Resources to Support Food Needs

Terrier Meal Share is an initiative that gives students the opportunity to donate their unused guest meal swipes online to any undergraduate, graduate, or professional student in need at Boston University. It offers short-term meal assistance for BU students with immediate need. Application required.

Marsh Chapel offers free Community Dinner during academic semesters on Mondays, 5-6:30 pm. All are welcome!

Download the Too Good To Go app to order a Surprise Bag from the GSU. Bags are limited in quantity and may contain an assortment of items from locations in the GSU.

BU Dining Services has worked with BU SPARK! to develop a notification system to alert students about leftover food at catered events as a way to support food insecurity and reduce wasted food on campus. Sign up to get notified.

The Harvard Square Meals Program operates a free community supper every Thursday evening at 5 pm.  Their mission is to provide a nutritious meal in a hospitable environment to anyone who needs a meal.

Every Wednesday 4:30-6 pm, you are invited for one take-out nutritious meal and a bag of free groceries at the Allston-Brighton Food Pantry (404 Washington St, Brighton). There is more than enough to go around for both guests and volunteers. No proof of need is required. Come as you are!

The Centre Food Hub (Jamaica Plain) offers free hot meals served Wednesdays from 6-8PM, and weekend lunches served Saturdays from 12-2PM.

Doors are open to the entire community of BU students who are in need of support. Click for order form.

Open to Brookline residents meeting income limits. Assistance available 1x per week. Learn more. 

On the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month, they provide food baskets to income-eligible residents of Allston and Brighton. Food baskets contain a 3 to 4 day food supply for one household. Services offered.

Fair Foods offers $2 bags of produce, each containing 12+ lbs of fruit and veg. Numerous sites throughout Boston, including Fenway (near CRC) and the South End (near Med Campus).

ABCD Food Access Centers provides fresh groceries to families. Open to residents of Boston, Medford, Everett, Belmont, Newton and Winchester with HH incomes < 80% AMI.

Free Community Fridge/Pantry that provides 24/7 self-service access to food and supplies (hand sanitizer, feminine hygiene products, etc.) that people can take and leave as needed.

Margaret Fuller House is one of the largest volume food pantries in Cambridge. Open to residents of Cambridge and Greater Boston, two times per month, with proof of address. W/Th afternoons, Fr/Sa mornings.

Cambridge Fridge in the Square is a community fridge open to all, 24/7.

YMCA Mobile Market Food Truck  provides free produce and shelf stable items all around the Greater Boston area. It’s open to the public and all are welcome to come make a grocery bag free of cost. Check the calendar for upcoming pop-ups near you. No ID or registration required.

Fresh Truck is a Boston-based non-profit that operates converted school buses as mobile produce markets to bring affordable, healthy food to neighborhoods with limited grocery access. Weekly markets and pop-ups offer fresh, high-quality, and culturally relevant fruits and vegetables at below-market prices to the public.

Jennifer Coolfridge (Brookline) is “a community-run, dignity-first fridge that provides free, 24/7 access to nourishing food while reducing waste. No ID, no questions, so everyone in Brookline can eat well today.” They also provide a Grocery Subsidy Program. No paperwork or ID required.

The Centre Food Hub (Jamaica Plain) Food Pantry is open Tuesday-Friday 12pm-5pm, Saturday 12pm-2pm (Registration required here). They also offer a Community Market that sells fresh produce, bread and other products (mostly rescued food) at lower prices thanks to their various partners. Open Tuesday – Friday 11am-7pm and Saturdays 11am-4pm. All are welcome to come shop! Inventory changes weekly.

SNAP stands for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. It is a federal nutrition program (formerly known as Food Stamps) that provides eligible residents with monthly financial assistance to purchase food and other benefits that help you save. See if you qualify.

The YMCA of Greater Boston can help US residents with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applications and recertifications. Are you enrolled in SNAP, interested in checking your eligibility, or do you have questions about the program? Fill out this Intake Form and a YMCA SNAP Outreach Specialist will get in touch with you within 24 hours.

WIC is a nutrition program that provides healthy foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding support and referrals to other services, free of charge, to Massachusetts families who qualify.

The Farmers Market Nutrition Program provides families coupons to buy fresh fruits and vegetables at farmers markets.

The Brookline Bounty Food Coupon Program provides families coupons to buy fresh fruits and vegetables at the Brookline farmers market.

Nutrition Workshops with Sargent Choice Nutrition Center offer BU students a variety of nutrition topics with RDNs free of charge.

Cookbook published by the City of Boston, compiled from community submissions.

Search affordable recipes (targeted towards families).

Find easy, affordable healthy recipes with everyday ingredients on Click ‘N Cook.

A cookbook that offers delicious recipes, designed to help folks eat for less than $4 per day. Each recipe includes its price, for the entire recipe as well as per serving.

Assistance hotline for finding food resources.

Abundance Boston is an app to help you locate and rate food resources including grocery stores, food pantries, community fridges, etc.

Comprehensive list of various resources in the greater Boston area. Updated weekly. Available in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole.

Why Hunger connects people in need across the U.S. to food pantries, soup kitchens, nutrition programs and organizations that provide access to free food and support services.