Free Food in Hamden and North Haven, CT

A town food bank where people choose their groceries, $1 suppers, two Foodshare stops, and North Haven's two pantries.

Hamden has a town food bank where people choose their own groceries, church pantries on set Saturdays and Tuesdays, two Connecticut Foodshare truck stops, and suppers for a $1 donation on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and two Thursdays a month. North Haven's help is smaller and runs by appointment: a town food bank and a church pantry, each giving food once a month to North Haven residents. In Hamden, the first call is Community Services at 203-562-5129; in North Haven, it is Community Services at 203-239-5321, ext. 8502.

Last checked: October 6, 2026. Hours and programs change, so call ahead when you can.

Before you go

Each town's food bank is for its own residents. Hamden asks for proof of residency and family size; North Haven asks first-time visitors for a driver's license or photo ID to prove residency.
The two town food banks and the North Haven Food Pantry are by appointment. The Foodshare trucks and the $1 suppers are not.
Bring bags to a Foodshare stop.

Food pantries in Hamden

The town's food bank is open five days a week. The church pantries each open on two set days a month, most of them Saturdays. Their days and hours come from the town's Hamden Food Assistance Resource Guide, updated in February 2026.

Hamden Food Bank at the Keefe Community Center

Clients choose their own food here: shelf-stable groceries, frozen meat, fresh produce, and meal kits when there are some, along with cat and dog food for people with pets. A visit covers three days of food, once a month.

Where: Keefe Community Center, 11 Pine St.
When: By appointment: Mondays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Tuesdays, 1 to 4 p.m.; Wednesdays and Fridays, 9 to 11 a.m.
Who can go: Hamden residents, once a month.
What to bring: Proof of residency and of family size.
Contact: 203-562-5129, ext. 1110 · Community Services

The Marketplace at Breakthrough (Breakthrough Church)

Breakthrough runs its pantry as a grocery store, with clients picking what they need.

Where: 481 Shelton Ave.
When: Second and third Saturdays of the month, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Contact: 203-691-9296

Love Center Deliverance Ministry

Where: 19 George St.
When: Second and fourth Saturdays, 10 a.m. to noon.
Contact: 203-772-4314

St. Ann's Food Pantry

Where: 322 Circular Ave., in the white house across the street from Blessed Sacrament Church
When: Second and fourth Saturdays, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.
Contact: 203-248-0141

Mt. Zion Church food distribution

Where: 335 Putnam Ave.
When: Second and fourth Tuesdays, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Contact: 203-714-4374 (office) or 475-227-4794

Foodshare trucks in Hamden

Two Connecticut Foodshare mobile pantries stop in Hamden every other week. Nobody is asked questions or for an ID. Anyone 16 or older who comes in person can take food, about 20 pounds a person on average, and Foodshare asks people to bring a bag, a box, or a rolling cart.

St. Paul Parish

Where: 306 Circular Ave., in the parking lot across from Blessed Sacrament Church
When: Every other Wednesday, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.: October 7 and 21, November 4 and 18, and December 2, 16, and 30.
Who can go: Anyone, while supplies last. Park or walk up.

Hasan Islamic Center

Where: 870 Dixwell Ave.
When: Every other Friday, 8:45 to 9:30 a.m., on Foodshare's schedule: October 16 and 30, November 13, and December 11. Foodshare has cancelled the stops on November 27, the day after Thanksgiving, and December 25. The town's guide lists a different day and time, so call the center at 203-562-0594 to confirm.
Who can go: Anyone.

A stop is called off when Hamden's schools close for the full day because of weather. Text FOODSHARE to 85511 (COMIDA for Spanish) for dates and cancellation notices, or check Foodshare's calendar.

Suppers for a $1 donation

Hamden's food guide lists suppers at four places that ask a suggested $1 donation. At the food truck, a whole family is asked for no more than $5, and the guide says no one is turned away.

Community Supper food truck

Where and when: Sundays, 3 to 4 p.m., at 1934 State St., across from Dollar General; and the first and third Thursdays, 4 to 5 p.m., at Christian Tabernacle Baptist Church, 425 New Hall St.
Who can go: Anyone.

