A number of food banks, soup kitchens for hot meals and free emergency food pantries in Rockford, 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 Rockford, 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 4 Salvation Army Food Pantry locations in Rockford, Illinois which provides a wide array of services. We have partnered so you can also check your eligibility.
The Salvation Army - Rockford & Winnebago County Office
Services provided :
- Aid to Families
- Casework Services
- Clinics Services
- Community Recreation & Education Programs
- Community Recreation Programs
- Disaster Services
- Domestic Violence Services
- Emergency Financial Assistance
- Emergency Shelter
- Food & Nutrition
- Food & Nutrition Programs
- Pathway of Hope
- Seasonal Services
- Transitional Care & Work Release
- Transitional Housing
- Visitation Services
Appointments :
You can privately and easily book your appointment online for select services 24/7. For the full set of services, you can call (815) 962-7195 to book your appointment.
Address :
520 Hollister Ave,
Rockford, IL 61108.
Get Directions
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Help Residents of Counties:
- Winnebago
The Salvation Army - Rockford Temple Corps Community Center
Services provided :
- Character Building Programs
- Christian Education
- Community Recreation & Education Programs
- Community Recreation Programs
- Day Camp Activities
- Men's Ministries
- Music & Arts Programs
- Pathway of Hope
- Senior Citizen Clubs
- 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 (815) 226-4400 to book your appointment.
Address :
500 S Rockford Ave,
Rockford, IL 61104.
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- Winnebago
The Salvation Army - Rockford & Winnebago County Social Service Center
Services provided :
- Casework Services
- Community Recreation & Education Programs
- Emergency Financial Assistance
- Food & Nutrition
- Food & Nutrition Programs
- Food Pantry
- Pathway of Hope
- Seasonal Services
- Transitional Housing
Appointments :
You can privately and easily book your appointment online for select services 24/7. For the full set of services, you can call (815) 972-1135 to book your appointment.
Address :
416 S Madison St,
Rockford, IL 61104.
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- Winnebago
The Salvation Army - Rockford Tabernacle Corps Community Center
Services provided :
- Character Building Programs
- Christian Education
- Community Recreation & Education Programs
- Community Recreation Programs
- Pathway of Hope
- Seasonal Services
- Women's Ministries
- 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 (815) 963-2480 to book your appointment.
Address :
210 Kilburn Ave,
Rockford, IL 61101.
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- Winnebago
Church Food Pantry
A number of churches around Rockford, 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 5 Church Food Pantry locations in Rockford, Illinois which provides a wide array of services. We have partnered so you can also check your eligibility.
Food Pantry at the Old Stone Church
The Pantry is an ecumenical and civic undertaking which receives groceries and financial gifts from many sources. Among those who participate in this ministry are: Churches, civic group and service organizations, individuals, schools, foundations, and businesses. The success and tenure of the Pantry has made it a reliable and trusted vehicle for helping those in need. People are treated with dignity and compassion as Christ would treat them and as anyone would want to be treated in their time of need. In addition to the weekly Pantry services to families, the Old Stone Church Food Pantry began a “backpack program†in 2011 to help children in need. The Rockton Grade School and Stephen Mack Middle School have identified children whose families may be having difficulty providing groceries for the weekend. Each week backpacks are filled with basic supplies and dropped off at the schools. The children stop in the school office on their way home from school and pick up their backpack, then return the empty pack to school on the following Monday. In the 2011-2012 school year the pantry was preparing 36 backpacks each week for those in need. In addition, this program spawned a similar program currently provided by the Roscoe United Methodist Church. Another element of the Pantry’s ministry is the Thanksgiving Baskets. The week before Thanksgiving 60 orders are taken for baskets which include a turkey and all the foods necessary for a good Thanksgiving meal. These baskets of food are especially helpful in allowing families to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal with their larger family without the stress of extra costs. Finally, over the years people have given special financial gifts for the Pantry to provide some Christmas gifts for children. Since the needs of families might be better known through the personal contacts through the Pantry a list of needs can be compiled. The Pantry manager or volunteers shop for gifts for children and help to provide some of these gifts to help families in 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 (815) 624-6212 to book your appointment.
