Verified Jun 5, 2026
Get food today
Free groceries and hot meals in Sacramento County — no shame, no catch. Most pantries ask only for a name; bring ID if you have it, but don't let not having one stop you.
Start here: the two tools that always know what's open
Sacramento Food Bank's Food Finder — live map of 100+ partner pantries countywide. Type your address, get today's open sites.
211 Sacramento — dial 2-1-1 (or 916-498-1000), free, confidential, 24 hours a day, every day. A real person finds the nearest food for you. 211sacramento.org
Listings below change less often, but the Food Finder and 211 are updated daily — when in doubt, check there first.
Free groceries
River City Food Bank
A roughly three-day supply of balanced groceries — produce, protein, dairy, staples — for anyone experiencing hunger. No county-residence requirement.
- Midtown1800 28th Street, Sacramento — Tue & Thu, 10:30am–1:30pm
- Ardenat St. Matthew's, 2300 Edison Avenue, Sacramento — Wed & Fri, 10:30am–1:30pm
- Phone(916) 446-2627
- Webrivercityfoodbank.org
Days alternate between the two sites — between them, weekday coverage. Confirm the day's site by phone if you're making a long trip.
Elk Grove Food Bank Services
Free groceries for residents of Elk Grove and south Sacramento County. Also delivers to homebound neighbors in some ZIP codes — see Accessibility.
- Address9888 Kent Street, Elk Grove
- HoursMon–Fri, 9:00am–2:00pm (shortened on 1st Thu & 4th Wed; may close at noon in extreme heat)
- Phone(916) 685-8453
- Webelkgrovefoodbankservices.org
Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services — the network behind the pantries
SFBFS is the warehouse hub supplying ~112 partner pantries countywide. It does not hand out food at its Bell Avenue headquarters — use its Food Finder to find the partner site nearest you. It also runs the Food for Seniors monthly box program and free CalFresh application help.
- Phone(916) 456-1980 (office, Mon–Fri)
- Websacramentofoodbank.org
Hot meals
Loaves & Fishes
A daily hot lunch in the Dining Room, plus day shelter, showers, restrooms, and women's & children's services — serving around 1,000 people a day, no questions asked.
- Address1351 North C Street, Sacramento
- HoursCampus open Mon–Fri, about 8:00am–4:00pm; lunch served daily — call for today's serving time
- Phone(916) 446-0874
- Websacloaves.org
Wellspring Women's Center
A nutritious breakfast and light lunch for any woman or child in need, in a safe, welcoming space — plus support services beyond the meal.
- Address3414 4th Avenue, Sacramento (Oak Park)
- HoursMon–Fri, 8:30–11:00am drop-in
- Phone(916) 454-9688
- Webwellspringwomen.org
Community fridges
Sacramento community fridge network
Volunteer-run free fridges — take what you need, leave what you can, 24/7, nobody checks anything. Locations shift as hosts come and go, and we won't print an address we can't verify is stocked. The network organizes on Instagram at @sacfridge4all — check there for currently active fridges.
Want groceries you pick yourself, with money that doubles?
If you have (or could get) CalFresh, Sacramento's farmers markets take EBT and Market Match doubles it for fresh produce — see Markets & benefits.