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Montclair food and meals

Montclair food and meals

How can I get free food in the Montclair area?

24 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:

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) 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.

Nutley Family Food Pantry (169 Chestnut Street, Nutley, nutleyfamily.org, +1 973-667-1884 x2) provides healthy, nutritious food and can connect you with additional resources. Registration walk-in Monday–Friday 9am–5pm. Personalized shopping appointments. Food distributions Wednesdays 12–5pm, Thursdays 10am–1pm. Also provides senior home delivery and emergency assistance if you need food right away.

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.

IFPO (Interfaith Food Pantry of the Oranges, 357 South Jefferson Street, Orange, orangesfoodpantry.org, +1 973-856-4000) is a supplemental food pantry for residents of Orange, West Orange, and East Orange, NJ. Also provides diapers. Distribution hours: 9am–12 noon Wednesdays, except closed on the first Wednesday of each month. Also offers list of resources in the Oranges.

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.

Oheb Shalom Kosher Food Pantry (170 Scotland Road, South Orange, ohebshalom.org/social-action, +1 973-762-7067) helps fight food insecurity in Essex County. All food distributed is non-perishable and Kosher. Open for food distribution twice each month.

Essex ResourceNet (essexresourcenet.org) lists food pantries and soup kitchens in Essex County, NJ.

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

Dog and cat and food bowl

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.