15 NYC food banks and soup kitchens accepting donations this holiday season
Photo courtesy of Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr
Throughout the day, I’ll think about what I’m going to have for my next meal. Maybe I’ll step out and grab a salad for lunch, and then choose a fun recipe to make for dinner. And I’m the first to admit that I can easily lose sight of the number of people who don’t have that luxury. Instead of arguing with their partner about whether to order pizza or Thai, they’re worrying if they can afford to buy food for their family’s dinner.
To put this in perspective, the New York City Council reports that New York City’s poverty rate is nearly twice the national average—23 percent compared to 12 percent. The most recent data shows that 20 percent of NYC residents are enrolled in SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), a number that jumps to over 40 percent in the Bronx. This means that nearly 1.8 million residents of the five boroughs were affected by the Trump Administration’s refusal to release federal SNAP funds last month. If you’re wondering how you can help, we’ve rounded up some of the biggest NYC food banks, pantries, and soup kitchens accepting donations to support New Yorkers now, as well as throughout the holiday season.
Manhattan
1. The Bowery Mission
The Bowery Mission has helped those experiencing homelessness and hunger since the 1870s. Today, they serve over 1,000 meals a day to New Yorkers in need. If you’d like to donate food to help their clients, these are the items they are currently accepting:
- Grab and go meals
- Pre-packaged sandwiches and salads, pre-packaged snacks
- Canned and non-perishable foods
- Prepared foods (fresh and sealed)
- Fresh fruits and vegetables
- Fresh and frozen meats
- Sandwich supplies (sliced bread or rolls, peanut butter, jelly, deli meat (sliced), sliced cheese, condiments)
- Water bottles
- Herbs & spices
- Cooking oil
- Sauces, salad dressing & condiments
- Food supplies (disposable cutlery, to-go bags (paper and plastic), take-away containers (new))
You can also visit this page to see what other items they are accepting, including personal care items, clothes, and linens. Alternatively, you can make a monetary donation; every $3.49 provides a Thanksgiving meal to someone in need.
2. St. Joe’s Soup Kitchen
Located within the First Presbyterian Church in Greenwich Village, St. Joe’s Soup Kitchen serves 300 meals every Saturday. By making a monetary donation, you can provide one nutritious meal for every $2.
3. Holy Apostles
At the intersection of Midtown West and Chelsea, Holy Apostles provides meals to those in need in five different ways: a daily free meal service, a soup kitchen, meal outreach, a pantry program, and Sunday supper. You can make a monetary donation here; $30 feeds a guest every weekday for a month, while $65 offers locally grown fruit for over 500 soup kitchen guests.
Brooklyn
4. The Campaign Against Hunger
Last year, The Campaign Against Hunger (TCAH) distributed 17,158,278 nutritious meals or meal equivalents to those in need. A monetary donation will help the organization meet the surge in demand it’s seeing during the current SNAP freeze.
5. Neighbors Together
Through their Community Café, Neighbors Together serves more than 700 healthy meals a day to those living in the Ocean Hill, Brownsville, and Bed-Stuy neighborhoods of Brooklyn. Your monetary donation helps them continue this mission.
6. St. John’s Bread and Life
St. John’s Bread and Life serves those living in the Bedford Stuyvesant community. They have a mobile market, mobile soup kitchen, dining room, food pantry, and grab-and-go meals. You can make a monetary donation to support these and other programs, such as health and legal services.
Bronx
7. NY Common Pantry
NY Common Pantry has food pantries in East Harlem and the Bronx’s Crotona Park East neighborhood. At both locations, they accept donations of shelf-stable/non-perishable foods and fresh fruits and vegetables; the Harlem location also accepts sandwiches.
8. Part of the Solution (POTS)
POTS is a social services organization in the Bronx, offering everything from showers to free financial counseling. Every Monday through Saturday, from 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., POTS serves lunch in its community dining room, and they also have a food pantry for those in need. Donations can be dropped off by appointment. Items accepted are:
- Non-perishable food
- Feminine hygiene products
- Face masks and hand sanitizer
- New socks and underwear
- Toiletries
- Diapers, baby formula, and wipes
- Cleaning products
- New adult-size (men and women) underwear and socks
- New and gently used adult-size (men and women) sweat pants, shorts, and t-shirts
- Deodorant—travel size preferred
- Drawstring backpacks
- White bath towels and washcloths
- Wallets and ID holders
You can also visit their Amazon page to purchase some of their highly needed items.
