central Florida is to provide vital social services to people in need, regardless of their religious, social or economic background, to improve lives of individuals, families and the community. Food Assistance is available through Catholic Charities of Central Florida’s regional Food Pantries.
Services provided :
- food pantry
Appointments :
You can privately and easily book your appointment online for select services 24/7. For the full set of services, you can call (352) 787-6354 to book your appointment.
Address :
1321 Sunshine Ave,
Leesburg, FL 34748.
Get Directions
Hours Of Operations :
- Mon:
- Tues:
- Wed:
- Thurs:
- Fri:
- Sat:
- Sun:
Help Residents of Cities:
- Leesburg
Help Residents of Counties:
- Lake
Helping Hands Food Pantry
Helping Hands is a faith-based 501(c)(3) food pantry operated around Lake, Florida almost entirely by volunteers.
It provides a 7-day supply of groceries and personal care items free of charge to people in need, regardless of their religious beliefs.
Helping Hands is supported entirely by donations from individuals, service organizations, churches, and businesses in our community.
Find a local helping hands food pantry open near you.
We have located 0 Helping Hand Food Pantry locations in Lake, Florida which provides a wide array of services. We have partnered so you can also check your eligibility.
Mobile Food Pantry
The mobile food pantry program distributes food directly to families in communities around Lake, Florida in need during large-scale one-day distributions.
A typical mobile pantry serves 200-250 families distributing up to 10,000 pounds of food. This past year over 6.6 million pounds were distributed through this program.
Mobile food pantries usually visit churches, community centers, schools, shopping centers, and other convenient locations. They usually go to areas where there aren't grocery stores or other food pantries.
Mobile Food Pantry Schedule 2024
Unlike traditional food pantries where you go to them, mobile pantry trucks come to you. Food banks sometimes have an online mobile food pantry schedule.
Mobile food pantry scheduled to visit a community once a week or once a month. There may be last-minute cancellations or changes so recheck the mobile food pantry schedule before you plan to go.
We have located 0 Mobile Food Pantry locations in Lake, Model.Content.StateName which provides a wide array of services. We have partnered so you can also check your eligibility.
St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry
The St. Vincent de Paul food pantry operates around Lake, Florida much like a grocery store where people in need can choose their own food. It helps to enhance their personal dignity and reduces waste due to unwanted food items.
It also helps them to be proactive in addressing any underlying health issues. This is our model of choice for food pantries in the future.
We have located 0 St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry locations in Lake, Florida which provides a wide array of services. We have partnered so you can also check your eligibility.
Food Pantry Delivery Program
Food Pantry Delivery Program delivers food and other products once a month at twenty points in around Lake, Florida area. This makes it just a bit easier for some of more remote rural agencies to receive their products. About 70% of members take advantage of the Food Pantry Delivery Program.
Food Pantry
We have located 6 Food Pantry locations in Lake, Florida which provides a wide array of services. We have partnered so you can also check your eligibility.
REACH
Our Mission is to shelter, feed, and educate people and children into achieving a permanent change in their life that enables them to be self sufficient, and capable of being valuable in our society.
Our food pantry provides food to meet basic nutritional needs for individuals and families in need and is available throughout Orange County, FL. Our clients are children, adults or senior citizens with limited or no income, who simply have fallen on hard times or recently unemployed. Eligibility is determined by need and the resources available.
The pantry is operated every Wednesday from 3:00 PM until 6:00 PM. For more information call 407-383-7695.
Services provided :
- food pantry
Appointments :
You can privately and easily book your appointment online for select services 24/7. For the full set of services, you can call (407) 383-7695 to book your appointment.
Address :
11633 Bruce Hunt Rd,
Clermont, FL 34715.
