A pantry in each town, a dining room in Branford that serves lunch every day and delivers to both, and a $4 senior lunch in Northford.
Branford Food Pantry
Where: 30 Harrison Avenue, Branford
When: Tuesdays, 8:30 to 11 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m.; Fridays, 9 to 11:30 a.m.
Who can go: Branford residents, from single adults and seniors to families
What to bring: A piece of mail, any kind, with your name and Branford address
Contact: 203-481-3663 · branfordfoodpantry.org
The pantry shares its address with the Community Dining Room, though the two are separate nonprofits. Its notice about the September closing mentioned home deliveries without saying who receives them; ask about that when you call.
The Food Pantry of North Branford
Shoppers here pick their own groceries, once a week, in what used to be the police station in Northford. A registered shopper who cannot come in may send someone to shop in their place. The pantry does not deliver.
Where: 260 Forest Road, Northford, in the former police station; use the door on the left
When: Wednesdays, 4 to 7 p.m.; Fridays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Who can go: Shoppers register once a year. There is no income test, and the pantry posts no residency rule.
What to bring: Bags or boxes
Contact: 203-208-2581 · foodpantrynb.org
Also in North Branford: call before you go
The town's directory lists a food bank at North Branford Congregational Church, but the church's own website does not mention one.
- North Branford Food Bank, North Branford Congregational Church, 1680 Foxon Road, 203-488-8456
Free meals
The Community Dining Room's lunch costs nothing, is served every day of the week, and can be eaten at a table or taken out. It is open to residents of Branford, North Branford, East Haven and Guilford, and the dining room says it asks no questions.
Community Dining Room
Where: 30 Harrison Avenue, Branford
When: Every day, noon to 1 p.m.
Who can go: Residents of Branford, North Branford, East Haven and Guilford
Contact: 203-488-9750 · communitydiningroom.org
The dining room also holds Family Dinner Nights; call for this year's schedule. Its Family Breakfast Club serves breakfast from 9 to 10 a.m. on alternate Saturdays from September through May, trading weeks between Branford High School and East Haven High School. Ask which Saturdays fall in Branford.
Community Dining Room home delivery
Where: Homes in Branford and North Branford
When: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Who can go: Residents of either town, of any age, who cannot drive and have no reliable ride. The kitchen cannot prepare meals for allergies or special diets. Call to confirm who qualifies.
Contact: 203-488-9750, ext. 2
North Branford Senior Center lunch
This lunch is low-cost rather than free. A regular lunch costs $4, a set price and not a suggested donation.
Where: STW Community Center, 1332 Middletown Avenue, Northford
When: Weekdays at noon. Call by 9 a.m. that day.
Who can go: The Senior Center is for people 55 and older. Membership costs nothing, and nonresidents may join as well as residents.
Contact: 203-484-6017 · North Branford Senior Center
The center's October calendar also lists rides for grocery shopping on Fridays.
Also in Branford: call before you go
The town's page for the senior lunch at Canoe Brook Center gives no current days or times.
- Senior lunch at Canoe Brook Center, 46 Church Street, upper level, 203-315-0685
Weekend bags and school meals
Feed Branford Kids puts together a weekend's worth of food for any child in Branford: two breakfasts, two main meals, two cartons of juice and snacks, every weekend of the year.
Where: Pick up at 11 Business Park Drive, Branford
When: Thursdays, 5 to 6 p.m.
Who can go: Every child in Branford, whatever the family's income. Families register first.
Contact: info@feedbranfordkids.org · feedbranfordkids.org
To register, use the contact form on the program's website; the town's resource guide also suggests asking the school whether it works with the program.
Families in both towns can apply for free or reduced-price school meals at any point in the school year, on one form for all the children in the household. Under the state's chart for 2026–27, a family of four with income up to $61,050 a year qualifies for at least reduced-price meals. Children in households on SNAP, Temporary Family Assistance or HUSKY A may get free meals without applying. The form is online where a district offers it, or on paper from the school.
Foodshare's truck at St. Therese Church
Connecticut Foodshare's mobile pantry comes to Branford every other Friday, from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m., at St. Therese Church, 105 Leets Island Road. The dates left this year are October 16 and 30, November 13 and December 11; there is no stop on November 27 or December 25. Nobody is asked for ID, a reason or a sign-up. Food goes only to people 16 and older who come in person, about 20 pounds each on average, so bring bags, a box or a rolling cart. North Branford has no stop of its own.
Text FOODSHARE to 85511 (COMIDA for Spanish) for dates and weather cancellations, or check the calendar.
Emergency food cards in Branford
The town's Basic Needs program gives emergency food and gas cards to Branford residents who have run short, and it also helps with rent, utility shut-offs, shelter and fuel. The money is limited: the town says the program gets more than 3,500 calls a year and that fewer than 1 in 10 callers end up with help. Call before going in.
Where: Branford Counseling & Community Services, 342 Harbor Street
When: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m.
