Orange and Woodbridge close their sign-ups Oct. 31 and Durham on Nov. 6. The baskets, turkeys and community dinners town by town, with the rules and the number to call.
Free Thanksgiving baskets and dinners are available across the region again this year, but most of the baskets need a sign-up, and the first deadlines arrive at the end of October. In most towns the basket program runs through the social services office at town hall, so that is the first call; where a town has nothing posted, dial 2-1-1. Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26.
Last checked: October 6, 2026. Hours and programs change, so call ahead when you can.
The first deadlines
These programs have posted their 2026 dates. Each one is described in full under its town below.
Before you call
- Most basket programs serve only the town's own residents and ask for proof of address. Orange, Southington and North Haven also look at household income.
- Middletown asks for an ID for every member of the family, and North Haven asks first-time applicants for a photo ID.
- Where a program has not posted its 2026 dates, its listing gives a number to call.
Baskets and turkeys, town by town
The towns run in alphabetical order. Dinners served on or after the holiday have their own section further down.
Branford
The Branford Food Pantry has not posted its 2026 Thanksgiving dates yet; call 203-481-3663.
Bridgeport
Two of the city's food programs hand out Thanksgiving dinners every year, and neither has set its 2026 dates.
- The Bridgeport Rescue Mission's Great ThanksGiving Project gives families turkeys and full holiday food packages, in Bridgeport and in several other cities. It has not posted its 2026 dates yet; call 203-333-4087.
- nOURish Bridgeport's Feast in a Box gives 500 families a complete Thanksgiving dinner ready to cook, with the cooking instructions translated. It has not posted its 2026 dates yet; call 203-335-3107.
Cheshire
Cheshire Human Services has not posted a 2026 Thanksgiving program; call 203-271-6690. The office also runs Adopt-A-Family, which collects holiday food and gifts for Cheshire residents having financial difficulties; the town social worker takes the applications. From September through January the office's phones are at their busiest, and it says it will return calls as quickly as it can.
Durham
Durham Human Services is putting together Thanksgiving baskets this year, and families or individuals who are having a hard time can sign up by phone or email.
- Sign up: by November 6
- Where: Durham Human Services, Durham Community Center, 144 Pickett Lane
- Office hours: Monday to Thursday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Friday, 7 a.m. to noon
- Contact: Morgan Perry, 860-349-3153 · mperry@townofdurhamct.org
Durham residents who shop at Amazing Grace, the St. Vincent de Paul market in Middletown that is open to Durham, can also sign up for the Middletown Community Thanksgiving Project by bringing proof that they shop there (see Middletown).
East Haven
The East Haven Food Pantry, which gives out holiday baskets along with its regular groceries, has not posted its 2026 Thanksgiving dates yet; call 203-467-4668.
Guilford
Guilford Social Services runs the town's holiday meal program each year with the Guilford Food Bank and Parks and Recreation. It has not posted its 2026 dates yet; call 203-453-8009, weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Hamden
Hamden Community Services has not posted the date of its 2026 Thanksgiving giveaway yet; call 203-562-5129, ext. 1113. For holiday food, the town asks for documents that show you live in Hamden and who is in your family.
African American Lodge #024 has not posted its 2026 free community Thanksgiving yet; call 203-407-0549.
Meriden and Wallingford
The United Way of Meriden and Wallingford fills Thanksgiving baskets through more than 20 nonprofit partners in the two towns. Families do not apply to the United Way. Its partner agencies sign up their own clients, so the place to ask is an agency that already works with your family, or 2-1-1.
Wallingford Youth and Social Services lists holiday assistance among its programs but has not posted the details; call 203-294-2175, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Middletown
The Middletown Community Thanksgiving Project signs families up in person through November 20 and hands out the baskets two days before the holiday.
