Montclair food and meals

How can I get free food in the Montclair area?

22 little free pantries in the Montclair area are open 24 hours a day and offer free food, in privacy. Local residents contribute nonperishable groceries and keep the pantries stocked. Take what you need; give what you can:

• 40 South Fullerton Avenue, Montclair (Congregational Church)
• 99 South Fullerton Avenue, Montclair (Bnai Keshet)
• 86 Elm Street, Montclair (across from Lexington Avenue)
• 119 Elm Street, Montclair (Baptist Church)
• 84 Maple Avenue, Montclair (Tommy’s Laundromat)
• 65 Church Street, Montclair (Unitarian Congregation)
• 67 Park Street, Montclair (Shomrei Emunah)
• 313 Valley Road, Montclair (near Vera Place)
• 581 Valley Road, Montclair (St James Church)
• 115 Greenwood Avenue, Montclair (Trinity Temple Church)
• 153 Grove Street, Montclair (Grace Presbyterian Church)
• 106 Viola Avenue, Clifton (near Paulison Ave)
• 65 Bowden Road, Cedar Grove (Community Church)
• 30 Fairview Avenue, Verona (Presbyterian Church)
• 92 Washington Street, West Orange (Community Center)
• 65 1st Avenue, East Orange (near Warwick Street)
• 343 Dodd Street, East Orange (New Covenant Church)
• 90 Broad Street, Bloomfield (Public Library)
• 144 East Passaic Avenue, Bloomfield (Firehouse)
• 132 Montgomery Street, Bloomfield (Christian Faith Center)
• 10 Bellevue Avenue, Bloomfield (Reformed Church)
• 629 Passaic Ave, Nutley (across from Wharton Avenue)

Toni’s Kitchen (73 South Fullerton Avenue, toniskitchen.org, +1 973-932-0768, email toniskitchen@gmail.com to sign up — no qualifications or identification required) provides:

• food for families — free grocery bags with fresh produce and nutritious food, for pick-up (Monday–Friday 9am– 5pm, Saturday 9am–12pm, Sunday 3–5:30pm) or home delivery;
• food for seniors — free meals, fresh produce, and light groceries, delivered to home;
• meals to-go — free, Thursday–Saturday 11:30am–12pm, Sunday 5–5:30pm.

Human Needs Food Pantry (9 Label Street, humanneedsfoodpantry.org, +1 973-746-4669) provides free grocery bags of fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, canned and dry goods (tuna, pasta, rice, fruits, vegetables. etc.), soap, shampoo, and other personal-care items. Tuesday or Thursday, 12:30–2:30pm.

MESH Café (619 Bloomfield Ave, formerly The Office restaurant, wearemesh.org) serves free indoor meals, from 4:30pm to 5:30pm Monday thru Saturday. Meals are provided by faith partners and generous local restaurants.

Montclair Salvation Army (13 Trinity Place, call +1 973-744-3312 x600 to sign up, montclair.salvationarmy.org) provides:

• free emergency bags of food, Monday–Friday 9am–4pm;
• free lunch meals, Monday–Wednesday 11:30am;
• free breakfast meals, Wednesday 9am.

Geyer Family YMCA branch (159 Glenridge Avenue, montclairymca.org, +1 973-783-7640) offers a Family Meal program to encourage children and families to explore healthy cooking together. Each week, new recipes developed by Montclair Community Farms are available, and families are invited to “shop” for ingredients and grocery staples at the MCF Farm Stand and Toni’s Kitchen food truck, free of charge. No documentation or residency required. Every Wednesday, 2:30–3:30pm, in the YMCA parking lot.

YMCA of Montclair (25 Park Street, +1 973-744-3400, montclairymca.org) provides free boxes of fruits and vegetables, Friday 9am.

Montclair Public Library provides free seed packets for growing your own vegetables, fruits, and herbs, at the Bellevue Ave Branch (185 Bellevue Ave, +1 973-744-0500 x2283). No library card needed.

Essex County (essexcountynj.org) provides free food boxes weekly.

First Seventh-Day Adventist Church (15 Elmwood Avenue, +1 973-746-1911) provides free soup kitchen meals, second Sunday and last Sunday each month, 12–2pm.

Bethel Rehoboth Church (55 Lawrence Street, Bloomfield, +1 973-566-9100, essexresourcenet.org) provides food packages and meals, Thursdays 5–7pm, second and fourth Saturdays of each month 11am–1pm.

Bloomfield Presbyterian Church (2 Church Street, Bloomfield, +1 973-743-1796, bpcog.org) provides food packages every Wednesday and Friday 9:30–11am and on the fourth monthly Saturday 10am–12pm, rear parking lot.

MEND (Meeting Essential Needs with Dignity), an interfaith network of 20 food pantries in Essex County (+1 862-250-5216, mendnj.org), provides a list of free food pantry locations that are open every day of the week.

Joi’s Angels (114 South Arlington Avenue, East Orange, joisangels.com, +1 973-395-4348, joisangels@gmail.com) provides provides food (wholesome groceries, fresh fruit, produce, meats) at free pantry or market sites, essential goods (diapers, baby formula, personal hygiene products, feminine hygiene products), youth programs (sanctuary, afterschool, weekend, summer opportunities, volunteer work, civic engagement), shelter (men’s residence), and low-cost housing.

CFBNJ (Community Food Bank of New Jersey) provides a search engine of food assistance resources. Or text “FindFood” (for English) or “Comida” (for Spanish) to +1 908-224-7776 to have information sent to your phone.

Pet food free pantry. Montclair Township Animal Shelter, 77 North Willow Street, +1 973-744-8600. Pick up a free bag of dog or cat food – no questions asked. Every day, 1–4pm.