Queens
9. Astoria Food Pantry
The Astoria Food Pantry was established in 2020 to help the Queens community during the COVID pandemic, though they have only grown since then. They accept food donations when their storefront at 25-82 Steinway Street is open. The most commonly needed items are:
- Pasta
- Tomato sauce
- Snack foods
- Shelf-stable meals that can be prepared with just hot water or a microwave (e.g. ramen in a cup)
- Foods in pop-top cans (e.g., soup, fish, beans)
- Cereal & oatmeal, especially in single servings
Additional items commonly needed are:
- Menstrual pads
- Baby wipes
- Baby diapers, especially large sizes (4 and up)
If you have food to drop off when the storefront is not open, you can visit one of their community fridges. You can also donate clothing on the last Sunday of every month from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.
10. St. Bonaventure – St. Benedict the Moor Catholic Church
St. Bonaventure – St. Benedict the Moor Catholic Church caters to Queen’s diverse population by offering many worship styles, including Central & South American, Black Catholic and Gospel, and drum-based West African. They also serve the community through their food pantry that operates on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
“We always welcome donations of canned and packaged non-perishable foods,” they state on their website. “Individuals, local businesses, and restaurants interested making a donation are encouraged to contact the Rectory office by telephone at (718) 526-0040 for more information on donation drop-off times.”
Staten Island
11. Project Hospitality
Serving those in need on Staten Island, Project Hospitality notes that it is currently seeing a high demand for emergency food. The items they need most are:
- Canned meats, fish, and vegetables
- Canned or dried fruits
- Fruit or vegetable juices
- Pasta and tomato sauce
- Non-perishable milk
- Cereals and rice
- Canned or dried beans
- Peanut butter and jelly
- Coffee and tea
- Fresh fruit and vegetables
City-Wide
12. City Harvest
In 2024, City Harvest’s mobile markets served nearly 350,000 New Yorkers, offering fresh produce, cooking demonstrations, and additional resources throughout the five boroughs.
While you can’t donate food to the markets, you can make a monetary donation online; just $36 will feed 11 NYC children for a week.
To donate food, you can continually check City Harvest’s list of current food drives, or you can organize one yourself.
13. God’s Love We Deliver
God’s Love We Deliver prepares and delivers meals to people living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other serious illnesses. The meals are specially designed by nutritionists based on an individual’s illness and needs. You can make a monetary donation online to assist in these efforts. You can also shop the God’s Love We Deliver store (we’re eyeing those brownies!), as 100 percent of proceeds benefit the organization’s clients.
14. Citymeals on Wheels
About 22,000 homebound elderly New Yorkers rely on Citymeals on Wheels. The organization’s volunteers hand-deliver meals on Saturdays and Sundays, as well as on holidays, during emergencies, or in advance of harsh weather.
Make a monetary donation online to support this work, or donate your time through one of Citymeals on Wheels’ many volunteer opportunities, such as delivering meals, assisting neighbors with grocery shopping, or helping in the kitchen.
15. One Love Community Fridge
According to their mission statement, “One Love Community Fridge works to eradicate hunger, food insecurity, malnutrition, and the stigma associated with all three, through an integrated, multi-generational, and inclusive movement that centers access to fresh foods, nutrition education, and sustainability.”
Throughout Brooklyn, Queens, and lower Manhattan, the organization’s community fridges provide fresh seasonal fruits, vegetables, and pre-packed nutritional foods, along with seasonal essential products to those in need (see a full map here). Help the organization stock its fridges with a monetary donation.
***
This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the food banks and soup kitchens in New York City. Visit the Food Bank for NYC for a searchable list and map, or the NYC Department of Youth & Community Development for a borough-by-borough list of food pantries.
