Anyone who lives, works, or goes to school in Monroe County and needs emergency groceries is welcome to visit The People's Pantry. You can come during open hours either by appointment or as a walk-in. If you live in another county, you can visit 211 Lifeline to find the food pantry closest to your home.
Bring a photo ID each time you come to the pantry. Please bring identification for yourself and for every household member who will be asking for help. Acceptable documents that show your current address include:
For your protection, the pantry does not keep copies of these documents on file.
You can pick up groceries once every 4 weeks. After your first visit, you'll be given an appointment to come back 4 weeks later.
The People's Pantry is wheelchair accessible. The parking lot is very small, so visitors are asked to use the nearby street parking. Many visitors share that the staff are kind and welcoming, and the wait in line is often short. As one person put it, they "was greeted with such respect and was cared for."
When you visit, you'll receive shelf-stable items, frozen meat, and a selection of fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, and bread. Visitors have mentioned getting canned goods, pouches of meat, cartons of milk, cheese, and fresh strawberries. Beyond food, the pantry typically has baby diapers, feminine products, and dog or cat food available. Personal hygiene items may be limited in quantity, but the pantry tries to help wherever it can.
When you arrive, you'll sign in with your name and address and then receive your groceries, usually packed in bags. Both appointments and walk-ins are welcome during open hours.
If you can't make it to the pantry yourself because of illness or another reason, you can send someone to pick up groceries for you. You'll need to fill out a form naming that person as your representative, and the representative will need to show their own photo ID when picking up your groceries. The People's Pantry does not offer a home delivery program at this time.
The People's Pantry welcomes donations to help fight hunger in the Rochester community. The items the pantry always needs include canned fruit, canned vegetables, canned beans, pasta, and rice, along with general food items.
You can give in a few ways:
If you have questions about donating, you can reach out through the pantry's donations page. Sponsorship options are also available for those who'd like to support the pantry for a day or a week.
Bethany House runs a community food pantry that serves women as the head of their household. There are no income guidelines or restrictions, so your income won't keep you from getting help. The pantry
This Salvation Army food distribution center is part of the Emergency and Family Services (EFS) program, which helps households in crisis throughout Monroe County. Everyone is welcome here. The Salvat
The Community Food Cupboard of Rochester runs an emergency food program for people who live within its service area. If you live outside the service area, the cupboard will still help you one time and
The House of Mercy community food pantry is open to anyone in need. You don't need an appointment to come, and people who've visited say they got food for their families and the things they needed.
St. Andrew's Food Cupboard serves families in the St. Andrew's area of Rochester. It's part of a network of food pantries in Monroe County that covers a specific section of the 14609 and 14621 zip cod