A number of food banks, soup kitchens for hot meals and free emergency food pantries in Mattoon, 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 Mattoon, 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 Mattoon, Illinois which provides a wide array of services. We have partnered so you can also check your eligibility.
The Salvation Army - Mattoon, IL Corps
Services provided :
- Community Recreation Programs
- Emergency Shelter
- Food & Nutrition Programs
- Worship Services - Church
- Worship Services - Sunday School
Appointments :
You can privately and easily book your appointment online for select services 24/7. For the full set of services, you can call (217) 234-3915 to book your appointment.
Address :
1300 Richmond Ave,
Mattoon, IL 61938.
Get Directions
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Help Residents of Counties:
- Coles
Church Food Pantry
A number of churches around Mattoon, 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 Mattoon, Illinois which provides a wide array of services. We have partnered so you can also check your eligibility.
Charleston Area Churches Food Pantry
We provide three days worth of emergency food to residents of Coles County. Clients need to bring a photo ID every time they come to the food pantry. Each client is permitted to use our services once every 30 days.
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 (217) 348-3030 to book your appointment.
Address :
990 W State St,
Charleston, IL 61920.
Get Directions
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Help Residents of Cities:
- Charleston
Help Residents of Counties:
- Coles
Mattoon Christian Church Food Pantry
Our food pantry has been in operation since November 2010, when we partnered with MidWest Food Bank in Bloomington Illinois, and in November 2012 we became a partner with Eastern Illinois Foodbank in Urbana, Illinois. The ministry reaches out to help those who are needing assistance in these very difficult times. We are now serving over 200 plus families a month. The food pantry is open daily: Mon & Thu 12:30pm - 6pm; Tue 2:30pm - 7pm; Wed & Fri 2:30pm - 6pm; Sat 10am - 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 (217) 234-3777 to book your appointment.
Address :
221 N 19th St,
Mattoon, IL 61938.
Get Directions
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Help Residents of Cities:
- Mattoon
Help Residents of Counties:
- Coles
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 Mattoon, 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 1 Catholic Charities Food Pantry locations in Mattoon, Illinois which provides a wide array of services. We have partnered so you can also check your eligibility.
Catholic Charities of Coles, Douglas and Edgar Counties - Blessings Food Pantry
Hunger hurts. It denies dignity, lessens human energy, erodes community stability, and damages the potential of a person to progress. America, long the land of plenty, now faces a crisis of hunger. An increasing number of people in our community are without food, some for the first time in their lives. For those of all ages who confront hunger, solutions must be found. Our food pantry staff help with immediate problems as well as search for solutions for the future. Donations of food, time, and money are necessary for this program to carry out the agency's on-going response to hunger. In 2013, our food pantries served 113,445 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 (217) 235-0420 to book your appointment.
Address :
4217 Dewitt Ave,
Mattoon, IL 61938.
Get Directions
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Help Residents of Cities:
- Mattoon
Help Residents of Counties:
- Coles
Helping Hands Food Pantry
Helping Hands is a faith-based 501(c)(3) food pantry operated around Mattoon, 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 Mattoon, 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 Mattoon, 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 Mattoon, 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 Mattoon, 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 Mattoon, 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 Mattoon, 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 5 Food Pantry locations in Mattoon, Illinois which provides a wide array of services. We have partnered so you can also check your eligibility.
Oakland Food Pantry
The Oakland Food Pantry is a service of the Oakland Ministerial Association. The Food Pantry is open to help meet the needs of those who live in the Oakland School District. The Oakland Food Pantry is open the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month, from 4:00pm to 6:30pm.
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 :
10 N Pike,
St Oakland, IL 61943.
Get Directions
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- St Oakland
Help Residents of Counties:
- Coles
Soup Stop
Our mission is to provide a nutritious meal, in a friendly atmosphere, to anyone who is hungry. Soup Stop has successfully operated in the Charleston community since 2001. We are a non-profit organization funded entirely through donations and volunteer efforts. Through a partnership with What’s Cookin’, we are able to provide people with a free hot meal. Board members, donors, and volunteers work together to serve meals and to-go lunches five days a week to all who ask for service. People do not need to reveal personal/financial information to eat at Soup Stop. We serve free hot lunch Monday through Friday 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
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 (217) 345-7264 to book your appointment.
Address :
2175 Harrison Ave,
Charleston, IL 61920.
Get Directions
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Help Residents of Cities:
- Charleston
Help Residents of Counties:
- Coles
Standing Stone Community Center
Standing Stone Community Center is a nonprofit ministry featuring food, clothing and furniture. Our purpose is to meet unmet needs through a multifaceted, Christ-centered outreach.
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 (217) 549-3378 to book your appointment.
Address :
201 N 6th St,
Charleston, IL 61920.
Get Directions
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Help Residents of Cities:
- Charleston
Help Residents of Counties:
- Coles
New Life Ministry Center
newlife Ministry Center is a place where the needy and broken come to find security, faith, and hope in a life-giving atmosphere. The Ministry Center gives away thousands of items every month from our Food Pantry and our Clothing departments. This ministry is being used to fulfill the needs of families in several surrounding counties. Our Ministry Center is open to the public EVERY FRIDAY from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Prayer and God’s love are available. Every Tuesday & Thursday clothing is sorted and shelves are stocked with food. Partners of newlife are always encouraged to get involved as it takes many to minister to the hundreds who walk through our doors every Friday!
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 (217) 728-4200 to book your appointment.
Address :
1350 N,
Sullivan, IL 61951.
Get Directions
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- Sullivan
Help Residents of Counties:
- Moultrie
Neoga Community Food Pantry
The Neoga Community Food Pantry is located a 118 East 6th in Neoga. We service a 10 mile radius of Neoga. We are housed in a building that was donated by 1st Mid IL Bank and Trust. The Neoga Community Food Pantry is open the 1st and 3rd Thursday's of each month from 6-7 pm. We also offer home deliveries for those who are homebound and emergency situations. In that two hours each month we serve approx. 64 families and 212 clients, with food that has been provided through volunteer donations, food drives, or with money donated for the purchase of discounted food from the Eastern Illinois Foodbank. Clients who meet the income guidelines as established by the Ill. Dept. of Human Services are eligible to receive each month. We use 130 percent of the poverty income rate. The only thing that we require is the ability to prove residence within the 10 mile radius.
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 :
118 E 6th St,
Neoga, IL 62447.
Get Directions
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Help Residents of Cities:
- Neoga
Help Residents of Counties:
- Cumberland
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 Mattoon, 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.