A number of food banks, soup kitchens for hot meals and free emergency food pantries in Gainesville, Georgia 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 Gainesville, Georgia 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 Gainesville, Georgia which provides a wide array of services. We have partnered so you can also check your eligibility.
The Salvation Army - Gainesville, GA
Services provided :
- Camping Activities
- Casework Services
- Character Building Programs
- Christian Education
- Disaster Services
- Emergency Financial Assistance
- Emergency Shelter
- Food & Nutrition Programs
- Men's Ministries
- Music & Arts Programs
- Seasonal Services
- Store
- Transitional Housing
- Visitation Services
- Women's Ministries
- Worship Services - Children's / Teen
- Worship Services - Church
- Worship Services - Sunday School
- Worship Services - Young Adult
- 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 (770) 534-7589 to book your appointment.
Address :
681 Dorsey St,
Gainesville, GA 30501.
Get Directions
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Help Residents of Counties:
- Hall
Church Food Pantry
A number of churches around Gainesville, Georgia 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 7 Church Food Pantry locations in Gainesville, Georgia which provides a wide array of services. We have partnered so you can also check your eligibility.
Joe's Place at Riverbend Baptist Church
Our largest local mission is that of Joe’s Place, a place where those in need can receive food and other needed services. Joe’s Place is located at 1725 Cleveland Highway, Gainesville, GA (directly beside the church) and is open every Tuesday from 9 AM – Noon. Joe’s Place provides: coffee and refreshments, food after a short devotional service, free haircuts, job board and resource referrals. showering facilities, free notary service And, specifically for first time guests and our homeless friends: personal care items, clothing referrals, Red Rabbit tickets (limited), laundering facilities for the homeless. Through this ministry, we pray that lives will be touched and changed. We want to provide services with love and compassion as we feed, embrace and help tend to the needs of our community. We want to offer our friendship, give words of hope and provide nourishment, both physically and spiritually. We extend the love of Christ to those in despair and let them know without a doubt that God truly loves and cares for them.
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 (770) 532-1125 to book your appointment.
Address :
1725 Cleveland Hwy,
Gainesville, GA 30501.
Get Directions
Hours Of Operations :
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Help Residents of Cities:
- Gainesville
Help Residents of Counties:
- Hall
Antioch Baptist Church - Food Pantry
Hours of Operation: Wednesday 10a.m. - 12:00 noon
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 (770) 536-3916 to book your appointment.
Address :
1010 Mill St,
Gainesville, GA 30503.
Get Directions
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Help Residents of Cities:
- Gainesville
Help Residents of Counties:
- Hall
Creekside United Methodist Church - Feeding The Five Thousand Food Pantry
Feeding The Five Thousand is a food pantry, but with a difference. Instead of just having a room full of food for folks to come and pick up, we have assembled bags that will feed a family of four for a week and deliver them. Our target is the marginalized poor in our community and we have found them in our work with COP (Community Outreach Project) in the trailer parks. We deliver on Saturdays to specific families that we locate through contacts in the school system. We need to build an organization that can collect, sort, bag and deliver the food and keep accurate records so that ultimately we can qualify for assistance from the Atlanta Food Bank.
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 (770) 888-8449 to book your appointment.
Address :
673 Peachtree Pkwy Bldg A,
Cumming, GA 30041.
Get Directions
Hours Of Operations :
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Help Residents of Cities:
- Cumming
Help Residents of Counties:
- Forsyth
Cumming Baptist Church - Food Pantry
Doors open every Monday from 9:00am to 10:00am. Located in the Family Life Center, Tribble Gap Road Entrance
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 (770) 205-6699 to book your appointment.
Address :
115 Church St,
Cumming, GA 30040.
Get Directions
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Help Residents of Cities:
- Cumming
Help Residents of Counties:
- Forsyth
Cumming First United Methodist Church - Food Pantry
Every Wednesday – 9:00am-11:00am. Any one may receive help from our pantry. There are no income requirements, but families may receive a full bag of groceries only once per calendar month. They may come and pick up bread products each week. Some people come every week, while others only come one time. We are here to help out those in our community facing difficult economic times. While our Food Pantry distributes for two hours every Wednesday morning, it actually takes a wonderful team of volunteers all week to make this happen. The pantry is stocked and bags are packed 4 times each week. Bread is picked up and delivered Monday through Wednesday. Drivers bring food from ACFB and local stores at least once per week. Donations are sorted and stocked as they come into the church. During the growing season, we have a Food Pantry Garden at Cane Creek Farms and are able to give out fresh, organic produce.
