The Guilford Food Bank gives out groceries on Fridays by appointment, booked through Social Services. Where to find a hot meal, and the Fridays the food bank is closed.
In Guilford, getting groceries starts with a phone call to Guilford Social Services, 203-453-8009. The town's food bank on Stone House Lane hands out food only on Fridays and only by appointment, and Social Services books every one of those appointments. For a hot meal, older residents have a lunch at the Community Center, and anyone in Guilford can eat free every day at the Community Dining Room in Branford.
Last checked: October 6, 2026. Hours and programs change, so call ahead when you can.
Before you go
- The Guilford Food Bank does not take walk-ins. Book through Social Services, weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Some websites still list Saturday hours for the food bank. Those are out of date; it gives out food on Fridays only.
- The food bank is closed on these Fridays: October 9, November 27 and December 25, 2026, and January 1, 2027.
- The Senior Center's hot lunch needs a reservation the day before, and it carries a fee.
The Guilford Food Bank
Food comes in bags packed for the size of the household, and visitors add items from a request sheet, with protein every week and fresh produce when there is some. Households with children also get school snack bags, and the food bank has what it calls a Choice Room. Toiletries and cleaning supplies are limited to one request per visit.
Where: 45 Stone House Lane, across from the Henry Whitfield State Museum
When: Fridays from 1 p.m., by appointment only. Closed October 9, November 27 and December 25, 2026, and January 1, 2027.
Who can go: Guilford residents, with an appointment through Guilford Social Services
Contact: Guilford Social Services, 203-453-8009 · guilfordfoodbank@gmail.com · guilfordfoodbank.org
Guilford Social Services
The town office that books the food bank works with Guilford residents who have low incomes, older residents and residents with disabilities. With the food bank and the senior program, it also puts together the town's holiday meal program each year.
Where: 263 Church Street
When: Weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Contact: 203-453-8009 · guilfordct.gov
Hot meals
The nearest free daily meal is in Branford. In town, the Senior Center serves lunch four days a week and breakfast every weekday.
Guilford Senior Center meals
Where: Guilford Community Center, 32 Church Street
When: Hot lunch at noon on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; breakfast Monday through Friday, 7:30 to 10:45 a.m.
Who can go: Seniors and active adults 55 and older
Contact: 203-453-8086 · guilfordparkrec.com
Register for lunch the day before. The town says the hot meals carry a nominal fee but does not post the amount, so ask when you call. The senior program also gives rides around town on weekdays for errands and food shopping, with 24 hours' notice at the same number.
Community Dining Room, Branford
Where: 30 Harrison Avenue, Branford
When: Every day, noon to 1 p.m.
Who can go: Residents of Guilford, Branford, North Branford and East Haven
Contact: 203-488-9750 · communitydiningroom.org
Lunch is free, to eat there or take home. The dining room's home delivery reaches only Branford and North Branford.
Meals at home for older residents
Guilford Interfaith Volunteers runs Meals on Wheels for homebound neighbors from its office at 310 State Street, Unit 200; call 203-453-8359 to ask about delivery. The state also sends people 60 and older to the Agency on Aging of South Central Connecticut, 203-785-8533, to apply for home-delivered meals. That agency will 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; choose option 3 and ask for a CHOICES counselor.
School meals
Breakfast is free for every student in Guilford's public schools in 2026–27, and students who qualify for reduced-price meals get lunch free as well. Families fill out a new application each school year for free or reduced-price lunch, though some children are approved directly by the state through their family's benefits. Janet Calabro, the district's food service director, answers questions at 203-453-2741, ext. 13132. guilfordps.org
Foodshare's truck, in Branford and Clinton
Connecticut Foodshare's mobile pantry does not stop in Guilford, but two stops are nearby. In Branford, it comes to St. Therese Church, 105 Leets Island Road, every other Friday from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m., on October 16 and 30, November 13 and December 11. In Clinton, at the Town Annex, 48 East Main Street, the only date left this year is Friday, October 30, from 9 to 9:45 a.m.
