A number of food banks, soup kitchens for hot meals and free emergency food pantries in Evanston, Illinois 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 Evanston, Illinois 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 Evanston, Illinois which provides a wide array of services. We have partnered so you can also check your eligibility.
The Salvation Army - Evanston Corps Community Center
Services provided :
- Casework Services
- Character Building Programs
- Christian Education
- Community Recreation & Education Programs
- Community Recreation Programs
- Day Camp Activities
- Emergency Financial Assistance
- Food & Nutrition
- Food & Nutrition Programs
- Food Pantry
- Men's Ministries
- Music & Arts Programs
- Pathway of Hope
- Seasonal Services
- Senior Citizen Clubs
- Visitation Services
- Women's Ministries
- Worship Services - Children's / Teen
- Worship Services - Church
- Worship Services - Sunday School
- Worship Services - Youth Ministries
Appointments :
You can privately and easily book your appointment online for select services 24/7. For the full set of services, you can call (847) 866-9770 to book your appointment.
Address :
1403 Sherman Ave,
Evanston, IL 60201.
Get Directions
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Help Residents of Counties:
- Cook
Church Food Pantry
A number of churches around Evanston, Illinois 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 2 Church Food Pantry locations in Evanston, Illinois which provides a wide array of services. We have partnered so you can also check your eligibility.
Vineyard Christian Church of Evanston
We distribute bagged groceries to families in need. The Evanston Vineyard Food Pantry (previously "The Harvest") opened in January 2005 serving 3-5 families a week. Our ministry has grown and we now serve 250 families each week. The Evanston Vineyard Food Pantry serves anyone who needs to make ends meet.
- Patrons are welcome to come twice a month per household/same address.
- Patrons are allowed one visit per household per date.
- Patrons are required to provide only their name and address for our data base and to receive food. (This is a requirement of the Greater Chicago Food Depository, of which The Evanston Vineyard Food Pantry is a member agency. This info is not shared in other way and is solely used for a patron to receive food.)
- Patrons must sign-in at each visit to receive food.
- Patrons can expect to receive pre-bagged nonperishable staple items as well as selecting some other items (such items may include meat, produce, bread and dairy).
- IDs are required for patrons and for proxy pick-ups (see note)
ID Policy
Photo ID with address (address must be current within 30 days). If patron forgets photo ID & is already registered in the database, a utility bill or other non-photo documentation will be accepted one time. A note will be made in database & patron will be turned away next time this happens.
Number Distribution System
- When our doors open and patrons file in, a random number will be selected from a bag. This means there is no need to come early and wait, and no standing in line for hours prior to opening.
- If you are first in the door it does NOT guarantee you will be the first to be served.
The food pantry is open every Wednesday from 6PM to 8PM and is part of the Evanston Vineyard Care Center.
For more information call 847-328-4544
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 ext to book your appointment.
Address :
2495 Howard St,
Evanston, IL 60202.
Get Directions
Hours Of Operations :
- Mon: Closed
- Tues: Closed
- Wed: 06:00 PM - 08:00 PM CST
- Thurs: Closed
- Fri: Closed
- Sat: Closed
- Sun: Closed
Help Residents of Counties:
- Cook
Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church - Soup Kitchen
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 (847) 328-1707 to book your appointment.
Address :
1109 Emerson St,
Evanston, IL 60201.
Get Directions
Hours Of Operations :
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Help Residents of Cities:
- Evanston
Help Residents of Counties:
- Cook
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 Evanston, Illinois 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 0 Catholic Charities Food Pantry locations in Evanston, Illinois which provides a wide array of services. We have partnered so you can also check your eligibility.
Helping Hands Food Pantry
Helping Hands is a faith-based 501(c)(3) food pantry operated around Evanston, Illinois 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 Evanston, Illinois 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 Evanston, Illinois 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 Evanston, 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 Evanston, Illinois 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 Evanston, Illinois 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 Evanston, Illinois 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 3 Food Pantry locations in Evanston, Illinois which provides a wide array of services. We have partnered so you can also check your eligibility.
Beth Emet Soup Kitchen
Each week, through the generous commitment of many volunteers, the Beth Emet Soup Kitchen serves over 100 guests a nutritious dinner - one that we would be proud to serve our own families. Guests sit at white linen covered tables, often enjoying live background music while they dine. Everyone receives a sack lunch ‘to go’ as they leave. The Soup Kitchen has been a "bridge of understanding" between the Beth Emet Jewish community and the many guests who dine with us each week. The Soup Kitchen truly brings to life the Jewish value of tikkun olam – repair of the world. Some volunteers purchase, prepare and serve the food while others set up the dining room. More volunteers come wash the dishes, trays and clean the kitchen and dining room. It is a true team effort and a really rewarding experience for everyone!
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 (847) 869-4230 to book your appointment.
Address :
1224 Dempster St,
Evanston, IL 60202.
Get Directions
Hours Of Operations :
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Help Residents of Cities:
- Evanston
Help Residents of Counties:
- Cook
Hillside Food Pantry
It is a privilege and a honor to help those in need. Distributing food is a means of showing the love of Jesus. We give out of what we have been given. Treating patrons, volunteers and ministry leaders with respect and courtesy is also a means of showing Jesus' love. When we work together to reach out to others, it brings glory to God and blessings to all involved.
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 (847) 328-7182 to book your appointment.
Address :
2727 Crawford Ave,
Evanston, IL 60201.
Get Directions
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- Evanston
Help Residents of Counties:
- Cook
Soup at Six
Since 1983, Soup at Six has provided dinner from the basement gym of the Hemenway United Methodist Church, 933 Chicago Ave. Our Evanston soup kitchen feeds the hungry every Tuesday night at 4:30pm. Some volunteers arrive early, around 2pm to start the cooking. Around 10-20 volunteers arrive around 3:30pm - 4pm to serve and clean up. We prepare enough food to feed the 100 or so people who attend this free weekly dinner. Soup at Six is an independent, non-sectarian non-profit organization, funded completely from donations and gifts. There is no fancy board to organize fundraisers and no overhead costs. Each penny that is donated goes directly to feed our guests. "One way or another, we figure out a way to keep it open," said Mike Murdock, a volunteer since 1988. The volunteers are very creative and efficient, stretching their funds to prepare soup, a starch, a couple of fresh salads, an entree dessert and bread every week, as well as a sack lunch for guests to take with them. "We give people a ton of food and our cost is around $2 a head," Murdock said. "We serve a great free meal with dignity."
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 to book your appointment.
Address :
933 Chicago Ave,
Evanston, IL 60202.
Get Directions
Hours Of Operations :
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Help Residents of Cities:
- Evanston
Help Residents of Counties:
- Cook
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 Evanston, Illinois
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.