Address :
101 E Un,
St Rockton, IL 61072.
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- St Rockton
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- Winnebago
Life Church Roscoe Campus - Food Pantry
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 (815) 623-7625 to book your appointment.
Address :
5910 Elevator Rd,
Roscoe, IL 61073.
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- Roscoe
Help Residents of Counties:
- Winnebago
Valley Covenant Church - Bread of Life
Bread of Life is a community response to hunger. We serve the people of Ogle County and the Meridian School District, providing groceries and personal needs items, and also offering a meal to those who come for assistance. We serve our guests with dignity, warmth, respect, and love. Our service is borne out of our faith in Jesus Christ and our desire to love, serve, and bless our community in His name. We open our doors on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month, from 3 to 5 pm. Bread of Life began in 1999, when a group of friends became aware of the needs in our region and began distributing sandwiches at a local park. As their awareness of area needs increased,and as their relationships with those in need deepened, this group of friends approached their church about hosting Bread of Life.
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 (815) 645-8872 to book your appointment.
Address :
103 S Maple,
Stillman Valley, IL 61084.
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- Stillman Valley
Help Residents of Counties:
- Ogle
Emmanuel Lutheran Church - Food Pantry
Hours of operation: Every Monday: 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Every Friday: 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Numbers are handed out at 9:30 a.m., no earlier. Closed on Holidays. Identification is needed for everyone such as ID, driver's license, medical card, mail with name and address, etc. And, if possible, identification for children. Bathroom facilities available after the food pantry opens. The Food Pantry was started in 1977 and is located on Emmanuel's first floor in the Sunday School wing. It is open two mornings each week, and serves over 1,000 families in the Rockford area with emergency provisions each month. The need began to increase dramatically in recent years, so two years ago Emmanuel began hosting a special pantry offering at the worship service on the second Sunday of the month. This offering is in addition to our regular monetary offerings each Sunday. Parishioners pick slips of paper out of an offering tray, and we call this a reverse offering. The slips of paper have different foods and household goods typed on them. Each parishioner may take as many as he or she wishes. The chosen items are then brought back to the church on the third Sunday and placed in grocery carts that are stationed in the narthex. After all of the food and other items are collected, the (hopefully) brimming carts are brought—along with the monetary offerings—to the altar rail where they are blessed by the pastor.
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 (815) 963-4815 to book your appointment.
Address :
920 Third Ave,
Rockford, IL 61104.
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- Rockford
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- Winnebago
Emmanuel Lutheran Church - Soup Kitchen
Hours of operation: Saturday: 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Sunday: 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Monday: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Except holidays. We serve lunch to all who are hungry in the Rockford area. The Soup Kitchen is located on the first floor of the Mission House. Two to three noon meals per week are served there feeding 1,200 to 1,500 people each month. Twenty different churches and organizations are involved in serving meals there. Each church or organization that serves buys the food and prepares the meal out of their own budgets. Emmanuel hosts and manages the monthly schedule of volunteers. All neighborhood groups are invited to join Emmanuel in cooking for and serving to our neighbors in 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 (815) 963-4815 to book your appointment.
Address :
320 S Fifth St,
Rockford, IL 61104.
Get Directions
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- Rockford
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- Winnebago
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 Rockford, 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 Rockford, Illinois which provides a wide array of services. We have partnered so you can also check your eligibility.
St. Elizabeth Catholic Community Center - Soup Kitchen/Food Pantry
Soup Kitchen: We serve hot and nutritious meals to those in need. Meals are prepared and served by parishioners from the area churches and volunteers from our community. The soup kitchen operates from September thru May, yearly. Hours of Operation: Tuesdays & Wednesdays 11 am - 12:30 pm. Food Pantry: Our pantry provides a 2 - 3 day supply of food. Clients may visit our pantry once a month. We are partners with Northern Illinois Food Bank as well as many local parishes. Our pantry is staffed by parish and community volunteers. Hours of Operation: Monday thru Thursday 1 pm - 2:30 pm, Fridays 9:30 am - 10:30 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 (815) 965-6993 to book your appointment.
