- Starting March 23, 2020: 3 meals a day (can be done in one pickup) are now available for NYC school children at 400 sites, Monday through Friday. 7:30 am to 1:30 pm. 11:30-1:30 for adults. See link to locate sites.
How to Pick Up a Meal
No registration, ID, or documentation required.
All three meals a day may be picked up at the same time.
No dining space is available, so meals must be eaten off premises.
Parents and guardians may pick up meals for their children. For locations by text:Three meals a day are now available for NYC school children: Text “food” to 877-877 to find out the schools that are giving out food for the students in your area.Update: Grab and go meals for both children and adults: https://www.opt-osfns.org/schoolfoodny/meals/default.aspx
Pickup times are as follows: 7:30 – 11:30 am for families, and 11:30 am – 1:30 pm for adults. You can find your school by texting “FOOD”, or “COMIDA” to 877-877.
Updated map of food hubs and locations for picking up DOE meals: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=10RbJwIZz9XnvT30xLuMULJQulOZLw7Ob&ll=40.706154172786455%2C-73.9778&z=10
2. People who receive SNAP benefits may now use their card to purchase food online from major retailers: https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/online-purchasing-pilot
3. Assistance with deliveries: Invisible Hands is a group of healthy volunteers from communities at the least risk for severe COVID-19 reactions working to bring groceries and supplies to those in high-risk demographics. Contact them to place an order for yourself or on behalf of family/friend/neighbor. Volunteers needed too! Request a delivery via website https://www.invisiblehandsdeliver.com/request-a-delivery
4. List of Food Pantries and Soup Kitchens All boroughs
5. Food Bank for New York City has a map showing food pantries and soup kitchens. Scroll down to view.
6. Evelyn’s Kitchen
2317 1st Avenue, New York, NY 10035
http://www.evelyns-kitchen.
INFORMATION IN THIS GUIDE IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE “GOTFOOD?” APP
11.) Hunter College New York City Food Policy Center Food Resources online guide by borough and zip code:
https://www.nycfoodpolicy.org/coronavirus-nyc-food-reports/
Some of the neighborhood reports:
Upper West Side: https://www.nycfoodpolicy.org/coronavirus-nyc-food-resource-guide-upper-west-side/
Washington Heights/Inwood: https://www.nycfoodpolicy.org/coronavirus-nyc-food-resource-guide-washington-heights-inwood/
East Harlem: https://www.nycfoodpolicy.org/coronavirus-nyc-food-resource-guide-east-harlem/
12. New York Common Pantry — one of the city’s largest food pantries and soup kitchens — welcomes new clients for intake at their 8 E. 109th St. site from 10 am – 4 pm, Monday – Saturday. Food distribution hours are between 10 am – 2 pm, Wednesday – Saturday. Hot lunches are provided from 2:30 – 3:30 pm, Monday – Friday. “Brown Bag” distribution is 4 – 5 pm on weekends. They’ve also added a seniors-only (age 60+) food distribution on Mondays from 10 am – 2 pm. Email NYCPServices@nycommonpantry.
13. The CLOTH Food Pantry at 508 W. 159th St. has doubled its distribution hours. Now 9 am–1 pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Packaged food is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Additional volunteers are needed to unload the food trucks, pack and distribute bags: email pantry@cloth159.org to lend a hand.
14. Through NYC.gov/getfood, New Yorkers can access information about food assistance programs and resources. Here is a direct link to the free food delivery service portal: https://cv19engagementportal.cityofnewyork.us/#/display/5e7555117ad6750216160409
All participants in the GetFoodNYC program can now opt for automatic deliveries for up to 30 days (as opposed to needing to renew every 48 hours) via 311 or by the web page: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/em/resources/contact-getfoodnyc-program.page
15. From Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, 4/24/2020:
Good news for NYCHA residents. In the early days of the pandemic shutdown, FreshDirect offered to deliver hundreds of 10-lb food boxes each weekday to residents in each of the five boroughs. My staff and I arranged with tenants’ associations at Manhattan NYCHA developments to distribute that food, at a rotating list of sites, to families in need.
That 30-day project ended last week, but I reached out to Kathryn Garcia, the NYC food “czar,” and her team has now contracted with FreshDirect to continue those deliveries starting this Monday (4/27). I’m deeply appreciative Commissioner Garcia and her staff were able to continue the deliveries on a week-by-week basis.
16. To support those in need, a “grab and go” meal service program is running Tuesday-Saturday, from 11 am – 3 pm, at Salem United Methodist Church (SUMC) on West 129th Street and Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Boulevard, organized in partnership with Assemblymember Inez Dickens, the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, and ReThink Food NYC. The program, which has hired unemployed food service personnel from closed Harlem restaurants, will run until June 7th, and longer if needed.
17. Are there seniors in your family? They are eligible for free meals. Seniors can now request meal delivery via their local senior centers (find the nearest one by calling 311) or by emailing Gale Brewer’s office at seniorfood@manhattanbp.nyc.gov. We’re working with LiveOn New York to help enroll seniors directly in the meal delivery program. Seniors are receiving nine meals with each delivery, every three days.
18. May 2020: all families with children in public schools will receive $420 in cash or EBT card aid in a new federal program. This program has no impact on “public charge” status for non-citizen households: https://otda.ny.gov/SNAP-COVID-19/Frequently-Asked-Questions-Pandemic-EBT.asp