Housing, Health, Hunger & Help: Food and Free Meal Sites
SNAP
Formerly known as food stamps, SNAP provides a monthly benefit to buy nutritious foods. To learn more about SNAP, click here or call the Department of Transitional Assistance at 1-800-249-2007.
WIC
The Women, Infants, & Children (WIC) Nutrition Program provides healthy foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and referrals to healthcare and other services, free of charge, to Massachusetts families who qualify. To check your eligibility, apply, or learn more, click here or call 1.800.942.1007.
HIP
The Massachusetts Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) will match SNAP recipients’ purchases of fruits and vegetables at participating farmers markets, farm stands, mobile markets, and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm share programs. For more information, contact Project Bread's FoodSource Hotline at 800.645.8333 or (TTY) 800.377.1292. HIP flyers available in 17 different languages.
To learn how to include more fruits and vegetables in your meals, please visit www.mahealthyfoodsinasnap.org.
Mayor's Office of Food Access
The Mayor's Office of Food Access is a city department committed to helping residents of Boston gain access to healthy, affordable, and culturally diverse food options and offerings. Its website is a useful resource to locate local food pantries, community meal sites, health incentives programs, elderly nutrition programs, after-school meal sites, and fair foods sites.
Print any of the following Food Resource maps to locate food and meal resources in your neighborhood. These maps are not meant to be an exhaustive listing of organizations, but coverage is wide and varied. Maps available in the following language: Cape Verdean, Chinese (traditional), English, Haitian Creole, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
Food Assistance Agencies
- Meal Times for Downtown Boston
Many shelters also provide meals and snacks for their visitors. This file includes a weekly schedule of meal times at various shelters throughout downtown Boston. Credit: St. Anthony's Shrine, 100 Arch Street, Boston, MA
- Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD) Food Services
Access to resources for families in Boston, Malden, Medford and Everett for food pantries, holiday meals, and SNAP Benefits. - The Greater Boston Food Bank
You can find food pantries and meals with the Greater Boston Food Bank. GBFB partners with 520+ hunger-relief agencies, including food pantries, community meal programs and other food assistance providers throughout the nine counties and 190 towns and cities across Eastern Massachusetts. - Project Bread
Some food pantry sites require a referral through another agency or through the Project Bread Food Source Referral Hotline. For a referral from Project Bread, call 1.800.645.8333 Monday-Friday from 8am - 7pm and Saturday from 10am - 2pm.
Economic Assistance
The Department of Transitional Assistance provides residents of Massachusetts with 3 economic assistance programs: Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC), Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled, and Children (EAEDC), and the State Supplement Program (SSP).
These services offer Massachusetts temporary cash assistance and supportive services to children, individuals, and their families. Click on the following links to:
- Check TAFDC eligibility and how to applyApplications cannot be done online.
Contact: Department of Transitional Assistance Line Call 877.382.2363
The DTA Assistance Line is open from 8:15am to 4:45pm - Check EAEDC eligibility and how to applyApplications cannot be done online.
Contact: Department of Transitional Assistance Line Call 877.382.2363
The DTA Assistance Line is open from 8:15am to 4:45pm - Learn about SSP eligibility and paymentsPhone: 877.863.1128
- Find an economic assistance officeYou must apply for economic assistance (cash benefits) in-person at a Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) office. At every office, you can apply, get case management help, information, and referral services.