NEEDING FRESH FOOD?

Beginning November, many of our neighbors may lose access to SNAP benefits due to the government shutdown. If you or someone you know is affected:

The Giving Garden provides organic produce every Monday from 4:30-6pm. We offer any vegetables we have available, which currently includes mainly cooking greens and salad greens. Our address is 225 NW 12th Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601. No sign up or credential is necessary to receive our produce.
Join Facebook group, Gainesville Free Food, which posts regularly about food distribution throughout our region.
Gainesville Food Not Bombs is a mutual aid organization that serves prepared meals each Friday at 6:30pm at Haisley Lynch Park, across Main Street from the Civic Media Center. The Giving Garden donates organic produce to FNB monthly to supply meal-making.
The Free Grocery Store offers walk-up pantry and food delivery services on the dates listed below, providing fresh food from the Giving Garden and other organic, local farms. The easiest way to get food is to go to their in-person pantry at the Civic Media Center (433 S. Main St. Gainesville). Signup begins at 2 PM and the pantry opens around 3 PM. No ID or proof-of-address required. Always FREE, and always you-pick your own groceries. They will run until 5:30 PM, while supplies last.
- Free Grocery Store Distribution Dates:
  - Tuesday, November 11, 2025
  - Tuesday, November 25, 2025
  - Tuesday, December 9, 2025
  - Tuesday, December 23, 2025
UF HealthStreet has announced the launch of The HOPE (Helping Other People Eat) @HealthStreet food pantry, located at 2401 SW Archer Rd, Gainesville, FL 32608. Food distribution at that address occurs on Mondays and Thursdays from 12pm-4pm and Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10am-4pm.
Visit Findhelp.org, put in your zip code, and search for food resources in our community.
Bread of the Mighty Food Bank has an online resource to help residents find food: https://breadofthemighty.org/find-food-now
If you still have a balance on your EBT card or any farmers markets tokens, you can still use those at local markets like the Grove Street Farmers Market.
Check your MyACCESS Florida account or contact DCF for updates.
Plan ahead by using any current benefits to purchase self-stable staples.

At the Giving Garden…

In addition to distributing our produce into existing community networks, we provide direct access to those experiencing food insecurity at the Giving Garden, Mondays 4:30-6:00pm, November until early June.

If you’re in need of fresh produce, but unable to regularly or temporarily afford it, we’re offering free veggies every Monday from 4:30-6pm at our urban farm located at 225 NW 12th Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32601. Our nonprofit farm is committed to supporting those facing food insecurity by providing organic produce. While we regularly partner with organizations like the Free Grocery Store to distribute our food, any surplus from our fields will be available during Monday walk-up hours.

No need to sign up, walk ups are welcome. We will give whatever we have available, based on your preferences. While some weeks we will have a lot to give, please understand if there are some weeks when crops will be less abundant. Average amount to expect would be 2-3 bunches of veggies/herbs per visit.

What’s in typically in season and available?