NEEDING FRESH FOOD?

If you are seeking free or affordable food, below are various resources to note:

• The Giving Garden provides organic produce every Monday from 4:30-6pm from November to June. We offer any vegetables we have available, which currently includes cooking greens, salad greens, fresh herbs, onions, and sometimes root vegetables. We are roughly one month out from being able to provide tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, and other springtime crops. 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. Our farm distributes organic fresh produce to Food Not Bombs on a weekly basis.

• 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. Our farm distributes organic fresh produce to the Free Grocery Store on a regular basis.

• 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. Our farm distributes organic fresh produce to HealthStreet on a regular basis.

• SNAP/EBT Fresh Access Dollars: If you are SNAP/EBT eligible, you should have access to Fresh Access Dollars. Keep an eye on Florida’s Fresh Access Bucks Program, as there may be new opportunities that arise for less spending for more fresh food.

Florida Fresh Dollars at a Glance:

Who is it for: Any Floridians facing food insecurity, including ALICE households and SNAP recipients

Where it can be used: Participating locations across Florida

How it works: Neighbors experiencing food insecurity can visit a participating location and will be asked to complete a short survey. (The survey helps determine eligibility for the pilot program.) Once approved, participants receive four $5 vouchers that can be used to purchase fresh, Florida-grown produce.

Who runs FFD: Feeding Florida’s Fresh Access Bucks team operates all logistics of the program. Vendors are reimbursed by Feeding Florida for all used FFD vouchers.

• 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.