Groceries are Expensive
Groceries are incredibly expensive right now, and if you’re struggling to keep the fridge stocked with healthy food you’re not alone.
Here’s a list of programs, services, and resources in North Eastern Pennsylvania that can help…
Food Banks, Food Pantries, and Soup Kitchens in NEPA
Local food banks, food pantries, and soup kitchens provide free food to community members in need and typically DO NOT require you to apply or qualify for their services in any way. If these services could help you, they’re available to you.
Seven Loaves Soup Kitchen: based in Tunkhannock, PA. Anyone who comes in is welcome – without question or qualification. Seven Loaves’ strive to be of assistance to others and serve with a spirit of compassion, respect, and dignity. Their meals are planned and prepared with nutrition in mind and they provide hot meals for dine-in or take-out, Monday through Friday from 5:00 pm. to 6:00 p.m. For those who cannot get to Tunkhannock, but who live nearby, volunteers from several churches in outlying communities pick up meals from the Soup Kitchen and deliver them to individuals and families in need- call and leave a message if you need this service. Address: 51 Warren St., Tunkhannock, PA 18657. Telephone: (570) 996-5005. Email: info@sevenloaveskitchen.org. To support this organization, you can volunteer or make a donation via their website.
Friends of the Poor Scranton: offers an array of community support services including: 14 different local Food Pantries, annual Thanksgiving Food Baskets, Furniture + Home Goods Assistance, Men's Clothing (Clothesline for Men), Water Bill Assistance, Seniors Programs, and Children's Camp Programs. You can keep up with news and updates via their Instagram, Facebook, and website. You can sign up to volunteer to support this organization via their website, and if you’re able you can make a donation right online.
Chop Out Hunger (CHOP): CHOP is on a mission to create an entire generation that doesn’t know hunger through innovative programs and partnership. They operate popup food pantries, in-school pantries, a backpack program that provides school-aged children with free groceries for the weekend, summer meal programs, as well as programs for Veterans and Seniors. Find a popup pantry in NEPA right here, sign up to volunteer right here, and keep up with updates and programs via Facebook and their website.
The Commission on Economic Opportunity (CEO) has created a great resource to help people find and navigate food pantries in NEPA via their website. If you cannot locate a local pantry near you - you can call CEO's main office for a pantry referral: (570)-826-0510 or 800-822-0359. Their website provides detailed lists of food pantries in Susquehanna County, Wyoming County, Lackawanna County, and Luzerne County. They do recommend you call the locations on their lists to verify hours for accuracy before visiting.
Central Pennsylvania Food Bank has an interactive map featuring more than 1,100 soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters and social programs within the 27 counties they serve. Visit their Find Food page to select the resources that best fit your location, schedule, and need.
How To Find Community Services Near You
Neighborly is a website to help you connect with everything from food and housing to medical care available for free or at reduced-cost near you. Visit their website to find local services in your neighborhood.
PA 211 is a free, confidential, multi-lingual service to help you find and access food, clothing, and shelter services in PA. They’re available to text or chat with you 24/7/365. Use the search feature to easily filter local services that fit your needs. https://www.pa211.org/
PA Department of Human Services (DHS): Find and search through all the official DHS programs working to address nutrition, hunger, and food insecurity in PA, via the DHS website.
Nutrition Assistance Programs in Pennsylvania
See a full list of PA Food Assistance Programs via the PA Website
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): Pennsylvania residents can check to see if they qualify for SNAP right online. Visit the SNAP website to see if you qualify and to apply online. See below for year-round farmers markets in NEPA that accept SNAP.
WIC: the USDA's Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children which provides nutrition assistance to pregnant, recently pregnant, and breastfeeding women as well as children from birth through 5 years. You can check eligibility guidelines and apply online via the USDA website.
The WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP): The USDA sends qualifying WIC recipients addition vouchers that can be used at approved farms and farmers markets. Details available via the State of Pennsylvania’s website. See below for a list of farms and markets that accept FMNP vouchers.
Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP): The USDA sends voucher checks to qualifying seniors, which can then be used at approved farms and farmers markets. Seniors must be 60 years of age or older and meet the federal income guidelines, you’ll find more details on the program and application process via their website. See below for a list of farms and markets that accept SFMNP vouchers.
Pennsylvania Senior Food Box Program: The Pennsylvania Senior Food Box Program provides more than 39,000 low-income Pennsylvanians aged 60 and older with a supplemental shelf-stable food package every month. If you’re a senior in PA and are interested in the program, you should call us at 800-468-2433 or email RA-fooddist@pa.gov to be directed to the regional food bank than manages the Senior Food Box Program in your area. If you reside in Luzerne, Lackawanna, Wyoming, or Susquehanna Counties you can call the The Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank for local details on joining the PA Senior Food Box Program 570-908-2222 ext. 504 or 506.
Pennsylvania’s SUN Bucks: Pennsylvania’s Summer EBT program. This is a new grocery benefits program that provides households with a one-time payment of $120 for each eligible child to buy food while school is out. Benefits can be used at local participating retailers to purchase groceries. Many children will get these benefits automatically, but some households will need to apply. The benefits will be added to an existing SNAP/TANF EBT card or a newly issued Summer EBT card. Find out more on the State of Pennsylvania’s website.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): TANF is a temporary cash assistance program designed to help pregnant women, dependent children and their parents who live with them, and dependent children and other relatives who live with them and care for them. Find out more on the State of Pennsylvania’s website.
Year-Round NEPA Farmers Markets That Accept SNAP
Southside Farmers Market: This indoor, year-round market is open Saturdays from 10am - 1pm and located at 509 Cedar Ave, Scranton, PA 18505. Follow on Facebook and website for market updates.
This market is operated by United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania (UNC) as part of their work to revitalize the South Scranton neighborhood, and to address a lack of local access to fresh, affordable food.
This market accepts SNAP benefits and participates in the Food Trust Food Bucks program. When you use SNAP benefits at the market, you’ll receive additional veggie vouchers at no cost to spend on fresh produce: Spend $4 in SNAP/EBT benefits and receive an additional $2 in Food Bucks for fresh produce, with no weekly limit.
The Market offers locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as eggs, meat, and baked goods.
Carbondale Farmers Market: This year-round market is open on Thursdays and is located at:185 Fallbrook St, Carbondale, PA 18407. You can follow on Facebook and their website for market hours and updates.
This market is operated by United Neighborhood Centers of Northeastern Pennsylvania (UNC) and is located at UNC’s Fallbrook Apartments & Healthy Aging Campus. The market offers locally grown fruits and vegetables, eggs, meat, baked goods and booths featuring the works of local artisans.
This market accept SNAP Benefits and participates in the Food Trust Food Bucks program. When you use SNAP benefits at the market, you’ll receive additional veggie vouchers at no cost to spend on fresh produce: Spend $4 in SNAP/EBT benefits and receive an additional $2 in Food Bucks for fresh produce, with no weekly limit.
Farms & Farmers’ Markets That Accept SNAP, FMNP, & SFMNP
You can find farms and Farmer’s Markets approved to accept SNAP via the interactive USDA SNAP Retailer map.
You can find farms and farmers markets that accept vouchers from the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) and the WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) via Farmers Market Nutrition Program page on the State of Pennsylvania’s website.
Local Buy Nothing Groups and Swaps
SWAP Scranton: A Scranton-based org that hosts free clothing swaps, so you can buy nothing and trade the clothes you don’t wear for clothes you can wear and use. Find an upcoming event by following them on Facebook and Instagram.
Buy Nothing Groups on Facebook: Buy Nothing Groups offer members a way to give and receive, share, lend, and express gratitude through a worldwide network of hyper-local gift economies in which the true wealth is the web of connections formed between people who are real-life neighbors. Find your local group via their national website.