A number of food banks, soup kitchens for hot meals and free emergency food pantries in Saginaw, Michigan 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 Saginaw, Michigan 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 2 Salvation Army Food Pantry locations in Saginaw, Michigan which provides a wide array of services. We have partnered so you can also check your eligibility.
The Salvation Army - Bay City Corps
Services provided :
- Camping Activities
- Character Building Programs
- Christian Education
- Emergency Financial Assistance
- Food & Nutrition
- Food & Nutrition Programs
- Men's Ministries
- Music & Arts Programs
- Seasonal Services
- Senior Citizen Clubs
- Visitation Services
- Women's Ministries
- 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 (989) 893-3041 to book your appointment.
Address :
401 10th St,
Bay City, MI 48708.
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The Salvation Army - Saginaw Corps
Services provided :
- Camping Activities
- Casework Services
- Character Building Programs
- Christian Education
- Community Recreation Programs
- Day Camp Activities
- Day Care
- Emergency Financial Assistance
- Food & Nutrition
- Food & Nutrition Programs
- Residential Camping Activities
- Seasonal Services
- Visitation Services
- Women's Ministries
- 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 (989) 401-7881 to book your appointment.
Address :
2030 N Carolina St,
Saginaw, MI 48602.
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Church Food Pantry
A number of churches around Saginaw, Michigan 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 Saginaw, Michigan which provides a wide array of services. We have partnered so you can also check your eligibility.
Bethlehem Lutheran Church - Food Pantry
We distribute food the third Tuesday of the month from 10-11:30
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 (989) 755-1144 to book your appointment.
Address :
808 Weiss St,
Saginaw, MI 48602.
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- Saginaw
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Calvary Community Church - Outreach Ministry
Serving our community through clothes and food. 2nd Sunday of each month following worship service Calvary Outreach - Food and clothing will be available for Calvary worshipers following the worship service. 4th Saturday of each month-11:00 a.m. Community Outreach - Food and clothing will be available to the community.
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 (989) 777-4190 to book your appointment.
Address :
2895 E Moore Rd,
Saginaw, MI 48601.
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- Saginaw
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First Presbyterian Church of Saginaw - Food Pantry
Please bring a Photo ID and proof of guardianship for children.
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 (989) 793-9890 to book your appointment.
Address :
121 S Harrison,
Saginaw, MI 48602.
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- Saginaw
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Saginaw Valley Community Church - Heaven's Manna
Food distribution, second and fourth Tuesday of the month, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm.
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 (989) 752-4769 to book your appointment.
Address :
3660 Hermansau Dr,
Saginaw, MI 48603.
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The Food Pantry at SS. Peter & Paul Church
Established in 1991, The Food Pantry provides emergency and three-day food provisions for residents of Saginaw County. While housed at SS. Peter & Paul Church, the ministry is an ecumenical effort funded and supported by several Saginaw area churches. We’re smaller than other better known pantries in the area but our impact is critical in the lives of hundreds of families each year. Here’s what The Food Pantry accomplished in 2013: Individuals served: 3,544; Total meals distributed: 53,160; Volunteer hours: 2,740. Food sources include Hidden Harvest, partner churches who sponsor regular member food in-gathering Sundays, special food collections from area groups and organizations and cash donations that enable us to purchase perishable items like bread, cheese, eggs and other items.
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 (989) 799-5448 to book your appointment.
Address :
4735 W Michigan Ave,
Saginaw, MI 48638.
Get Directions
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- Saginaw
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- Gladwin
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 Saginaw, Michigan 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 Saginaw, Michigan 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 Saginaw, Michigan 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 Saginaw, Michigan which provides a wide array of services. We have partnered so you can also check your eligibility.
