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If you or someone you love is struggling to put food on the table right now, you are not alone — and you don’t have to go hungry. Minneapolis has a strong network of free food shelves, community pantries, and hot meal programs ready to help. Whether you need groceries to last the week or a warm meal today, here’s what’s available near you.

According to a 2025 statewide hunger study, 1 in 5 Minnesota households cannot afford the food they need and must use external support such as food shelves and SNAP to meet their needs. At the same time, more than 60,000 Minneapolis residents — about 14% of the city’s population — rely on SNAP benefits to buy food each month. With federal food assistance facing ongoing uncertainty, local programs are working harder than ever to fill the gap. Mayor Jacob Frey directed $150,000 to six local nonprofit partners to help food shelves restock and meet rising demand as residents face continued uncertainty around federal food benefits.

Below is a rundown of programs currently open in Minneapolis — updated with the latest available information for 2025.

🍽️ Free Hot Meal Programs in Minneapolis

These programs serve ready-to-eat meals, no purchase necessary. Most welcome anyone in need, regardless of income or zip code.

Loaves & Fishes

Loaves & Fishes offers free meals to anyone in need at over 25 community locations, and guests can request as many meals as they need. Guests at these sites receive any number of meals needed for their household, and many dining sites are partnered with local groups that routinely offer non-food items like personal hygiene products, coats, mittens, and socks. Several Minneapolis locations include:

• Loaves & Fishes – Great is Thy Faithfulness, 1115 30th Ave. N. — Meals served Monday–Friday, 5:30–6:30 p.m. Go to the red doors on the Emerson Avenue side of the church. Call 612-377-9810.
• Loaves & Fishes – ICCM Life Center, 1812 Park Ave. S. — Free in-person meals Tuesday–Friday, 1–3 p.m. Call 612-377-9810.
• Loaves & Fishes – Peace House Community, 1816 Portland Ave. — Free meals Monday–Friday, 5–6 p.m. To-go meals served at the back of the building. Call 612-377-9810.
• Loaves & Fishes – Mount Olivet Lutheran Church, 5025 Knox Ave. S. — Free to-go meals served at the main entrance, Thursdays, 4–5:30 p.m.

Salvation Army – Twin Cities

The Twin Cities Salvation Army serves daily hot meals at several centers, stocks food shelves, and offers distributions of bakery and produce items — all free to anyone in need, no questions asked. Minneapolis locations include:

• Harbor Light Center, 1010 Currie Ave. — Any person in need is invited to a free balanced meal each Saturday and Sunday at 6 p.m. Call 612-767-3100.
• East Lake Street Salvation Army, 1604 E. Lake St. — Meals served 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m., Monday through Wednesday. Call 612-721-1513.

Catholic Charities – Mary F. Frey Opportunities Center

Located at 740 17th St. E., this center offers breakfast and lunch, plus showers, internet access, laundry, employment counseling, and resources for mental and medical health. Breakfast is served Monday through Saturday, 7–8 a.m., and lunch Monday–Saturday, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Bring an ID and sign up at the front desk to receive a community card. Call 612-204-6300.

Community & Neighborhood Meal Programs

• Pillsbury United Communities – Oak Park Center, 1701 Oak Park Ave. N. — Free meals and other resources, Tuesday–Thursday, 4–6 p.m.
• Central Lutheran Church, 333 12th St. S. — Community meal served on Mondays, 11:30 a.m.–noon. A bag lunch to go is also available. Call 612-870-4416.
• Salem Lutheran Church, 4150 Dupont Ave. N. — Free community meal Tuesdays at 6 p.m. Curbside pickup in car, bike, or on foot. Bag includes two servings of a home-cooked meal. Call 612-521-3644.
• Westminster Presbyterian Church (Downtown Minneapolis) — Westminster partners with three other downtown Minneapolis congregations to provide a hot, free community meal on Sunday evenings for neighbors in need.
• First Nations Kitchen, 3044 Longfellow Ave. — Free weekly meal Sundays, 4–5 p.m., featuring indigenous foods such as buffalo, turkey, fish, and wild rice. Call 612-722-2285.

🛒 Free Food Shelves & Pantries

Food shelves let you take groceries home so you can cook for yourself or your family. Most are open multiple days a week and serve walk-ins.

Jericho Road Food Shelves

Jericho Road Food Shelf at Jubilee Community Church, 1628 E. 33rd St., provides food shelf access including perishable food, Monday through Thursday, 1:30–4:30 p.m., with produce distribution on Thursdays, 10 a.m.–noon. Call 612-455-1193. A second location is also open at 1118 8th St. S. (CityJoy Center), Tuesdays and Thurs