Get Directions
Hours Of Operations :
- Mon: 08:00 AM - 05:00 PM
- Tues: 08:00 AM - 05:00 PM
- Wed: 08:00 AM - 05:00 PM
- Thurs: 08:00 AM - 05:00 PM
- Fri: 08:00 AM - 05:00 PM
- Sat: Closed
- Sun: Closed
Help Residents of Counties:
- Orange
Christian Food Pantry
The pantry is a ministry of North Lake Presbyterian Church which opened in 1998. Our supplemental grocery program for local families in need, improves their quality of life, helps sustain health, good nutrition, energy, human dignity and the opportunity for family members to meet their full potential. In 1998, Jane Waters and Vernie Miller, members of NLPC, witnessed poverty in the Lady Lake area. They noticed neighbors doing without basic food staples. The two decided they would take action. The Christian Food Pantry was born. The Villages formed a partnership with NLPC and built an 1150 square foot building in one day! The idea turned into reality and the pantry opened to help local families in need with supplemental groceries. The pantry quickly became an important ministry of North Lake Presbyterian Church helping hundreds of local families. In 2010 pantry volunteers realized that some clients were facing giving up their family pet because they couldn’t afford pet food. In many cases, the pet is the sole company for senior clients. The pantry decided to expand it mission to include assisting clients with pet food. In 2013 through your generosity and partnerships with local stores through Feed Hope Now (Second Harvest), 264,000 pounds of food was distributed to our 11,500 clients. In January 2014 the pantry helped 458 local families, representing over 1200 individuals, about one third have a family pet. All are trying to make ends meet with poverty level income, either from working, social security income or disability income. Most are doing as much as they are able to help themselves. They all appreciate the help provided by the pantry and don’t hesitate to let us know.
Services provided :
- food pantry
Appointments :
You can privately and easily book your appointment online for select services 24/7. For the full set of services, you can call (352) 259-0788 to book your appointment.
Address :
103 High Ave,
Lady Lake, FL 32159.
Get Directions
Hours Of Operations :
- Mon:
- Tues:
- Wed:
- Thurs:
- Fri:
- Sat:
- Sun:
Help Residents of Cities:
- Lady Lake
Help Residents of Counties:
- Lake
Lake Cares Food Pantry
Lake Cares Food Pantry sprouted from a challenge to Debrah Paradis and the congregation by the pastor at Holy Cross Lutheran church in Lake Mary. He urged them to create a project that would make a difference in one person's life. However, Debrah contemplated helping more than just one person, so she decided to organize a food drive. In December 2008, people lined up for food distributed from the back of a U-Haul truck parked at Hillcrest Insurance Agency in Mount Dora. "This was after the economy had really gone south, and there was a huge line of people just waiting to get a bag of food," Irene O'Malley (then a volunteer, and now executive director) reminisced. "It was at that point that Debrah figured there was a real and ongoing need." In January 2009, Debrah organized another meeting and the idea for Lake Cares was born. Jim Croson offered the nonprofit mission an old building that he owned on Old U.S. Highway 441 in Mount Dora. He also offered rent and utilities at no charge for a year. Lake Cares officially opened its doors on April 4, 2009. Just one year later, Croson donated the building to Lake Cares, giving it a permanent and "paid for" home. "For the first couple of weeks that we were open, we served about 15 to 25 families," Irene recalls. "People didn't know about us, so we started handing out flyers...the word spread quickly." With 140 active volunteers, Lake Cares now serves more than 5,000 pounds of food a week to approximately 130 families. Last year, they fed more than 18,000 people and distributed over 260,000 pounds of food. This year, they expect to feed over 20,000 people. "Unfortunately," Irene adds, "the need seems to keep rising." Helping with a compassionate touch ... Beginning at 9 a.m., the welcoming faces of regular volunteers greet the clients who arrive at their appointment time. The walk-ins linger outside, hoping to replace any no-shows that day. In just 45 minutes, 35 families have already been served. To check in, they give their assigned client number and a photo I.D. No proof of income is necessary. "We use the honor system," Irene explains. "If they come to us and say they need it, we believe them." Counselors conduct interviews to evaluate each client's needs, discussing such things as food preferences, allergies, and pantry specials. If clients have a pet, Lake Cares gives them dog and/or cat food since many people, especially those who are elderly and alone, would choose to starve in order to feed their pets. During interviews, clients occasionally talk about personal struggles. Sometimes they need a shoulder to cry on or an encouraging word - or prayer to make it through the day. "There is a human touch when they come here," Irene says as she surveys the interview room. "We just don't hand them a bag of food. The clients bond with our volunteers and vice versa." Personal items are also distributed to clients such as toothpaste, deodorant, personal hygiene products, and hotel-style shampoos and soaps. Volunteers pre-bag basic food staples for larger families like tuna rice, and spaghetti but most of the bags are made-to-order. They also pack the bags according to a client's mode of transportation. Someone riding a bicycle or walking will have this or her items packaged differently than someone who has a vehicle. Aside form being a welcomed source of food for those in need, Lake Cares provides other important services. On Thursdays, clients can receive help to apply for food stamps, and Lake Tech offers GED and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes. On certain days, a counselor, a lawyer, and a yoga instructor are on site to offer services. There are even smoking cessation classes held from time-to-time and both Walgreens and CVS offer flu shots at no charge to clients.
