Food assistance in Palo Alto

Palo Alto is one of the most expensive places to live in the country. Plenty of residents still come up short on groceries at the end of the month. Seniors on fixed incomes, families hit by a job loss, students and people without housing all use the food programs listed here.

This page is informational. It gathers what the City of Palo Alto, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, Santa Clara County and Palo Alto Unified publish about free food and food benefits as of November 2026. Hours, addresses and phone numbers come from those official lists. Pantry schedules shift with volunteers and holidays, so call before you make a trip. The city keeps the most complete local list on its food resources page.

Start with Second Harvest

Second Harvest of Silicon Valley is the food bank for Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. Many free grocery distributions in the area, including several in Palo Alto, appear in its locator. If you do not know where to begin, start here.

• Food Connection line: 1-800-984-3663. Staff help you find groceries or ready-to-eat meals near you. Second Harvest offers callbacks in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese and Tagalog.
• Text or email: the city's March 2026 guide for unhoused residents lists a text option (text GETFOOD to 408-455-5181) and the email [email protected].
• Food locator: the Get Food page lets you filter by fresh groceries or prepared meals and by day and time.
• CalFresh help: Second Harvest staff can help you apply for CalFresh, described below.

Second Harvest also runs Operation Brown Bag, a weekly grocery program for low-income seniors. Our resources for older adults page describes it along with senior lunches.

Food closets and distributions in Palo Alto

The city's food page lists four places in town that hand out groceries. Two are church-based food closets with regular hours. Two are Second Harvest distribution sites that run on set days.

The city does not list eligibility rules for these sites. Bring a bag or two. If you have a dietary need or no way to cook, ask whether ready-to-eat items are available.

The Ecumenical Hunger Program and East Palo Alto

Just across the creek, East Palo Alto has several of the busiest food programs in the area. The best known is the Ecumenical Hunger Program, usually called EHP, a community nonprofit based on Pulgas Avenue.

• Ecumenical Hunger Program, 2411 Pulgas Ave., East Palo Alto, (650) 323-7781. For the holiday season, October 26, 2026 to January 31, 2027, EHP's website posts Monday to Friday hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with service from 10 a.m. to noon and 2 to 4 p.m. The office is closed December 24, 2026 to January 3, 2027. The City of Palo Alto's older list gives food distribution Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon and 2 to 5 p.m., which may be out of date. The city also lists a meal program Monday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to noon, with meals delivered by Loaves and Fishes Family Kitchen. EHP also runs a clothes closet with clothing, furniture, appliances and household basics, according to the city's unhoused services page.
• Boys and Girls Clubs of the Peninsula, East Palo Alto Clubhouse, 2031 Pulgas Ave., (650) 646-6086. Groceries on the 1st and 3rd Fridays from 4 to 6:30 p.m.
• WeHOPE, 1854 Bay Rd., (650) 779-4635. Food on Tuesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Costano Elementary School, 2695 Fordham St. A Second Harvest distribution on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.

EHP's website loaded in November 2026, but it shows more than one set of hours: a banner with the holiday times above and a footer with regular hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Thursday. Call before you go. Nearby in Menlo Park and Mountain View, the city also lists Mt. Olive Apostolic Holy Church at 605 Hamilton Ave., Menlo Park (Monday to Thursday, 4 to 6 p.m.) and St. Athanasius Church at 160 N. Rengstorff Ave., Mountain View (2nd and 4th Saturdays, 10 a.m. to noon).

Hot meals

For a cooked meal rather than groceries, these programs appear on the city's list. Most are free and open to anyone who comes.

The Opportunity Services Center meals are part of a wider drop-in program for people who are homeless or at risk. Our homelessness services guide explains what else it offers. Mt. Olive Apostolic Holy Church also serves hot meals; the city says to call (650) 630-4639 for the schedule.

CalFresh

CalFresh is California's name for the federal SNAP program. It puts money for groceries on an EBT card that works at most supermarkets and at many farmers markets. Palo Alto residents apply through Santa Clara County's Social Services Agency, which the city lists at (408) 758-3800. You can also apply online through BenefitsCal.

Income limits

Second Harvest's CalFresh page posts these figures for October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027. They are gross monthly income limits, with the maximum benefit for each household size.

Most households get less than the maximum, since the amount depends on income and expenses. The county makes the final decision, so treat this table as a rough guide and apply even if you are unsure.

How it works

1. Apply. The county says you can turn in an application with only your name, address and signature and a county worker will help with the rest. You do not need a permanent address.
2. Interview. A county eligibility worker interviews you by phone or in person.
3. Decision. In most cases the county decides within 30 days and mails a Notice of Action. Households with very little income or cash may qualify for expedited service.
4. Stay enrolled. The county sends a report form every six months. If you skip it, benefits can stop.

Second Harvest's page says U.S. citizens, green card holders, refugees, asylees and U or T visa holders can qualify, along with all U.S. born children no matter where their parents were born. SSI recipients can apply too. Federal work rules for some adults changed in 2026. Second Harvest has posted an explainer and the county can tell you whether they apply to you. Our farmers markets guide notes which markets accept EBT.

School meals

Palo Alto Unified follows California's universal meals program. The district says it provides two free meals a day, breakfast and lunch, to all students, regardless of eligibility. No application is needed for a child to eat.

The district still asks every family to fill out a meal application. Its school meals page says completed applications bring significant extra funding to schools and can qualify students for fee waivers, summer program discounts and scholarships. It also states that you or your children do not have to be U.S. citizens to qualify. Apply online through the district's family portal or call Food Services at 650-329-3720. Our public schools guide covers the district more broadly.

Seniors, new parents and young children

• La Comida. Hot sit-down weekday lunches for adults 60 and older, free with a suggested $3 contribution. The city lists Stevenson House, 455 East Charleston Road, from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Its food page lists a second site at the Bryant Street Community Center, 429 Bryant Street, while its unhoused services guide lists First United Methodist Church, 625 Hamilton Avenue. Call La Comida at (650) 322-3742 to confirm.
• Meals on Wheels. Home-delivered meals for homebound seniors. The city's food page lists (408) 961-9870 and names Loaves and Fishes Family Kitchen as the Palo Alto provider.
• Senior Nutrition Program. Santa Clara County's group meal sites, with free rides to dine-in sites, at (408) 755-7680.
• WIC. Santa Clara County Public Health runs WIC for pregnant people, new parents and children up to age 5. It offers nutrition and breastfeeding support plus monthly help buying healthy food. Call (408) 792-5101.

Practical tips

• Call before your first visit. Volunteer-run pantries close for holidays and change hours with little notice.
• Bring sturdy bags. A small folding cart helps at Saturday distributions.
• Ask about CalFresh at any pantry. Many staff can help you apply on the spot.
• If your utility bill is squeezing your food budget, see our utility bill help page for city discounts.
• Want to help instead? Second Harvest and several local pantries rely on volunteers. Our volunteering guide lists age rules.

Frequently asked questions