Address :
1505 S Main St,
Rockford, IL 61102.
Get Directions
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- Rockford
Help Residents of Counties:
- Winnebago
Helping Hands Food Pantry
Helping Hands is a faith-based 501(c)(3) food pantry operated around Rockford, 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 Rockford, 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 Rockford, 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 Rockford, 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 Rockford, 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 Rockford, 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 Rockford, 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 6 Food Pantry locations in Rockford, Illinois which provides a wide array of services. We have partnered so you can also check your eligibility.
Faith Food Pantry
The Faith Food Pantry exists to provide food to families in need. Through generous donations we are able to offer food and basic supplies once a month at our Faith Care Center building. Parking is available in the church parking lot, and plenty of caring friendly volunteers are ready to help you through the pantry and out to your vehicle. To qualify for pantry use, a family must register and sign a statement that they are in need and will not sell the items obtained at the pantry. The pantry operates on a client choice system. Item amounts are chosen from within categories according to your families needs. We offer canned, dried, frozen, refrigerated, and fresh items when available. Hair cuts are available on each Saturday pantry day. They are free of charge. Food Pantry Hours of Operation: Third Thursday of every month 5 -7 pm; Third Saturday of every month 9 - 11 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 (815) 865-5638 to book your appointment.
Address :
212 W Mckimmy St,
Davis, IL 61019.
Get Directions
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Help Residents of Cities:
- Davis
Help Residents of Counties:
- Stephenson
Pecatonica Community Food Pantry
Pecatonica Community Food Pantry Distribution Schedule: 2nd Saturday of each month 10:00 a.m. through 12:00 noon; 4th Tuesday of each month 10:00 a.m. through 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 (815) 239-1110 to book your appointment.
Address :
528 Washington St,
Pecatonica, IL 61063.
Get Directions
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- Pecatonica
Help Residents of Counties:
- Winnebago
God's Glory Food Pantry
God's Glory Food Pantry is a private non-government funded food pantry. The food available from our pantry is purchased or donated by the members of Total Faith Community Church and Cornerstone Community Church. Occasionally we get special donations from outside sources as well. Most of the food available at the pantry is purchased from the Northern Illinois Food Bank. The churches started the work at the pantry as a way to show God's love for the people in our surrounding community. Currently serving households in ZIP codes 61108, 61109 and 61016. We are open on the third Saturday of every month from Noon 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 (815) 580-8184 to book your appointment.
Address :
1250 S Perryville Rd,
Rockford, IL 61108.
Get Directions
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Help Residents of Cities:
- Rockford
Help Residents of Counties:
- Winnebago
Rock River Valley Pantry - Crusader Clinic Pantry
Rock River Valley Pantry fights hunger in the community by providing nutritious food to those in urgent 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 (815) 965-2466 to book your appointment.
Address :
1100 Broadway,
Rockford, IL 61104.
Get Directions
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- Rockford
Help Residents of Counties:
- Winnebago
Rock River Valley Pantry - Main Location
Rock River Valley Pantry fights hunger in the community by providing nutritious food to those in urgent 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 (815) 965-2466 to book your appointment.
Address :
421 S Rockton Ave,
Rockford, IL 61102.
Get Directions
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- Rockford
Help Residents of Counties:
- Winnebago
Rockford Rescue Mission
For the homeless, survival is day to day, which often means searching for the next meal. At the Mission, a hot, nutritious breakfast, lunch and dinner are offered free of charge every day of the year for any hungry man, woman or child in the community. The Mission serves approximately 427 meals a day. Breakfast is served at 7 a.m., lunch at noon, and dinner at 6 p.m. following the 5:30 p.m. chapel service in the Great Room. Guests enter through the food service doors on the Northeast corner of the Mission (off Rockton Avenue). Special holiday banquets are also provided at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
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 (815) 965-5332 to book your appointment.
Address :
715 W State St,
Rockford, IL 61102.
Get Directions
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Help Residents of Cities:
- Rockford
Help Residents of Counties:
- Winnebago
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 Rockford, 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.