Services provided :
- food pantry
Appointments :
You can privately and easily book your appointment online for select services 24/7. For the full set of services, you can call (352) 383-0100 to book your appointment.
Address :
2001 W Old Highway 441 Ste 1,
Mount Dora, FL 32757.
Get Directions
Hours Of Operations :
- Mon:
- Tues:
- Wed:
- Thurs:
- Fri:
- Sat:
- Sun:
Help Residents of Cities:
- Mount Dora
Help Residents of Counties:
- Lake
Solid Rock Worship Center - Food Pantry
Meeting the practical needs of the people in our community has always been a high priority at Solid Rock. That's why beginning in 2009 Solid Rock opened a Food Pantry. It's our desire to provide food for our friends and neighbors who are struggling financially. There are no qualifications, minimums, income restrictions, or applications. We have canned, non-perishable foods available to people in need. Unfortunately there are no refridgerated or frozen foods available. If you, or someone you know is facing a difficult time and is in need of food, please feel free contact us at: (352) 735-5777 or stop by the church office anytime during the week. Our Food Pantry is also open on Sunday Mornings directly after the morning service.
Services provided :
- food pantry
Appointments :
You can privately and easily book your appointment online for select services 24/7. For the full set of services, you can call (352) 735-5777 to book your appointment.
Address :
21951 Us Highway 441 Mt,
Dora, FL 32757.
Get Directions
Hours Of Operations :
- Mon:
- Tues:
- Wed:
- Thurs:
- Fri:
- Sat:
- Sun:
Help Residents of Cities:
- Dora
Help Residents of Counties:
- Lake
Beyond the Walls Food Pantry
Beyond the Walls Food Pantry is a a ministry of Heritage Community Church. The mission of the Food Pantry is to provide physical and spiritual nourishment to our friends and neighbors who are in need. We are open for neighbors to pick up food, Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11am until 1pm.
Services provided :
- food pantry
Appointments :
You can privately and easily book your appointment online for select services 24/7. For the full set of services, you can call (352) 431-3935 to book your appointment.
Address :
509 W Berckman St,
Fruitland Park, FL 34731.
Get Directions
Hours Of Operations :
- Mon:
- Tues:
- Wed:
- Thurs:
- Fri:
- Sat:
- Sun:
Help Residents of Cities:
- Fruitland Park
Help Residents of Counties:
- Lake
Faith Neighborhood Center
The Faith Neighborhood Center located on Highway 50 in Groveland, Florida was founded in 1972 and has been in continuous operation since. We now have over 50 active volunteers who donate at least 3 hours per week. Our mission is to provide support to needy families and individuals across South Lake County Florida - Mascotte, Groveland, Clermont, Minneola, Montverde and points in between and south to the county line. To obtain aid, families must be residents of South Lake County Florida and have incomes which fall below the U.S. government poverty guidelines. We assist an average of 800 families each month (over 33,000 individuals each year). Over one half of our clients are children under the age of 17.
Services provided :
- food pantry
Appointments :
You can privately and easily book your appointment online for select services 24/7. For the full set of services, you can call (352) 429-1200 to book your appointment.
Address :
7432 Sr 50 Ste 114,
Groveland, FL 34736.
Get Directions
Hours Of Operations :
- Mon:
- Tues:
- Wed:
- Thurs:
- Fri:
- Sat:
- Sun:
Help Residents of Cities:
- Groveland
Help Residents of Counties:
- Lake
Drive-thru Food Pantries
Since the start of the coronavirus, drive-thru food pantries have become the safest, most efficient way to provide food to our struggling neighbors.
