Food Access Resources2023-07-19T09:34:35-04:00

Food Access Resources

The Vermont Foodbank has a number of food access resources to help meet community food access needs; additional statewide resources are listed below as well.

Vermont Foodbank Support

  • 3SquaresVT – Has your household lost pay? Have your childcare expenses increased? 3SquaresVT is here for you and your family. You could be eligible to receive a 3SquaresVT benefit or increase the benefit you already receive. We can help you apply. Visit our 3SquaresVT page, email 3svt@vtfoodbank.org, call 1-855-855-6181, or text VFBCHAT to 61222 to connect with the Vermont Foodbank 3SquaresVT team.
  • CSFP – The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) is a federal nutrition program which offers free monthly nutrition information and nutritious foods to income-eligible older adults.
  • Find a Food Shelf or Meal Site: Vermont Foodbank partners with 225+ food shelves, meal sites, senior centers, shelters, and school programs across the state where you can receive food at no cost. Find a site near you through our food access site locator listing.
  • VeggieVanGo – School and hospital partners across the state host fresh produce distributions, supported by Vermont Foodbank. Some locations are for designated school communities and are not open to the public, but some sites are open to community. Click here to learn more about VeggieVanGo and to find a list of local partners who host VeggieVanGo events.

Additional Community Resources

  • Flooding Resources — Hunger Free Vermont (hungerfreevt.org)
  • 2-1-1 – Vermont 211 is a free, confidential information referral service for all of Vermont. Dial 2-1-1 to be connected with a wide range of community, health, and social services local to you. Or you can find resources online at vermont211.org. If you have trouble getting through please call 866-652-4636 or 802-652-4636.
  • School Meals: During the school year, meals are available for kids through local schools. Meals are also available through some childcare providers. These meals are nutritious and are prepared following strict health and safety guidelines. Contact your child’s school or childcare provider to learn more! If you’re asked to complete a school meal application, please fill it out. Filling out the application helps our communities run meal programs throughout the year and helps make sure schools can get important federal funding.
  • Summer Meals for Kids: Free meals for all kids 18 and under are available from convenient locations around the state. For information on meals in your area text FOOD to 304-304, or call 2-1-1. You can contact your local meal site to find out more about how meals are being served in your area.
  • WIC: If you are pregnant, postpartum, breastfeeding, a caregiver, or parent with a child under five you may be eligible for WIC, the USDA Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). WIC provides food benefits, as well as other support services. WIC can be used to purchase a wide range of food, but not all sizes and brands are included. WIC regional offices also provide Farm to Family Coupons for free, locally grown vegetables and fruits from participating farmers markets.
    Vermont WIC website links:

  • Meal Programs for Older Vermonters: People age 60 and older may be able to receive home-delivered meals. For more information about meals for older adults, please call the Helpline at 1-800-642-5119.

If you have further questions, please call the Vermont Foodbank at 1-800-585-2265.

If you are able to help, please consider making a donation.

Frequently Asked Questions
Is the food shelf in my area still open?2020-05-14T11:20:45-04:00

Due to the nature of the pandemic and shifting priorities around the state, we are unable to guarantee that hours listed on our Find A Food Shelf page are accurate. Please contact your local food shelf or meal site directly to confirm their hours of operation and current location

What safety precautions is the Foodbank taking to ensure food and distributions are safe?2020-05-14T11:19:41-04:00

The safety and wellbeing of our clients, partners, volunteers and staff is a top priority.

We are in ongoing communication with our partners, staff and volunteers to maintain safe practices and institute additional safety measures that will ensure nutritious food continues to flow into the community. This includes:

  • Maintaining safe practices we adhere to as a normal course of operations 365 days a year
  • Taking necessary measures to ensure all employees, visitors, and persons served who are experiencing any symptoms of illness stay home and avoid contact
  • Social distancing to maintain at least 6 feet of distance between individuals
  • Personal protection measures outlined by health organizations including keeping hands clean by washing them frequently, wearing gloves, and wearing masks
  • Conducting a health screening and temperature check for anyone entering our facilities
  • Following recommendations regarding cleaning of high touch surfaces
  • Limiting volunteers group sizes to make additional space for social distancing while working
  • All food has been packed by VF staff or volunteers who are not showing any signs of illness, have washed their hands, and are wearing gloves
  • Studies show that the virus can survive for up to 3 days on surfaces, so we are ensuring that packed food sits in our warehouse for at least three days before being distributed to ensure that there are no live virus particles on food when it reaches our clients.

Be sure to fully wash and dry all produce before consuming.

I am quarantined/unable to leave my house, how can I get food?2020-05-14T11:16:44-04:00

The Vermont Foodbank provides food through a network of partner food shelves, meal sites, community organizations and at food distributions and schools and hospitals. Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to deliver directly to people’s homes. A few of our partner food shelves may be providing this service. Please contact your local food shelf to find out if yours does.

These additional community resources might be able to assist as well:

School Meals: All school districts in Vermont are making meals available during the current closure. These meals are free for all children 18 and under. While no paperwork is needed to access these meals, submitting a meal application can help your school continue to offer nutritious meals in uncertain times. If your household finances have changed, please consider filling out a school meal application!