- Sign up: at Amazing Grace, 16 Stack Street, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., October 26 to November 20; or on Wednesday, November 4, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at Russell Library, 123 Broad Street
- Who can go: families who live in Middletown, and people who shop at Amazing Grace
- What to bring: proof that you live in Middletown or shop at Amazing Grace, and an ID for each member of the family
- Pickup: Tuesday, November 24, at Fellowship Church, 1002 Saybrook Road, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Contact: 860-346-1181 (Lara SantaMaria, Fellowship Church) · MCTP2013@yahoo.com · middlesexunitedway.org
New Haven
New Haven's Thanksgiving programs have not posted their 2026 dates yet. Two that publish a phone number:
- Christian Community Action gives a Thanksgiving food basket every year to people who live in the Hill. It has not posted its 2026 sign-up yet; call 203-777-7848.
- FISH, the New Reach program that brings groceries every month to people who cannot get out because of age, illness or disability, has not posted its 2026 Thanksgiving drive yet; call 203-492-4866.
North Branford
North Branford Social Services has not posted a Thanksgiving program; call 203-484-6006. When the office is closed, the town sends residents to 2-1-1.
North Haven
North Haven Community Services opens Thanksgiving sign-ups on November 1 every year; this year that is a Sunday.
- Sign up: by phone, from November 1. The pickup date has not been posted.
- Who can go: North Haven families who meet the income rules
- What to bring: on a first visit, a driver's license or photo ID that shows you live in North Haven, and a one-page application to fill out
- Where: Community Services, Town Hall Annex, 5 Linsley Street
- Contact: Robert Snurkowski, 203-239-5321, ext. 8502, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The town's churches also give out Holiday Food Boxes, each with a turkey, fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy and the rest of the meal, through the North Haven Food Pantry at North Haven Congregational Church, 28 Church Street, which serves any North Haven resident who asks. The boxes have no 2026 dates yet; call 203-239-5691.
Orange
Orange's holiday program covers a Thanksgiving meal, a meal for the December holidays and gifts for children under 18, and registration closes October 31.
- Sign up: by October 31, with Jennifer Hudson at Community Services
- Who can go: Orange residents; proof of residency and of household income is needed to qualify
- Where: Orange Community Services, in the High Plains Community Center at 525 Orange Center Road
- Contact: 203-891-4788 · jhudson@orange-ct.gov · orange-ct.gov
Southington
Southington Community Services gives out more than 500 Thanksgiving baskets a year to residents who qualify, and it is taking applications now, by appointment.
- Apply: call 860-628-3761 for an appointment. Applications run from July 1 until one week before Thanksgiving.
- Who can go: Southington residents who qualify
- What to bring: proof that you live in Southington, and proof of income for everyone in the household
- Where: Southington Community Services, 91 Norton Street, Plantsville (call to confirm; another town page gives 75 Main Street); weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Contact: 860-628-3761 · southingtonct.gov
West Haven
Gateway Christian Fellowship packs and hands out its Thanksgiving baskets on Wednesday, November 18, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., at 129 Bull Hill Lane. Each basket is meant to hold what a family needs for the meal. The church has not posted how a family gets on the list; call 203-934-0880.
WHEAT, the West Haven Emergency Assistance Taskforce, is collecting food and gift cards so it can give about 300 families a Thanksgiving meal. It has not posted how families sign up; call 203-931-9877.
Woodbridge
Woodbridge Human Services runs a holiday food basket program every year. It comes in December rather than at Thanksgiving, but the sign-up closes October 31.
- Sign up: call 203-389-3429 by October 31
- Who can go: Woodbridge families in need
- Where: Woodbridge Human Services, 4 Meetinghouse Lane; weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Contact: 203-389-3429 · humanservices@woodbridgect.org
Bethany and Prospect
Neither town has posted a Thanksgiving program, and the basket programs in Orange, Woodbridge and Cheshire are for their own residents. In Bethany, call Bethany Human Services at 203-393-2100; the town also points residents to 2-1-1. In Prospect, the town's assistance coordinator is at 203-758-4461.