Who can visit a drive-thru pantry?
Drive-thru pantries are open for anyone who needs help getting food. There are no eligibility criteria. Visitors do not need to provide any identification or income statements.
Only two piece of information is asked
- You Zipcode, and
- Number of people in their family.
You dont need to take appointment. Drive-thru pantries are first-come, first served so plan to arrive early.
How do drive-thru pantries actually work?
There are lot of volunteers help at Drive-thru food pantries. While not all drive-thru pantries operate in the same way, here�s how most work:
Staff and volunteers direct visitors to the parking area.
Visitors pull up to the pantry in their car and are usually guided into a clearly marked queue. As people move through the pantry, staff will continue to move the cars forward to get everyone through as quickly and safely as possible.
Checkin.
You are required to fill some information for Pantry's recording keeping.
Food is loaded into the cars.
Pre-packed bags of food, usually full of shelf-stable items like pasta, canned fruit and peanut butter, as well as fresh produce and meats are loaded by volunteers into the trunk of the car.
Pet Food Pantry
One in four pet owners who give up their pets to a shelter say it is because they cannot afford to care for them. Pet Food Pantries are designed to fill the void in the nation�s current assistance programs that exclude the purchase of food and supplies for family pets.
The Pet Food Pantry provides free pet food, for 3 months or less, to pet owners who cannot afford to feed their pets in Lake, Florida
Who are eligible for Pet Food Pantry
Pet Food Pantry helps people who are:
- All ages, races and marital status
- Unemployed or underemployed
- Retired, living on social security or other limited income
- Physically or mentally disabled
- Experiencing homelessness or housing instability
Tips for Visiting a Food Pantry
Show up early.
This is very important. This means you will be first in line and have a chance to get the items that are sought after and in limited quantities such as fresh produce, dairy and frozen food.
You don't usually need to show up hours ahead of time but coming at least an hour before is usually a good idea.
Remember all documentation.
Many food pantries require documentation to prove who you are, and in some cases, where you live.
This is to make sure people are not coming more than they are allowed or using fake names to do so. Call ahead of time to find out what documentation is needed.
It's just your photo ID and a piece of mail that verifies your address.
Use several food banks.
Using more than one food bank (when available) is smart because you may be able to get something at one that you may not get at another.
For instance, one may have a deal with a local gardener that gives them their extras. This may mean this food bank has more produce.
Eligible for other programs?
Ask your Department of Social Services office if you are eligible for other assistance programs to supplement your household’s food supply.
They can easily tell you if you can apply for WIC (Women and Infant Children), USDA Commodities or SNAP(Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits.
Ask about extras.
If you have special needs for infants or special diets, the pantries may be able to assist you.
Many times, they can help with diapers, baby formula, baby food, personal hygiene products, and even special diet items like gluten free or sugar free foods.
Go on different days of the week.
Depending on the food pantry, they may be open only one or two days a week or they may be open all seven days. When you have a choice, going midweek is often best as it is less crowded.
Be polite to workers.
Nearly everyone at a food bank is a volunteer. Be polite to the workers there as they often deal with highly emotional situations.
FAQ(Frequently Asked Questions)
1. What is the difference between a food bank and a food pantry?
Independent community food pantries are self-governing and usually distribute food to their clients on a once-a-month basis. A food bank is the storehouse for millions of pounds of food and other products that go out to the community. A food pantry functions as the arms that reach out to that community directly.
2. What kind of food is at a food pantry?
Specifically, food banks often need items like:
- Peanut butter
- Canned soup
- Canned fruit
- Canned vegetables
- Pasta
- Canned beans
- Canned stew
- Canned fish
3. Who can go to food pantry?
At the majority of food pantries, eligibility is based on self-attested need. You do not need to have a referral, and income is not a factor to receive food.
4. What is the difference between a food pantry and a soup kitchen?
A food pantry provides three-day food packages to families that have a place to live, but not enough food. These packages are designed to provide nutritionally balanced meals. Soup kitchens serve individuals in need of a hot meal, the only meal of the day for many of them.
5. How does a food pantry work?
Food Banks acquire large donations of edible but unmarketable food from the food industry and distribute it to organizations that feed hungry people. Then they provide this food to family in a need.