Food Assistance

Community Care Initiatives Beyond Columbia’s Campus

The community care initiatives help people access the assistance they need, while also offering ways to contribute and support others. The following community care initiatives connect people with monetary support, local assistance (such as grocery delivery, prescription pick-up, shoveling, and other basic tasks), and food.

This is an evolving and very incomplete list of the resources available in NYC. If you know of other resources that should be shared with The Grad Network community, email Melissa so they can be added.

A circle divided into 3 equal compartments. Each area of the circle contains the image of a different building on Columbia's campus. There is text around the perimeter of the circle that says "The Food Pantry at Columbia. EST. 2017"

The Food Pantry at Columbia

The Food Pantry at Columbia is open to any student within any of the 21 Schools within Columbia University - undergraduate or graduate, full-time or part-time. Any student who has any level of food insecurity can reach out to us to get a disbursement catered to your individual dietary and household needs. All students can feel rest assured that any information they provide to us will remain within The Food Pantry at Columbia and will not be shared with anyone without their explicit permission.

The Food Pantry at Columbia is open at two locations. For more location-specific hours, directions, announcements, and events please click on the location below to learn more.

Kosher food is available at both food pantry locations.

Food Bank for New York City

Food Bank for New York City offers an interactive map to help find a soup kitchen, food pantry, senior center, or SNAP enrollment site near you.

Food Bank New York City also provides a schedule of mobile pantry and pop-up distribution sites. Sign up for mobile pantry email updates to receive the schedule in your inbox.

For information about meals and services specifically in Harlem, click here.

Food Help NYC

Food Help NYC is an interactive map that can be used to find locations that offer free food (food pantries and soup kitchens). Hours and locations are subject to change.

It is possible additional food locations are open but not featured on the map.

Yellow box with a block border. The text within the yellow box says, "NYC 311"

NYC 311 Food Resources

Use Site Finder to search for a Food Provider near you. You can get free food from a food pantry or soup kitchen.

Food pantries give you groceries to use at home. Packages include canned goods and other non-perishable food items. You would be given enough food to make more than one meal per person.

Soup kitchens serve meals at community centers. Mobile soup kitchens serve meals from vans. Each person gets one meal.

Call the food pantry or soup kitchen first to confirm their hours before visiting.

Lower East Side Food Not Bombs

Lower East Side Food Not Bombs serves free vegan meals every Sunday at 4:30pm inside the SW corner of Tompkins Square Park (E 7th st & Ave A) .

Email Food Not Bombs or Direct Message on Instagram for information about meals or how to get involved.