Info on places to find food, pet food, and to donate or volunteer.

There have been a number of posts about the current situation with SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) being cut off as of today. This is just meant to be a quick glance at where you can receive help with food, donate food or funds, or donate your time. This is not comprehensive, so if you know of other resources please share links. This is also not an endorsement by FCR, though we have volunteered with some of the below listed programs before. Not all of these are official 501(c)(3) groups, and even for those who are I would still recommend you do whatever personal vetting you need to do to feel comfortable before giving. Donate however you feel led, but I would personally encourage funds over food if you are able. I have a family friend who helps run a church pantry on the smaller side in a different city in FL and know from her that their purchasing power goes further than yours as stores are willing to cut deals to pantries. If you have spare food obviously they will take what you have, but if you are considering buying food for this purpose I would recommend giving whatever you budgeted as a monetary donation instead.

Lists of Pantries: These websites provide a search function so you can find what pantries are closest to your zip code.

Feeding NEFL: Can filter on days and times, food distribution vs hot meal program, curbside pickup availability, and by location

Find Help: This is a website that will show you a variety of social programs available in your area from food to health to housing. On the food pages specifically you can choose options from emergency help to pantries to hot meals. Within the pantries section you can filter by age, income requirements, languages spoken, and if they are open on the weekends

Why Hunger: You can specify your zip code or city and radius and then filter further on meal delivery, pantries, medically specific food, and more.

While not a food organization, First Coast News has a list of local pantries, farm shares, and restaurants that are offering help here.

Pantries or Hot Meals not in Above Lists: These are pantries I did not see featured on a cursory glance at the above aggregator sites, there may be repeats due to my personal radius or I just missed it. If that’s the case, apologies. Some of these may have more specific requirements such as being a student or member of a specific demographic.

FSCJ H.O.P.E. Pantry: This is a pantry open to FSCJ students and operating out of the Downtown and South campuses in. Their website has the info on building locations and hours. Their website notes that if the pantry is closed but you are in need of assistance to please visit Student Life.

Lend-A-Wing Pantry: This is a pantry open to all UNF students who pay the Activity & Service Fee (their FAQ says this is a majority of students) for use limited to once a week. It is located in the John A. Delaney student union in the main campus area and the hours and other info are available on their website.

Lifeline Center of Hope: Twice a month food event on a Saturday from 10am-12pm. Can also connect to other resources.

Sulzbacher Center: Offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day.

Other Resources:

ALDI is doing a “Thanksgiving Feast for 10” for $40

The Dorsey Family has organized a self/community led food drive happening tomorrow, Sunday, November 2nd via their Tiktok that will take place at Spin City Coin Laundromat at 1756 W 45th St. Jacksonville, FL 32209

Some redditors have made posts offering help, Mr Bristles

As this continues, the Riverside Arts Market is offering $40 in food tokens to anyone who is food insecure, just visit their information booth. RAM occurs every Saturday under the Fuller Warren Bridge

To make your budgets stretch there are resources such as the Good and Cheap cookbook designed for those on a tight budget including SNAP, free when you sign up for her newsletter. Eating Healthy in a SNAP is a cookbook put out by the South Carolina DHEC team. As well as a cookbook put out by CT SNAP. There are also creators such as Dollar Tree Dinners who post across platforms and provide both prices and recipes to use to make the most of what food you may have available based on only having stores such as Dollar Tree nearby.

You can also call United Way via the 211 Helpline to receive information about and referrals to human services. You can also connect with social services from Duval County via email.

PET FOOD: If you have a pet and are choosing between food or services for them and yourself, the Jacksonville Humane Society in partnership with Lutheran Social Services allows once food pickup per month for pet food, ID required. Every Pet (formerly First Coast No More Homeless Pets) also has a pet food bank but has income thresholds listed on their site, or you need to show you were SNAP eligible, they will provide a one month supply once a month.

Volunteering and Donating:

If you want to participate in a large group distribution of food, that unfortunately requires a permit in most FL locales. For Jacksonville, you can see the process to receive and apply for your permit to feed the homeless here. While the Jax site specifically says homeless, I can see in other cities such as Miami or Orlando it applies to groups over 25 people. I’m no lawyer, so I’m not going to advise you on if that applies here or it’s just the literal homeless, proceed as you wish.

Of the list of places above, ones I know are open to any old randos volunteering and also have weekend availability are Feeding NEFL, Eartha’s Farm (in the FCN article), and Sulzbacher as we have done all of those on weekends and had a wonderful time.