Meal Programs for Older Vermonters: People age 60 and older are especially encouraged to stay at home in order to protect themselves from COVID-19, but staying well-nourished is also critical for your health. To help, you may be able to pick up meals to go or have meals delivered to your home. For more information about meals for older adults, please call the Helpline at 1-800-642-5119.

Still looking for help? Contact 2-1-1.  The Vermont 2-1-1 database contains detailed descriptions of programs and services available to people in Vermont that are provided by local community groups, social service and health-related agencies, government organizations, and others.

How can I help?2020-05-14T11:13:23-04:00

You can help ensure that all our neighbors have the food they need to maintain their health during this time of crisis by donating to the Vermont Foodbank’s COVID-19 Hunger Relief Fund.

You can donate online or you can text GIVEHEALTH to 85511

To ensure we can most efficiently meet the needs of the community as the situation continues to evolve, we encourage individuals to donate funds rather than product to support this effort.

If you are a large business or organization wishing to donate large quantities of food, please contact Alison Friedkin at afriedkin@vtfoodbank.org.

If you’re interested in volunteering as part of COVID-19 hunger relief efforts, you can fill out an application and sign up for volunteer opportunities at https://vtfoodbank.volunteerhub.com/. Please reach out to our Volunteer Services Coordinator at volunteer@vtfoodbank.org for more information or with any questions.

Can I pick up food for others at drop sites?2020-05-14T11:10:17-04:00

Yes. If you will be picking up Commodity Supplemental Food Program boxes you will need to be listed as a proxy for the person whose box you’ll be picking up. For more information on becoming a proxy, please call the Vermont Foodbank at 1-800-585-2265.

If you are picking up food at a VeggieVanGo event, you can inform the staff member or volunteer who is assisting you how many families you’re picking up for and they will ensure you receive enough food for each family.

If you are picking up food at a Farmers to Families Food Box Distribution, you can pick up “Farmers to Families” food boxes for up to 5 households while supplies last. Please note that each household receives 3 boxes (25 pounds of produce, 7.5 pounds of dairy products, and 20 pounds of chicken) and 2 gallons of milk, so car space will likely be a limiting factor. Please plan accordingly. At participating sites, people are welcome to pick up non-perishable meal boxes (20 pounds each) for up to 10 individuals.

Where can I get food?2023-06-20T13:17:32-04:00

The Vermont Foodbank partners with over 300 food shelves, meal sites, and community organizations throughout the state and holds regular distribution events at schools and hospitals each month. Please visit our Find A Food Shelf page for contact and location information for your local food shelf or meal site.

The Vermont Foodbank provides fresh food at sites throughout the state through VeggieVanGo.

We are working closely with our school and hospital partners to ensure that we can still provide food in ways that doesn’t promote the spread of virus. Please contact the location of your local VeggieVanGo for details about VeggieVanGo in your community. If you have additional questions, please call the Vermont Foodbank at 1-800-585-2265.

Apply for 3SquaresVT, a federal program that provides monthly funds to purchase groceries. You could be eligible to receive a 3SquaresVT benefit or increase the benefit you already receive. We can help you apply. Visit www.vtfoodbank.org/nurture-people/3squaresvt, call toll-free 855-855-6181or text VFBSNAP to 85511 or email 3SVT@vtfoodbank.org .

The Commodity Supplemental Food Program provides a free box of food to people 60 years and above who meet income guidelines. Pickup locations statewide.  For details or to apply, call 800-214-4648 or visit  https://www.vtfoodbank.org/share-food/csfp

Refer to this flyer for additional resources to help you find food during this crisis.

How can I get pet food?2020-05-14T11:03:13-04:00

Some of our partner food shelves may have these items in stock. Please use our Find A Food Shelf tool to locate a partner in your area and contact them directly to inquire about the availability of these products.

Additionally, we work with https://www.pawsitivepantry.org/ and with https://vermontdart.org/ to ensure that family pets also have access to food. Please contact these organizations directly for assistance acquiring pet food.

How do I get hand sanitizer/face masks?2020-05-14T11:00:16-04:00

At this time the Foodbank is unable to deliver hand sanitizer and face masks due to supply shortages.

Is the delivery to my location still happening?2020-05-14T10:58:56-04:00

Currently, the Foodbank’s regularly scheduled deliveries and services are continuing to take place though some changes to times and locations may have been made due to the pandemic. If you have questions about a specific delivery, please contact the location in which you regularly pick up your food, your SASH coordinator if this is a SASH-related delivery, or the Foodbank directly at 1-800-585-2265.

  • The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP): For people enrolled in this program, we are distributing 2 CSFP boxes in April. This includes the boxes for both April and May. This will cut down on the number of times people need to leave the house to get food, and provide some extra food during this challenging time. There will be no distribution in May. All April deliveries are currently taking place at their usual time and location. If you have additional questions, please call the Vermont Foodbank at 1-800-585-2265.
  • Support and Services at Home (SASH): Many of our deliveries of food to SASH housing sites will be taking place as usual. Please contact your SASH coordinator directly for more details.
  • VeggieVanGo: We are working closely with our school and hospital partners to ensure that we can still provide food in ways that doesn’t promote the spread of virus. Please contact the location of your local VeggieVanGo for details about VeggieVanGo in your community. If you have additional questions, please call the Vermont Foodbank at 1-800-585-2265.
Go to Top