Free Food: Meals & Groceries
Index
Meals to Go or Eat on Site:
Resources to Print
Waltham weekly food guide April 14-20
Recursos de Comida Gratis 14 al 20 de abril
Meals To Go or Eat on Site
Soup kitchen- Serving Meals to go.
Open: Monday- Friday 10 AM -12 PM
Address: 33 Myrtle St, Waltham, MA
Bristol Lodge Soup Kitchen, Middlesex Human Services Agency
Dinner in to-go containers, double to go meals on Fridays. Masks need to be worn inside the building- we will supply a mask for anyone who needs one.
Open: Monday - Friday 4:30 - 5:30 PM
Phone: (781)-894-6110
Address: Christ Church Episcopal, 750 Main Street
Temple Beth Israel of Waltham and Food not Bombs
Free food for all.
Open: Sunday 2 - 4 PM
Waltham Commons
Address: 610 Main Street. (across the street from the commuter rail station)
Chaplains on the Way Breakfast Program
Hot Breakfast Served, welcome to sit and eat.
Open: Monday-Friday 7:30-10:30AM
Address: 50 Church Street
Meals for Youth (18 and younger)
Snacks and dinner for youth 18 and younger.
Snack: Monday-Thursday 2:30pm, Friday 2:00pm
Dinner: Monday-Thursday 5:30pm, Friday 4:30pm
Address: Waltham Public Library, 735 Main St
Meals to Go for Seniors
For seniors with needs they cannot meet, call the senior center at (781)-314-3300. They are able to deliver frozen meals to those who have no other resources.
Springwell's Community Dining Sites are continuing their operations, providing take-out meals instead of their usual dine-in service. All residents over the age of 60 are eligible to participate. Waltham hosts two dining sites:
Waltham Clark Apartments
Address: 48 Pine Street
Phone: (781)-398-0150
Open: Monday-Friday, 11:30 AM
Waltham Mill Apartments
Address: 174 Moody Street
Phone: (617)-972-5700
Open: Tuesdays 11:30 AM
Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels is a program that offers well-balanced meals to adults through home delivery or congregated dining sites. If you need home-delivered meals, staff will make an appointment for a home-delivered meal assessment.
Call 1-800-243-4636 to find the closest agency.
Meals to Go for Homeless Residents
Community Day Center of Waltham
Staff are distributing bag lunches for sit down meals inside. director@communitydaycenter.org
Monday - Friday 12:30 PM
Address: 16 Felton Street, Waltham
Food Pantries & Markets All pantries and markets are free
Bristol Lodge Food Pantry, Middlesex Human Services Agency
Pantry offers a variety of fresh, frozen and canned foods. All are welcome.
Open: Every Wednesday 9 AM - 12 PM
Address: Christ Church Episcopal, 750 Main Street
Safety Practices: Using all possible recommended COVID-19 prevention techniques as they strive to balance absolutely minimizing the spread of COVID-19 while still providing those in need with free and healthy food. Masks need to be worn inside the building.
Healthy Waltham Food Pantry, Community Response Pantry
Food Pantry for any Waltham resident. We currently offer a box of shelf-stable groceries plus several fresh items for each family while we prepare to move to a new space in spring 2024.
Please bring your own cart to carry food. It is heavy!
Location: Pantry is walk-up only at the Fitch School parking lot, corner Cherry and Crescent Streets (5 Cherry St) with regular hours from 1:30 PM -6 PM. All pantry clients must register and sign up for an appointment through this link: https://www.your-market.
Need help registering or signing up for an appointment? We will help you on pantry days in person 9:30AM-11:00AM. Guests without an appointment will be served from 5 PM - 6 PM.
Dates: Open the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month
Where to park: Street parking only. Please respect our neighbors and do not park on private property or block driveways. Park in legal spots and in city-owned (pay) lots only.
Middlesex Human Services Agency Mobile Market
3rd Saturday of the month. (Subject to change - Check website to confirm)
Open: 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Address: 50 Prospect St., Waltham, parking lot
Safety Practices: Using all possible recommended COVID-19 prevention techniques as they strive to balance absolutely minimizing the spread of COVID-19 while still providing those in need with free and healthy food. Masks need to be worn inside the building.
Each individual or family can get food once a month. Bring photo ID, proof of address (lease, utility bill) and income (paystubs, Social Security letter). Food is prepared to go.
