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COVID 19 Resources: FREE MEALS

Know Your Rights – Meal Assistance

May 21, 2020

Do you need access to meals during this COVID-19 crisis since schools are closed or for any other reason?

  • The New York City Department of Education is providing free meals to any New Yorker.  You can pick up these free "Grab and Go" meals at all Meal Hubs from 7:30 am to 1:30 pm, Monday through Friday.  The Meal Hub locations can be found at the resources provided in “What resources are available to me?” below.
    • Children and families can pick up the free “Grab and Go” meals at the Meal Hubs from 7:30 am to 11:30 am.  Parents and guardians can pick up meals for your children.
    • Adults without children can pick up the free “Grab and Go” meals at the Meal Hubs from 11:30 am to 1:30 am.
    • Every Meal Hub location also provides vegetarian and Halal options.
      • Certain Meal Hub locations exclusively offer free kosher meals.  For these locations, please refer to “What resources are available to me?” below.
    • There is no dining space available at the Meal Hubs, so you must eat your meal off premise.
    • You do not need to register or bring ID to receive your free meal.
  • FoodHelp NYC provides a map of New York City’s food pantries that provide groceries that you can cook at home and community kitchens that provide hot meals.  This resource is available in many languages, including Chinese, Japanese and Korean.
  • The New York City Food Bank is open and running.  Food Bank has established Community Response Partners in each borough to serve as food and resource “hubs” where local soup kitchens and food pantries have closed.  Food Bank also has pop-up food distributions to provide emergency food, fresh produce and household supplies to certain families.
    • Food Bank’s Community Kitchen and Food Pantry in Harlem is open with free to-go meals at 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm on Monday to Friday and take-home pantry bags on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.  No registration or ID is required.  The address is 252 West 116th Street, New York, NY 10026.

Are you and your household unable to leave your home during this COVID-19 crisis and need food?

  • New York City is providing assistance to certain New Yorkers during the COVID-19 crisis by delivering meals to people who cannot access food themselves.
    • You can qualify for this food delivery assistance if you meet the following criteria as a result of the COVID-19 emergency:
      • No members of your household can go out and get food because you and they are at increased medical risk or are homebound,
      • No neighbors or family members can go out and get food for you,
      • You do not receive meal assistance from other providers (including Citymeals on Wheels), and
      • You are unable to afford meal delivery or grocery delivery.
    • If you meet the criteria above, you can order 3 days of food at a time for up to 1 month.
    • Each delivery contains 3 days of food (9 meals per person).  No household will receive more than 18 meals per delivery.
  • Citymeals on Wheels in New York City is still helping New York seniors gain access to meals during the COVID-19 crisis.
    • In order to qualify for this program, you must meet the following criteria:
      • Must be 60 years old or older,
      • Must be physically or mentally incapacitated and in need of some assistance,
      • Must be unable to prepare nutritious meals or have no one to do so for you, and
      • Must be able to live safely at home if services are provided to you.
    • You can still receive meals if you receive Medicaid.
    • If you receive homecare, you can still be eligible to receive meals if the homecare worker cannot prepare meals to fit your dietary or religious restrictions, or they are hired only to help you with other tasks.
  • All senior centers in New York City have closed and have shifted to meal deliveries or grab-and-go meals. Older adults who need food delivery or supplies can call the Department of Aging at 212-244-6469 to arrange delivery or call 311.

Do you need assistance with your HRA and SNAP benefits?

  • You can apply for SNAP online or by smart phone with the ACCESS HRA app.  It may not be necessary to do an interview to receive your benefits.
  • SNAP recertifications are postponed due to COVID-19.  If you have a SNAP recertification currently scheduled or one that is coming up, you do not need to recertify.  Your SNAP benefits will continue.

What resources are available to me?

“Grab and Go” Meals Resources

For more information on “Grab and Go” meals, menus, Meal Hub locations with increased Halal meal supplies and Meal Hub locations with kosher meals, please visit: https://www.schools.nyc.gov/school-life/food/free-meals.

To locate a Meal Hub near you, please visit: https://www.opt-osfns.org/schoolfoodny/meals/default.aspx.  You can also find a site by texting “FOOD” to 877877.

To locate a food pantry or community kitchen near you, please visit: https://maps.nyc.gov/foodhelp/.

Food Bank

For more information on Food Bank, including a map to find a soup kitchen or food pantry near you, please visit: https://www.foodbanknyc.org/covid-19/#.

For meal pick-up times in at Community Kitchen and Food Pantry in Harlem, please visit: https://www.foodbanknyc.org/community-kitchen/.  

NYC Food Delivery Assistance

To apply for New York City’s Food Delivery Assistance, please visit: https://cv19engagementportal.cityofnewyork.us/#/display/5e7555117ad6750216160409.

Citymeals on Wheels

To apply for free meals, please visit: https://www.citymeals.org/get-meals.

SNAP Benefit Resources

For more information on HRA benefits, please visit: https://www1.nyc.gov/site/hra/important-information-about-covid-19-and-your-hra-benefits.page. Resources are available in many languages, including Chinese and Korean.

For information on how to apply for SNAP, please visit: https://a069-access.nyc.gov/accesshra/ or https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/hra/downloads/pdf/misc/ACCESS-HRA-Coronavirus-Flyer.pdf.

New York City COVID-19 Food Assistance Resources

For more information on food assistance resources in New York City, please visit: https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/contact/services/COVID-19FoodAssistance.shtml.

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Please read: The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice. Instead, all information, content, and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only. Due to the rapidly evolving nature of the COVID-19 crisis, readers are advised to check official government sources for the most up-to-date information on changes in policy and procedure since the information on this website may not constitute the most up-to-date legal or other information. This website contains links to other third-party websites. Such links are only for the convenience of the reader and the contents of any third-party sites are not an endorsement by AABANY or its members.