Grace and St. John's Episcopal Church

Where: 2927 Dixwell Ave.
When: Fridays, 6 to 7 p.m., dinner to take home.
Contact: 203-248-4338

Hamden Plains United Methodist Church

Where: 15 Church St.
When: Saturdays, 6 to 7 p.m., pickup only.
Contact: 203-248-4654

Lunch at the Miller Senior Center

The senior café serves a hot lunch every weekday. LifeBridge Community Services lists it among its senior community cafés, which ask diners 60 and older for a suggested $3 donation.

Where: Miller Cultural Complex, 2901 Dixwell Ave.
When: Monday through Friday at 11:30 a.m.
How to reserve: Call 203-287-0057. A registration form, Form 5, is required.

LifeBridge's list also names a café at the Putnam Senior Center, 125 Putnam Ave.; call 203-248-3924 to check whether it is serving.

Groceries brought to the door in Hamden

For people who cannot get out, the town's guide lists three programs that deliver.

FISH, New Reach's Food in Service to the Homebound program, brings groceries each month to homebound people in Greater New Haven, most of them older adults, people with disabilities, and families. Call New Reach at 203-492-4866 or see newreach.org/fish to ask how to sign up.
NSS Inc. delivers food packages to elderly and disabled people who cannot get around; call 203-901-6958.
IVCG delivers mixed bags of groceries to homebound seniors; register by calling 475-257-6538 and pressing 3.

Food help in North Haven

Both of North Haven's pantries work by appointment, and both give food once a month to people who live in town. North Haven has no free community supper; the Foodshare trucks and $1 suppers in Hamden, above, are open to anyone.

Town of North Haven Food Bank

The town hands out a packed bag. Its page lists what goes in: instant mashed potatoes, soup, peanut butter and jelly, pancake mix and syrup, cereal, oatmeal, beans, rice, pasta, tomato sauce, canned vegetables, and tuna.

Where: Department of Community Services, 5 Linsley St.
When: Weekdays, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., by appointment. Call at least one business day ahead, by 3 p.m.
Who can go: Income-eligible North Haven families, once a month.
What to bring: On a first visit, a driver's license or photo ID showing North Haven residency. First-time visitors also sign a one-page application.
Contact: Robert Snurkowski, 203-239-5321, ext. 8502, weekdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. · Food Bank

North Haven Food Pantry (North Haven Congregational Church)

The churches in town support this pantry. A visit is two bags of nonperishable food, once every 30 days.

Where: North Haven Congregational Church, 28 Church St.
When: Wednesdays and Fridays, 10 to 11 a.m., by appointment. Another church page also lists Mondays, so call to confirm.
Who can go: Any North Haven resident who asks for food.
How to book: Online through the church's booking page, or call 203-239-5691.
Contact: 203-239-5691 · churchoffice@northhavenucc.org · northhavenucc.org

For North Haven seniors

The North Haven Senior Center, 189 Pool Rd., holds a $5 lunch for North Haven seniors about once a month. The next on its calendar is the Food & Friends Rodeo on Friday, October 23, at 11:30 a.m., with resident registration open through October 16, followed by a Thanksgiving lunch on November 20. Register at the office, 203-239-5321.

The senior center also signs up residents 60 and older for the state's Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, which this year gives $40 a person for fresh produce from farmers markets and runs through November 30. The income limit is $2,461 a month for one person and $3,337 for two, and people with disabilities who live in senior housing with group meals qualify as well. Appointments are Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 to 11 a.m. and 2 to 3 p.m.; call 203-239-5432.

Thanksgiving and Christmas: North Haven sign-ups open Nov. 1

North Haven Community Services opens Thanksgiving food sign-ups on November 1 and Christmas sign-ups on December 1, for the same income-eligible North Haven families its food bank serves. Residents call 203-239-5321, ext. 8502, to reserve a spot. November 1 falls on a Sunday this year, so the first weekday to call is Monday, November 2.

The churches in North Haven also give out Holiday Food Boxes at Thanksgiving and Christmas, each with a turkey, fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy, and the makings of a holiday meal, to about 150 families each holiday. They have not posted 2026 dates; call the North Haven Food Pantry at 203-239-5691.

In Hamden, the Community Services Thanksgiving turkey giveaway has not posted its 2026 date yet; call 203-562-5129, ext. 1113. For Christmas food, call Community Services at 203-562-5129; the town asks for documents showing residency and the members of the household.