At either stop, nobody is asked for ID or a reason. Each person 16 or older who comes in person takes home about 20 pounds of food on average, so bring bags or a rolling cart. Text FOODSHARE to 85511, or COMIDA for Spanish, for dates and weather cancellations, or check the calendar.
Thanksgiving and holiday help
Guilford Social Services has not posted its 2026 holiday basket dates yet; call 203-453-8009. The Community Dining Room in Branford does not list Thanksgiving or Christmas meals on its website, so call 203-488-9750 to ask. The food bank itself is closed on the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 27, and on Christmas Day.
SNAP, WIC and other help
Applications for SNAP, the monthly grocery benefit, go in online at connect.ct.gov, by phone at 1-855-626-6632 on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., or in person at a Department of Social Services Resource Center. The closest is the New Haven center at 50 Humphrey Street, open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The department's chart, current as of October 1, 2026, allows gross income up to $2,660 a month for one person and $5,500 for a family of four, and a little more when someone in the home is 60 or older or has a disability. Answers come within 30 days, and within 7 days in some emergencies, such as a household with less than $150 a month in income and less than $100 in the bank.
Connecticut Foodshare helps people fill out the application at no cost, in English or Spanish, weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at 860-856-4357. End Hunger CT! answers a SNAP helpline at 866-974-7627.
WIC covers pregnant women, new mothers, babies and children under 5, and fathers, grandparents and foster parents can apply for the children they care for. The state's WIC map puts Guilford with the Middlesex Health office, 1 MacDonough Place, Middletown, 860-358-4070. A family on SNAP, HUSKY or Temporary Family Assistance already meets the income rule, and the state's online interest form gets a WIC worker to call.
For help this guide does not cover, dial 2-1-1 or search 211ct.org.
How to help
The Guilford Food Bank's shopping list runs from unsweetened cold cereal, hot cereal and 100 percent juice to tuna, canned chicken, baked and dried beans, white and brown rice, pasta sauce, canned tomatoes and fruit, peanut butter and jelly, sugar, cooking oil, condiments, shelf-stable milk, coffee and tea. It also takes dish and laundry detergent, household cleaner, paper towels, toilet paper and tissues. Bring donations to the food bank on Fridays between 9 a.m. and noon, or use the bins at Palumbo's Automotive, Town Hall and the Community Center during business hours.
Money can be mailed to the Guilford Food Bank in care of Social Services at 263 Church Street, Guilford, CT 06437, or given through the Parks and Recreation website. For a food drive or a fundraiser, call Social Services at 203-453-8009.
Volunteers garden, handle intake, hand out food and help with office work, for as little as an hour or two a month. Guilford Interfaith Volunteers signs them up at 203-453-8359 or gim.fv@att.net.
The food bank gathers holiday donations just before Thanksgiving and again before Christmas. Call Social Services to ask what this year's holiday baskets need.
Frequently asked questions
Can I just walk in to the Guilford Food Bank?
No. Every visit is by appointment, made through Guilford Social Services at 203-453-8009 on weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Food goes out on Fridays starting at 1 p.m.
Is the food bank open on Saturdays?
No. Older listings online still show Saturday mornings. The food bank's own site says Fridays, by appointment only.
Do I have to live in Guilford?
For the food bank, yes: it serves Guilford residents, and Social Services books each visit. The Community Dining Room in Branford also serves Guilford residents, and the Foodshare truck in Branford and Clinton asks no questions of anyone.
Where can I get a hot meal?
At the Senior Center, if you are 55 or older: lunch at noon on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, for a fee the town has not posted. Anyone living in Guilford can eat free at the Community Dining Room in Branford, every day from noon to 1 p.m.
What if I cannot get out of the house?
Guilford Interfaith Volunteers runs Meals on Wheels for homebound residents; call 203-453-8359. The Senior Center gives people 55 and older weekday rides around town for food shopping, with 24 hours' notice, at 203-453-8086.
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