Dinners on and after the holiday
One free community dinner has posted its 2026 plans, and it will also bring the meal to people who cannot leave home. Orange's Lions Club dinner follows three days later.
Wallingford Community Dinners: Thanksgiving Day
The Thanksgiving dinner at First Congregational Church in Wallingford is free, and the organizers say it plainly: "All are welcome." Only the home deliveries need a sign-up.
- When: Thursday, November 26, noon to 2 p.m.
- Where: First Congregational Church, 23 South Main Street, Wallingford
- Deliveries: to homebound residents who sign up ahead, between 11 a.m. and noon. The delivery button on the group's website had no link on October 6, so call 203-514-8883 to sign up; the deadline has not been posted.
- Contact: 203-514-8883 · WallingfordCommunityDinners@gmail.com · wallingfordcommunitydinners.org
Orange Lions Club Thanksgiving Dinner
The Orange Lions Club holds its Thanksgiving dinner on the first Sunday after the holiday, which this year would be November 29, at the High Plains Community Center, 525 Orange Center Road; call to confirm. The town describes it as a dinner for older residents, people who are shut in and anyone who would like a good meal and company, and it says the dinner is open to everyone. The time, and whether there is a charge, have not been posted. Orange Community Services can arrange a ride: 203-891-4788.
Not posted yet
- DESK, the Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen in New Haven, has not posted its 2026 Thanksgiving plans yet; call 203-624-6426.
- St. Vincent de Paul Middletown has not posted its 2026 Thanksgiving Day meal yet; call 860-344-0097.
- The Meriden YMCA has not posted its 2026 Thanksgiving meals yet; call 203-235-6386.
- The East Haven Rotary Club has not posted its 2026 Thanksgiving dinner deliveries yet; call 203-208-8212.
How to help
The programs that publish their needs ask for much the same things: a turkey, the side dishes, and grocery gift cards so a family can buy the meat it wants. Several also need people to pack baskets and drive them.
Food and turkeys
- Durham Human Services: tell Morgan Perry by November 13 if you are bringing a frozen turkey, and drop it off by November 17. Side dishes are due by November 13: stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, instant potatoes, boxed corn bread, cream of mushroom soup and crispy fried onions, and canned French-style green beans, yams and corn. Drop-offs go to the Durham Community Center, 144 Pickett Lane, weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or by appointment; gift cards to Stop & Shop, Aldi or Walmart help too. 860-349-3153.
- Southington Community Services: stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, canned vegetables, yams and fruit, corn muffin and dessert mixes, cereal, plates and napkins, and holiday extras such as cookies, candy, nuts, juice and hot chocolate. Gift cards and money are welcome too. Food drop-off is at the Community Center, weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; 860-628-3761.
- United Way of Meriden and Wallingford: fill a basket, bundle or bag with enough nonperishable food for at least four people, and add a $20 gift card so the family can buy the meat or other protein it wants. Its ideas include canned corn, carrots, squash and potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, corn bread and dessert mixes, green bean casserole fixings, and macaroni and cheese. Sign up with Julia Pelletier, 203-235-4403, ext. 1002, or jpelletier@unitedwaymw.org; she matches each donor with a partner agency, and the baskets are due there by Wednesday, November 18.
- WHEAT, West Haven: gift cards to ShopRite or ALDI, so families can choose their own meat, and rice, stuffing, gravy, canned yams, carrots and corn, boxed macaroni, and cake or brownie mix, through October 31. Money can go through its online form. The Church of the Holy Spirit, at 28 Church Street in West Haven, is collecting the gift cards for WHEAT through October 23.
- Gateway Christian Fellowship, West Haven: donations for its baskets are collected in the church atrium, 129 Bull Hill Lane, Sunday to Thursday from October 25 to November 8; one line on its page says November 15, so call to confirm. To help pack baskets or load cars, call 203-934-0880.