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 (770) 887-2900 to book your appointment.
Address :
770 Canton Hwy,
Cumming, GA 30040.
Get Directions
Hours Of Operations :
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Help Residents of Cities:
- Cumming
Help Residents of Counties:
- Forsyth
Northlake Baptist Church - Food Pantry
Our Food Pantry Ministry was founded by Rev. Ric and Carol Parks in 1995, members of Northlake. It was operated out of their home with only a handful of needy families, a few volunteers, and a vehicle loaded to the top; deliveries were made on Friday evenings. The food pantry ministry soon grew to such capacity that it was moved to the old Murrayville Schoolhouse in Murrayville, Georgia, and home deliveries were discontinued. We opened the old schoolhouse on Saturday mornings between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. and the needy in the community would come and get a box of food. Soon, via word of mouth, our small ministry began to grow. We moved out of the schoolhouse building and began operating from the Northlake Baptist Church campus. Currently we serve as many as 100+ families each week, and give out approximately 120+ boxes of food. Our needy families come from Hall, Lumpkin, White, Dawson and Jackson counties. We have had calls from needy families as far south as DeKalb County. The local Department of Family and Children Services, as well as 9th District Opportunity Office refer families to our Food Pantry on a daily basis. We currently distribute boxes of food every Saturday morning to anyone in need of assistance. No proof of need is required. New recipients should arrive between 8:30 and 9:00 am to register and all recipients should be in the sanctuary by 9:30 am.
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 (770) 536-7338 to book your appointment.
Address :
4823 Thompson Bridge Rd,
Gainesville, GA 30506.
Get Directions
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Help Residents of Cities:
- Gainesville
Help Residents of Counties:
- Hall
Living Waters Outreach Church - Manna Life Outreach Food Ministry
A ministry designed to reach the unchurched,expressing God's love and compassion through the means of food, clothing, counsel and spiritual guidence. Manna Life Outreach ministry is our hand of Hope exstending through our churches community and beyond. A hand up not a handout. 1st Saturday of the Month.
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 (678) 618-0600 to book your appointment.
Address :
5833 Bark Camp Rd,
Murrayville, GA 30564.
Get Directions
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Help Residents of Cities:
- Murrayville
Help Residents of Counties:
- Hall
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 Gainesville, Georgia 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 Gainesville, Georgia 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 Gainesville, Georgia 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 1 Helping Hand Food Pantry locations in Gainesville, Georgia which provides a wide array of services. We have partnered so you can also check your eligibility.
Community Helping Place Food Pantry
The CHP Food Pantry is open to Lumpkin County residents each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Those who need to utilize the Food Pantry can pick up food for one month by obtaining a Temporary Food Pass from the CHP Office. An appointment will be made for the client to be certified to pick up on a regular monthly basis. Hours: Monday, Wednesday & Friday 10:00 – 1:00
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 (706) 867-9621 to book your appointment.
Address :
2030 Hwy 19 N,
Dahlonega, GA 30533.
Get Directions
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Help Residents of Cities:
- Dahlonega
Help Residents of Counties:
- Lumpkin
Mobile Food Pantry
The mobile food pantry program distributes food directly to families in communities around Gainesville, Georgia 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 Gainesville, 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 Gainesville, Georgia 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 Gainesville, Georgia 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 Gainesville, Georgia 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 7 Food Pantry locations in Gainesville, Georgia which provides a wide array of services. We have partnered so you can also check your eligibility.
Meals By Grace Inc
Meals By Grace Inc delivers hot nutritious meals and additional food items to our families in need with limited or unreliable transportation. We also provide a full service pantry on Tuesdays and Thursday for our community members in need that have some form of transportation. While our hot meals program is focused exclusively on children recommended to us by the Forsyth County School Social Workers, the pantry is open to anyone with a self-declared need. For General Information email information@mealsbygrace.org Phone: 404.426.4055. For Volunteer Questions email volunteer@mealsbygrace.org.
