For those in our community who have lost their jobs as a result of the CoViD-19 crisis, here is a preliminary list of some links to lists of food pantries, soup kitchens, and other sources of free food in NYC.
This list is far from complete; I’ll add more to it as I find out about more resources.
Many (but not all!) of the listed places have various bureaucratic requirements, such as requiring you to already be enrolled in some government program. Fortunately, there are also some places that don’t even require ID, and that won’t turn anyone away for bureaucratic reasons
Note that all these places, with or without bureaucratic requirements, have very limited schedules, which may change without notice, due to the general chaos of the CoViD-19 crisis. It’s probably a good idea to call (or at least check the individual resource’s website) before you go to any of these places. Also, all these places are likely to have extremely long lines, so you may need to arrive at least an hour before the place opens. (Good luck standing six feet apart in the lines!)
- Free meals (for adults as well as children) from the Board of Education. No bureaucratic/ID requirements, apparently. (Thanks to C., a member of the Queens discussion group, for bringing this to my attention and thereby inspiring me to create this list.)
- NYC Food Bank – its “Community Kitchen and Food Pantry in Harlem” is “closed until Monday, April 13,” but the linked page lists various other places around the city where food may be available. The site also has a map of soup kitchens, food pantries, etc.
- Food Help NYC – NYC government website. Its map page lists various sites around the city. There’s also a long scrollable, paginated listing on the map page’s right hand side (which will list all the Bronx locations first unless you click “Filters” and then tell it which borough you want, then click “Locations”).
- New York State Youth Leadership Council’s resource list, including food among other resources
- New York Common Pantry – lists various services.
Here’s a news story How to Get Food in New York Right Now — And How to Help Feed (The City, April 5) discussing current efforts.
Autistic NYC 