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
Open: 10 AM -12:30 PM
Address: 33 Myrtle Street
Phone: (781)-894-0413
Produce Distribution
First and third Wednesday of the month
Bread and Pastry Distribution
Tuesday's and Thursday's
*Subject to donations received
Free grocery distribution for all. No ID required.
Open: Wednesday 6 PM
Waltham Commons
Address: 610 Main Street. (across the street from the commuter rail station)
Open to patients of Charles River Community Health Center Waltham or Brighton. Mobile Market is now operating as a drive-thru - it is held outdoors with no registration process; participants receive a bag of fresh produce. ONE family member should attend. Can drive or walk up, cars preferred. Read more here.
3rd Tuesday of the month
Open: 2:30 - 3:30 PM
Charles River Community Health
Address: 495 Western Avenue, Brighton, MA
Provide pre-packed grocery bag pickups, as well as paper products, cleaning and personal care items.
Grocery pickups:
Open: Tuesdays, 2:30 - 6:00 PM & Senior Hour: 1:00 - 2:00 PM
Third Saturday, 11:30 AM - 2:00 PM
Address: 11 Homer St in Newton Center
Lower level of Trinity Church, pick up on Furber Lane
We now have an outdoor operation with curbside pickup. We provide pre-packed bags of cold and frozen foods as well as produce and dry goods. We accept new families who live in one of the communities we serve as well as those already registered with us. We ask that new families fill out our online pantry registration form Or print and fill out our paper form.
Financial Assistance and Other Food Support
Food Stamps, Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA)
If you get SNAP and you work, and you lose hours or have to stop work, report your lower hours to DTA as soon as you can, so they can adjust your SNAP benefit amount.
To apply for SNAP or check your account:
- Visit www.DTAConnect.com or download the DTA Connect Mobile app to submit documents, check your balance, and more.
- Apply online through Mass.gov.
- For additional help, call Project Bread. Can assist callers apply for SNAP in over 160 languages. Read more on their flyer.
1-800-645-8333
Monday - Friday: 8 AM to 7 PM
Saturday: 10 AM to 2 PM or reach hotline counselors by instant message through www.gettingsnap.org - WATCH CDC Housing & Basic Needs Clinic - Contact the clinic for assistance in applying or updating your application. Contact Sarah at WATCH by leaving a message at (781)-891-6689 ext. 203 and you will get a return call as soon as possible.
NEW benefit for SNAP holders: Restaurant Meals (RMP)
The RMP allows older adults (60+), homeless individuals, and people with disabilities to buy food at authorized restaurants/food trucks using their SNAP EBT card. The program is open now to eligible clients.
WIC continues to offer services over the phone to pregnant, postpartum, breastfeeding, non-breastfeeding women and kids up to the age of 5. The offices are still closed until further notice, but WIC benefits are even easier to get at this time, because participants do not have to go into an office for their appointments. Everything is done remotely and they get their benefits downloaded onto their WIC card. Anybody can go shop for WIC families if they are not able to go to the store.
To enroll participants please go online or call our offices:
- Waltham: (781) 642-7194
- Framingham: (508)-620-1445
Like our Facebook page for updates and resources.
All our staff are safely working from home and able to:
- Enroll new participants
- Re-enroll families who have been on WIC before
- Do nutrition consultations over the phone
- Download food and formula benefits remotely onto WIC cards
- Offer virtual breastfeeding classes
- Help participants to apply for SNAP benefits and MassHealth and make referrals to programs that can help families with other needs.
Project Bread FoodSource Hotline
If you or someone you know living in Massachusetts needs food assistance, please refer them to Project Bread's FoodSource Hotline, toll-free and confidential, at 1-800-645-8333. Monday - Friday: 8 AM - 7 PM. Saturday: 10 AM -2 PM.
Counselors can assist callers with: Information, eligibility, and over-the-phone application assistance with SNAP, school meal site information, summer meal site information, and local community resources, such as food pantries and meal services.
Counselors can assist callers in 160 languages and there is a dedicated line to assist the hearing-impaired community at TTY: 1-800-377-1292. More information can be found, here. This service is available to all Massachusetts residents.
Family Table at Jewish Family and Children's Services
For assistance with food access and referral to services call the Family Table at(781)-693-5593. They also provide assistance applying for and using SNAP benefits. To contact, please email them at SNAPhelp@jfcsboston.org or call the JF&CS Bet Tzedek Intake Line at (781)-693-1333.