Helping Hands Mission
Helping Hands Mission is a non-profit organization dedicated to doing the work of the Lord through serving the needs of our community. Helping Hands Mission was originally founded on July 7, 1992 under the name of Helping Hands Outreach. The founding board consisted of eight members: William Mercer, Robert Schnepp, Peggy Hillman, Billie Tarzwell, Ruth Bagieski, Colleen Allen, and Jane Rowley-Smith. We provide a food pantry to meet the needs of Gladwin and surrounding counties. Our food pantry is available daily and there are no requirements to receive it. We are a second hand store that accepts and needs donations of food, new and used clothing, household items, furniture, and monetary contributions. Our mission here is to inspire the human spirit by helping one person at a time. We always treat each other and our customers with respect and dignity. We choose to be a force for positive action in our community because every now and then we can all use a helping hand.
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 (989) 435-9979 to book your appointment.
Address :
116 Brown St,
Beaverton, MI 48612.
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- Beaverton
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- Gladwin
Mobile Food Pantry
The mobile food pantry program distributes food directly to families in communities around Saginaw, Michigan 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 Saginaw, 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 Saginaw, Michigan 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 Saginaw, Michigan 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 Saginaw, Michigan 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 4 Food Pantry locations in Saginaw, Michigan which provides a wide array of services. We have partnered so you can also check your eligibility.
East Side Soup Kitchen
The East Side Soup Kitchen will provide a nutritious lunchtime meal Monday through Friday to all who come to the door with dignity and respect for each person.
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 (989) 755-3663 to book your appointment.
Address :
940 E Genesee,
Saginaw, MI 48606.
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- Saginaw
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- Saginaw
Hidden Harvest
HIDDEN HARVEST strives to alleviate hunger and end food waste in the Bay, Midland and Saginaw region by providing a safe and coordinated system of rescuing surplus food and redistributing it to feed people 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 (989) 753-4749 to book your appointment.
Address :
940 E Genesee Ave,
Saginaw, MI 48605.
Get Directions
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- Saginaw
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Old Town Christian Outreach Center Soup Kitchen
We have created a comfortable dining area where the hungry can receive a home cooked, nourishing meal free of charge on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at either the 11:30 a.m. or the 12:15 p.m. serving. We are a Christian based soup kitchen where the love of Christ flows freely. Anyone in need of a hot lunch is welcome and will be served with joy. The presence of the Lord is obvious in our personnel whether it is our greeters, table attendants, cooks, or servers; everyone is treated with love and respect. Our Saturday Soup Kitchen distributes 8 - 10,000 lbs. of groceries as well as clothing and household items every week to 200-300 people. This distribution takes place at 11:30 am. In 2010 we served over 42,000 meals and distributed tons of groceries. These soup kitchens serve rain or shine and since the founding of both food programs we have never missed a serving regardless of weather or of holidays.
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 (989) 249-8696 to book your appointment.
Address :
600 Gratiot Ave,
Saginaw, MI 48602.
Get Directions
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- Saginaw
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Food of Faith
Food of Faith is a faith-based outreach mission that provides meals to anyone in need and has been in existence for over 25 years. We currently have 22 churches/organizations that provide meals each Sunday at 2:30 p.m. We serve between 90-180 people each week. During the winter, there are people in the dining room as early as 12:30 so they can socialize with their friends, have coffee, and stay warm for the afternoon. All are welcome. We have a Leadership Team that meets periodically throughout the year to make decisions about FOF and oversee the mission. In October, we hold our annual meeting for all the groups and set our schedule for the upcoming year. Each group signs up for between 1 and 5 Sunday’s for the year. Each group is responsible for providing a complete meal for about 130 people (sometimes more depending on the time of year) and usually consists of an entrée, vegetable, some kind of bread/roll, dessert, and milk. They also bring enough volunteers to help set up the tables (2-3 people), cook and serve the meal (4-6 people), and clean up (2-4 people).
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 (989) 892-5813 to book your appointment.
Address :
815 N Grant St,
Bay City, MI 48708.
Get Directions
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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 Saginaw, Michigan
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.