SNAP, WIC and other help

SNAP, the federal grocery benefit once called food stamps, arrives each month on an EBT card. Apply online at ConneCT, by phone at 1-855-626-6632 (weekdays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.), or in person at any Department of Social Services Resource Center; the closest to both towns is in New Haven, at 50 Humphrey St., open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Under the department's chart for October 2026, a household of one can earn up to $2,660 a month before taxes and still qualify, and a family of four up to $5,500 (the full chart).

For help with the forms, the Community Action Agency of New Haven, which serves Hamden and North Haven, is at 419 Whalley Ave., 203-387-7700. Connecticut Foodshare helps people apply by phone at 860-856-4357, weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., in English or Spanish.

WIC covers groceries for pregnant women, new mothers, babies, and children under 5, and families on SNAP or HUSKY already meet its income rule. Both towns are in the state's New Haven WIC region, whose New Haven offices are Fair Haven Community Health Center WIC, 374 Grand Ave., 203-773-5007; Cornell Scott Hill Health Center WIC, 428 Columbus Ave., 203-503-3080; and Yale New Haven Hospital WIC, 150 Sargent Drive, 203-688-5150. The state does not list their hours, so call, or fill out the state's WIC interest form and an office will call back.

LifeBridge Community Services delivers Meals on Wheels on weekdays to homebound people 60 and older in its service area; call 203-752-9919 to ask about delivery in Hamden or North Haven. The Agency on Aging of South Central Connecticut, at 117 Washington Ave. in North Haven, 203-785-8533, takes applications for senior meals, and for homebound older adults with incomes at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level it offers a one-time delivery of $100 in groceries; press option 3 for a CHOICES counselor.

Families can apply for free or reduced-price school meals at any time in the school year, and children in households on SNAP, Temporary Family Assistance, or HUSKY A may qualify without an application.

For anything else, dial 2-1-1 or search 211ct.org.

How to help

The food banks in both towns post their needs, and two other programs ask for volunteers.

Hamden Food Bank: Drop-offs are weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the Keefe Community Center. Its wish list leans toward healthier food: canned fruit in 100 percent juice, unsweetened applesauce, canned vegetables and beans with no salt added, low-sodium soups and chili, whole-grain pasta, cereal, and crackers, brown rice, plain oatmeal or grits, peanut butter, and canned fish or chicken packed in water. Money can be given through the town's online giving page. For this year's Thanksgiving needs, call 203-562-5129, ext. 1113.
Hamden's mobile pantry at St. Paul Parish: Volunteers sign up through United Way of Greater New Haven on its volunteer page.
FISH: New Reach looks for volunteers to pack bags and drive delivery routes; the interest form is on newreach.org/fish.
Town of North Haven Food Bank: Nonperishable food that is in date and not close to expiring, dropped off at Community Services weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., or bought from the town's Amazon wish list.
North Haven Food Pantry: Donations go to the church weekdays from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Its list includes canned meals, fruit, and beans; tuna, broth, and tomato sauce; rice, pasta, and cereal; peanut butter and jelly; gravy and mayonnaise; coffee and tea; cake and brownie mixes; and juice and shelf-stable milk. Checks and online gifts go to the Food Pantry fund.

Frequently asked questions

I live in North Haven. Can I use the Hamden Food Bank?

No. The Hamden Food Bank is for Hamden residents. The Foodshare trucks at St. Paul Parish and the Hasan Islamic Center ask no questions, though, and the $1 suppers are open to anyone.

Do I need an appointment?

For both town food banks and the North Haven Food Pantry, yes. The Foodshare trucks and the $1 suppers need none.

Is there food on the weekend?

In Hamden, yes. Breakthrough, Love Center, and St. Ann's each open on two Saturdays a month, Hamden Plains United Methodist hands out a $1 supper on Saturday evenings, and the food truck parks on State Street on Sunday afternoons.

I cannot leave the house. Can someone bring food?

FISH (New Reach, 203-492-4866), NSS Inc. (203-901-6958), and IVCG (475-257-6538, press 3) deliver groceries, and LifeBridge's Meals on Wheels (203-752-9919) brings meals to homebound people 60 and older in its service area.

When can I sign up for Thanksgiving food in North Haven?

From November 1. Call Community Services at 203-239-5321, ext. 8502, to reserve a spot; Christmas sign-ups start December 1.

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