Food Pantry in Plainfield, New Jersey

A number of food banks, soup kitchens for hot meals and free emergency food pantries in Plainfield, New Jersey 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 Plainfield, New Jersey 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 Plainfield, New Jersey which provides a wide array of services. We have partnered so you can also check your eligibility.

The Salvation Army - VENTURA, CA: Corps Community Center

Services provided :

  • Casework Services
  • Christian Education
  • Emergency Financial Assistance
  • Emergency Shelter
  • Food & Nutrition Programs
  • Group Work Services
  • Men's Ministries
  • Music & Arts Programs
  • Residential Camping Activities
  • Seasonal Services
  • Transitional Housing
  • 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 (805) 659-3598 to book your appointment.

Address :

650 South Ave, petit ventura,
Plainfield, NJ 07062.
Get Directions

Hours Of Operations :

  • Mon:
  • Tues:
  • Wed:
  • Thurs:
  • Fri:
  • Sat:
  • Sun:

Help Residents of Counties:

  • Union

The Salvation Army - Plainfield Corps

Services provided :

  • Bible Study - Correspondence
  • Boys' & Girls' Club
  • Camping Activities
  • Character Building Programs
  • Christian Education
  • Community Recreation & Education Programs
  • Community Recreation Programs
  • Detoxification Services
  • Disaster Services
  • Emergency Financial Assistance
  • Food & Nutrition
  • Food & Nutrition Programs
  • Latchkey Programs
  • Men's Ministries
  • Missing Persons
  • Music & Arts Programs
  • Rehabilitation
  • Residential Camping Activities
  • Seasonal 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 (908) 756-2595 to book your appointment.

Address :

615 Watchung Ave,
Plainfield, NJ 07060.
Get Directions

Hours Of Operations :

  • Mon:
  • Tues:
  • Wed:
  • Thurs:
  • Fri:
  • Sat:
  • Sun:

Help Residents of Counties:

  • Union

Church Food Pantry

A number of churches around Plainfield, New Jersey 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 1 Church Food Pantry locations in Plainfield, New Jersey which provides a wide array of services. We have partnered so you can also check your eligibility.

Starfish Food Pantry, Inc. Of Plainfield At Covenant United Methodist Church

We are a group of volunteers from Plainfield and the surrounding area who belong to a tax exempt, 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. We operate three days each week throughout the year, preparing and distributing grocery food orders to an average of thirty to thirty-five families in need each week. Our primary function is to maintain the food pantry. Our volunteers pack and deliver grocery food orders to clients who have been referred to us by local social service agencies. Using a referral system helps us better manage our resources. These agencies vet the client to help assure that our limited resources are given to those truly in need. We also prepare special food orders for 160 families at Easter, Thanksgiving, and at 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 (908) 755-8888 to book your appointment.

Address :

631 E Front St,
Plainfield, NJ 07062.
Get Directions

Hours Of Operations :

  • Mon:
  • Tues:
  • Wed:
  • Thurs:
  • Fri:
  • Sat:
  • Sun:

Help Residents of Cities:

  • Plainfield

Help Residents of Counties:

  • Union

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 Plainfield, New Jersey 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 Plainfield, New Jersey 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 Plainfield, New Jersey 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 Plainfield, New Jersey 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 Plainfield, New Jersey 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 Plainfield, 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 Plainfield, New Jersey 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 Plainfield, New Jersey 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 Plainfield, New Jersey 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 2 Food Pantry locations in Plainfield, New Jersey which provides a wide array of services. We have partnered so you can also check your eligibility.

CAPC Soup Kitchen

Many individuals and families in Plainfield have been hit particularly hard financially. The numbers of those who are on the streets or living in shelters is on the rise. People are left hungry but thanks to the generosity of the Keyes Foundation, other generous donors and dedicated volunteers, fewer are hungry and hope is found here once again. On Tuesdays, a full lunch is served beginning at noon under the auspices of the Crescent Avenue Presbyterian Church's Soup Kitchen (CAPC Soup Kitchen) in Plainfield, NJ. Volunteers gather at 9 a.m. to begin preparations and ensure all is ready for the lunch guests. Church groups and other volunteer organizations are welcomed to come and help with the preparation and serving! Quoted as being 'The Olive Garden of Plainfield' the CAPC Soup Kitchen is open to all and exists completely on the gifts of others. Costco donates food goods as well. 100% of donations goes directly towards foodstuffs.

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 (908) 756-2468 to book your appointment.

Address :

716 Watchung Ave,
Plainfield, NJ 07060.
Get Directions

Hours Of Operations :

  • Mon:
  • Tues:
  • Wed:
  • Thurs:
  • Fri:
  • Sat:
  • Sun:

Help Residents of Cities:

  • Plainfield

Help Residents of Counties:

  • Union

Grace’s Kitchen

Grace’s Kitchen serves a hot lunch the last five days (excluding Sundays and holidays) of every month at Grace Episcopal Church.

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 (908) 756-7897 to book your appointment.

Address :

600 Cleveland Ave,
Plainfield, NJ 07060.
Get Directions

Hours Of Operations :

  • Mon:
  • Tues:
  • Wed:
  • Thurs:
  • Fri:
  • Sat:
  • Sun:

Help Residents of Cities:

  • Plainfield

Help Residents of Counties:

  • Union

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 Plainfield, New Jersey

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.