Who can go: Branford residents who do not have enough to cover basic needs
Contact: Mike Randi, social services coordinator, 203-488-5404 · branford-ct.gov
North Branford's Social Services office lists no food program of its own, but it works with residents facing any kind of crisis, and its director, Luisa Breen, can be reached at 203-484-6006.
Meals on Wheels and groceries for older residents
People 60 and older in either town apply for Meals on Wheels through the Agency on Aging of South Central Connecticut, at 203-785-8533. The agency will also buy a one-time $100 order of groceries for a homebound older adult whose income is at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level. Call the same number, choose option 3 and ask for a CHOICES counselor.
Thanksgiving and holiday help
The Branford Food Pantry has not posted its 2026 holiday basket dates yet; call 203-481-3663. The Community Dining Room's website does not mention Thanksgiving or Christmas meals, so call 203-488-9750 to ask. North Branford has posted no holiday program, and Social Services, at 203-484-6006, is the office to ask. Foodshare's truck skips Branford on November 27 and December 25.
SNAP, WIC and other help
The Department of Social Services takes SNAP applications online at connect.ct.gov, by phone at 1-855-626-6632 on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and in person at any of its Resource Centers. The nearest is in New Haven, at 50 Humphrey Street, open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Under the department's chart, current as of October 1, 2026, one person can earn up to $2,660 a month before taxes and qualify, and a family of four up to $5,500; the limits run a little higher for households with someone 60 or older or with a disability. An answer comes within 30 days, or within 7 in some emergencies, such as a household with less than $150 coming in each month and less than $100 in the bank.
Two groups help with the paperwork at no charge: Connecticut Foodshare, 860-856-4357, weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., in English or Spanish, and End Hunger CT!, whose SNAP helpline is 866-974-7627.
WIC serves pregnant women, new mothers, babies and children under 5, and the state's WIC map puts Branford and North Branford in its New Haven region. Two of that region's offices are Fair Haven Community Health Center WIC, 374 Grand Avenue, New Haven, 203-773-5007, and Cornell Scott Hill Health Center WIC, 428 Columbus Avenue, New Haven, 203-503-3080. A family already on SNAP, HUSKY or Temporary Family Assistance meets the income rule. The state's online interest form starts an application, and a WIC worker follows up.
Dial 2-1-1, or search 211ct.org, for help that is not listed here.
How to help
The Branford Food Pantry takes donations at 30 Harrison Avenue on Tuesday mornings, 8:30 to 11, and Friday mornings, 9 to 11:30; for a large donation, call 203-481-3663 to set a time. Its most-needed items are cereal, peanut butter, soup, stew and coffee. It is looking for volunteers who can keep regular hours, and speaking Spanish is a plus. A.J. Milici coordinates food drives at 203-627-3369. Money goes through PayPal on the pantry's website or by mail to P.O. Box 1068, Branford.
The Community Dining Room holds volunteer orientations on Monday evenings from 5 to 6 p.m., in person or on Zoom, and the volunteer coordinator has the next date: 203-488-9750, ext. 1, or volunteercoordinator@communitydiningroom.org. Checks go to the Community Dining Room, 30 Harrison Avenue, Branford, CT 06405, and its Monthly Meal Makers program takes recurring gifts. A group planning a food drive can ask the program coordinator for the dining room's healthy food donation list. The dining room says it receives no state or federal funding and spends cash gifts on food from Connecticut Foodshare.
Feed Branford Kids runs entirely on private money. A gift of $640 sponsors one child for a year.
The Food Pantry of North Branford most needs canned fruit, cereal, oatmeal, jelly and hearty soups, and its current list adds pasta, jarred sauce and instant potatoes. It takes personal care items too. Everything has to be unopened, unexpired, dated and in its original package. Donation baskets sit at the Edward Smith Library in Northford and in the lobby of the STW Community Center, or bring items to the pantry during open hours. Volunteers help customers shop, pack groceries, stock shelves, clean, and weigh and sort food; call 203-208-2581. Money goes to P.O. Box 403, North Branford, CT 06471, or through PayPal.
Frequently asked questions
I live in North Branford. Can I use the Branford Food Pantry?
No. It is for Branford residents. North Branford residents can shop at the Food Pantry of North Branford in Northford and eat at the Community Dining Room in Branford, which also delivers to North Branford.
What do I need to bring the first time?
In Branford, a piece of mail with your name and Branford address. In North Branford, bags or boxes; you register once a year, and there is no income test.
Is there food on the weekend?
Yes. The Community Dining Room serves lunch on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 1 p.m. Feed Branford Kids hands out weekend bags on Thursday evenings, and the Family Breakfast Club meets on alternate Saturdays during the school year.
What if I cannot get out of the house?
The Community Dining Room delivers on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to residents of either town who cannot drive; call 203-488-9750, ext. 2. The North Branford pantry lets someone else shop for you. People 60 and older can ask the Agency on Aging of South Central Connecticut, 203-785-8533, about Meals on Wheels.
Will going to a pantry affect my SNAP?
The Food Pantry of North Branford says registering with it does not affect SNAP or any other state benefit.
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