Services provided :
- emergency food
- food delivery
- 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 (404) 426-4055ext to book your appointment.
Address :
549 Lake Center Pkwy,
Cumming, GA 30040.
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:
- Fulton
- Forsyth
Abba House - Food Pantry: Windows of Heaven
Windows of Heaven is a food ministry serving Cumming, Dawsonville and the surrounding areas. Food is distributed to needy families every Thursday from 2-5 p.m. Paperwork must be filled out at cash register of the Silver City Thrift Store prior to receiving food.
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 (678) 208-2000 to book your appointment.
Address :
6800 Dahlonega Hwy,
Cumming, GA 30028.
Get Directions
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Help Residents of Cities:
- Cumming
Help Residents of Counties:
- Forsyth
Meals By Grace
Meals by Grace meets weekly to create, prepare and deliver a hot nutritious meal and additional food items to our families in need with no, or limited transportation. We also provide a full service Monday through Friday pantry for our community members in need that have some form of transportation. While our hot meals program is focused exclusively on children recommended to us by the Forsyth County School Social Workers, the pantry is open to anyone with a self-declared need.
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 (404) 425-4822 to book your appointment.
Address :
6755 Majors Rd,
Cumming, GA 30040.
Get Directions
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Help Residents of Cities:
- Cumming
Help Residents of Counties:
- Forsyth
South Hall Community Food Pantry, Inc.
We have a dream and we execute that dream every day. It's to feed the hungry of Hall County in body and spirit. Our vision is one of empowering people by helping them find the resources for food and nutrition they need to support their lives.
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 (678) 865-6588 to book your appointment.
Address :
4211 Walnut St,
Oakwood, GA 30566.
Get Directions
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Help Residents of Cities:
- Oakwood
Help Residents of Counties:
- Hall
No Longer Bound Food Ministry
In order to have a greater impact in our community, our Food Ministry distributes a variety of essential food items to needy families, individuals, partner programs and churches. In addition to serving over 75 families each month through our on-site food distribution program, we also feed needy individuals in the community, and support over forty other residential ministries on a weekly basis (most often as their primary source of food).
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 (770) 886-7873 to book your appointment.
Address :
2725 Pine Grove Rd,
Cumming, GA 30041.
Get Directions
Hours Of Operations :
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Help Residents of Cities:
- Cumming
Help Residents of Counties:
- Forsyth
A New Walk - Breaking Bread Food Pantry
Mission: To serve the people in our community who are struggling financially. To help them in a way that preserves their dignity. To provide a confidential environment that respects an individual’s privacy and acknowledges how difficult it is to ask for assistance. To empower people to be self-sufficient as quickly as possible without placing additional stress on them. Vision: To involve the community in a way that teaches empathy, encourages respect and nurtures compassion. To provide a basis for understanding that the people who use the food pantry could be our neighbors and friends who are struggling without our knowledge.
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 (770) 654-8823 to book your appointment.
Address :
673 Bradford St S,
W Gainesville, GA 30504.
Get Directions
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Help Residents of Cities:
- W Gainesville
Help Residents of Counties:
- Hall
Ric-Rack
The Ric-Rack was founded in 1992 as a charity thrift shop and food pantry. The initial effort was spearheaded by Jean Greenway and Helen Taylor along with some members of local churches and the Dawson County Woman's Club. Located in downtown Dawsonville, the Ric-Rack serves the needs of many county residents. Known primarily for the sale of donated merchandise in the form of clothing and shoes, Ric-Rack also has a need for furniture and appliances. As a charity, we depend on the income from the sale of our donated items to be able to purchase goods for our food bank. Currently we are supplying the food needs of about 200-300 families per month and the number is growing. Food Pantry: Mon, Wed, Fri, 11am to 2pm
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 (706) 265-1371 to book your appointment.
Address :
829 Hwy 9 N,
Dawsonville, GA 30534.
Get Directions
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Help Residents of Cities:
- Dawsonville
Help Residents of Counties:
- Dawson
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 Gainesville, Georgia
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.