- Orange Community Services: sponsors for a family's basket, grocery gift certificates of $20 and up, and money; checks payable to "Treasurer, Town of Orange," 525 Orange Center Road, Orange, CT 06477. 203-891-4788.
- Woodbridge Human Services: sponsors and anyone who wants to give to the holiday baskets call 203-389-3429 by October 31.
- Cheshire Food Drive: the town-wide drive is the weekend of November 7 and 8 on the First Congregational Church Green, the one weekend of the year the group takes food, and its money pays for the town's grocery vouchers. It also needs volunteers on the green; cheshirefooddrive.org. For Cheshire's Adopt-A-Family, call Kristen Cherry, the town social worker, at 203-271-6690.
- Branford Food Pantry: nonperishable food on Tuesdays, 8:30 to 11 a.m., or Fridays, 9 to 11:30 a.m., at 30 Harrison Avenue; for a large donation, call 203-481-3663 to set a time. Volunteers run the whole pantry.
- North Haven: the churches' pantry takes food at North Haven Congregational Church, 28 Church Street, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and gifts online (choose the Food Pantry fund). The town food bank takes in-date food at Community Services, 5 Linsley Street, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Guilford Food Bank: collects donations just before Thanksgiving and again before Christmas. For a large food drive, Guilford Social Services will arrange a pickup: 203-453-8009.
- DESK, New Haven: its Donations Center, 260 State Street, is open Sunday to Thursday, 1 to 4 p.m. It has not posted its 2026 Thanksgiving needs.
Time
- Wallingford Community Dinners: volunteer form at wallingfordcommunitydinners.org.
- Middletown Community Thanksgiving Project: call Lara SantaMaria at Fellowship Church, 860-346-1181, or email MCTP2013@yahoo.com.
- St. Vincent de Paul Middletown: its Thanksgiving Turkey Drive is among the special events that need volunteers; svdmiddletown.org.
- Jewish Family Service, New Haven: volunteers for its food pantry help pack holiday bags for Thanksgiving; contact Sandy Hagan, 203-397-0796 or shagan@jfsnh.org.
- nOURish Bridgeport: the day the Feast in a Box dinners go out is its biggest volunteer day; contact Tshon Davis, Tshon.Davis@nourishbpt.org.
- FISH, New Reach: volunteers pack bags and drive delivery routes, and weekday mornings and early afternoons are when they are needed most; newreach.org/fish.
Money
- Middletown Community Thanksgiving Project: says money is the most helpful gift for now; checks payable to "MCTP," mailed to MCTP in care of Fellowship Church, 1002 Saybrook Road, Middletown, CT 06457.
- Wallingford Community Dinners: online, or checks payable to "Wallingford Community Dinners, Inc.," P.O. Box 211, Wallingford, CT 06492.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to live in the town to get a basket?
For most, yes. Orange, Southington, North Haven and Hamden ask for proof that you live in town, and Woodbridge's basket is for Woodbridge families. Middletown's project also takes people who shop at the Amazing Grace market. The Wallingford dinner is open to anyone.
I missed the deadline. Is there anything else?
The Wallingford dinner on Thanksgiving Day needs no sign-up, and Southington takes applications until a week before the holiday. 2-1-1 keeps listings for Thanksgiving baskets and meals; dial 2-1-1, or search 211ct.org by town or ZIP code.
Can someone bring a Thanksgiving meal to my home?
In Wallingford, yes: Wallingford Community Dinners delivers to homebound residents who sign up, at 203-514-8883. The East Haven Rotary Club and FISH in New Haven have not posted their 2026 plans; call 203-208-8212 or 203-492-4866.
Is there help in December, too?
Yes. Woodbridge's basket comes in December, Orange's program covers a December holiday meal and gifts for children, North Haven opens Christmas food sign-ups on December 1, and Cheshire's Adopt-A-Family collects food and gifts for the holidays.
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