Many residents are struggling to afford food. In our community there are programs that offer free food and meals, our schools offer free lunches for our children, and the SNAP program gives us extra funds every month to use to purchase food.
SNAP UPDATE AS OF OCTOBER 30, 2025: we are expecting that the Trump Administration will not ensure that SNAP benefits will continue during the government shutdown after November 1, 2025. An update on this situation can be found here. Attorney General Campbell has joined 20 + other states to force the Administration to release the benefits. You can find out more about this suit here.
The following listing (scroll down) provides information and a schedule of services on programs that free food to residents of Amherst and Granby. You can find organizations that that provide food assistance to Amherst and Granby residents here.
You can see separate listings to:
- get groceries (in food pantries and brown bag programs),
- sit down or take out a delicious meal, and
- pick up fresh produce (bring your own bags!)
You can see the programs on this map (click one of the marks to learn more about the specific service).
For more information on food access beyond the Third Hampshire District, please call the Project Bread hotline at 1-800-645-8333. Please reach out to my office if we can be of any help. E-mail me at mindy.domb@mahouse.gov or call (413) 335-1362.
The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts has skilled volunteers available to help you complete the SNAP application, submit it, track it, and if needed appeal any decision. You are not alone.
During the school year, free school meals are available to all families in all district schools in all towns in Massachusetts, so they are not included on this table.
All of these programs provide services for FREE and rely on donations of funds and volunteers.
| ORGANIZATION | CONTACT INFORMATION | KIND OF ASSISTANCE |
| Amherst Senior Center for Amherst residents | (413) 259-3164 Bangs Community Center | Brown bag distribution: Located at the Bangs Community Center Hours of Operation: the 1st Thursday of every month from 1pm-2pm. Call (413) 259-3062 or call the Senior Center for details (413) 259-3060. Grab & Go Lunch: The Amherst Senior Center and Highland Valley Elder Services provide all Amherst residents age 60 and up a free lunch each weekday. Please call Ben Orenstein 48 hours in advance to sign up: 413-887-8147. Wednesday Market: Wednesdays 10am-11:30am at the Bangs Community Center. Open to all for fresh fruits, vegetables, prepared foods, bread. Donations from Whole Foods. Bring your own bag(s). Highland Valley Meals on Wheels (home delivery): Highland Valley Elder Services (HVES) provides hot lunches delivered to homes by volunteers with approval by HVES case managers. Call HVES at 413-586-2000 to qualify for this service. Amherst Survival Center Senior Mobile Pantry: A monthly box of food from the Amherst Survival Center is available. To learn eligibility guidelines and to apply, call their Food Pantry at (413) 549-3968 ext. 104. |
| Amherst Survival Center for Amherst and Granby residents, and residents of other towns | (413) 549-3968 Directions | Food Pantry: Groceries, fresh milk, diapers Hours of Operation: Monday & Friday 12pm-3pm, Tuesday & Thursday 12pm-7pm, 3rd Saturday of each month 9am-12pm. Pantry delivery varies depending on location. Fresh food distribution: Daily fresh fruits/vegetables/breads: Hours of Operation: Monday & Friday 12pm-3pm, Tuesday & Thursday 12pm-7pm Curbside pickup: Monday and Friday 3pm-4pm, Tuesday and Thursday 5:30pm-7:30pm, 3rd Saturday of each month from 9am-12pm Lunch: Hours of Operation Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday In dining room 12pm-2:30pm To-go lunch 12pm-3pm Monthly Mobile Distribution: First Wednesday of the month from 1pm to 2pm at the Boulders Apartments parking lot, south Amherst, 156 Brittany Dr.). Please bring your own bags! The Amherst Survival Center is closed on Wednesdays. |
| First Baptist Church (Amherst) for anyone | (413) 549-3596 Directions | Food Pantry: Weekly groceries Hours of Operation: every Wednesday from 2pm-4pm at the First Baptist Church in Amherst. |
| Food Bank of Western Massachusetts for anyone | Help with SNAP (food stamps) Mobile Food Bank Brown bag (food) for seniors | SNAP assistance Call for assistance and information on your eligibility for SNAP: 413-992-6204 Monthly Outdoor Food Distribution, in partnership with the Amherst Survival Center: The first Wednesday of the month from 1pm-2pm, at the Boulders Apartment Homes parking lot, located at 156 Brittany Drive in Amherst. Bring your own bag! The distribution includes a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, and meat (when available). Every household is eligible, no documentation needed! No residency or income requirements! Bring your own bag(s). See this link to see a schedule for the mobile markets in western Massachusetts by county. Find a mobile market near you (feel free to go to more one than one a month if needed). |
| Granby Senior Center Food Programs for Granby residents | Directions | Food Pantry: The Council on Aging Food Pantry is open Monday-Friday 9am to 3 pm. 2 bags of groceries a month. For more information, call (413) 467-3239, details here. Brown bag program: A free bag of groceries once a month. Located at the Granby Senior Center o the 3rd Tuesday of each month from 11am-12pm. Call (413) 467-3239 or contact the Center for more information. Lunch: Monday-Friday at 11:30am. Please call the Council on Aging at (413) 467-3239 24 hrs in advance to reserve a meal. To make reservations for Monday, please call the Center by noon on Fridays. They also offer breakfast to-go during our lunch hour. The breakfast is delivered cold and is meant to be reheated the following morning. Home delivery: Access Care Partners (formerly Highland Valley Edler Services) delivers hot meals. Call (413) 538-9020 ext. 500 for information and referral. More information here. Amherst Survival Center: the Center’s food pantry (in Amherst) is open to residents of Granby and the Center has started a new program of delivering pantry to the Granby Senior Center for pick-up. Contact the food pantry for more information. |
| Granby To Go for Granby residents | (413) 493-5000 ext 5200 (or ext. 2228) email: granbytogo@granbyschoolsma.net Directions | Granby school-based food pantry Hours of Operation: Tuesdays 6pm-7:30pm, or by appointment |
| Neighbors Helping Neighbors Food Pantry for Granby residents | (413) 437-7593 Directions | Groceries from the food pantry available to Granby residents. Hours of Operation: Wednesdays: 12:30pm-6pm Saturdays: 10am-12pm Deliveries are made on Tuesdays. |
| Not Bread Alone (Amherst) for anyone | First Church, Amherst | Community meal: 3 times each week. Saturdays & Sundays: noon Wednesdays: 4pm Also serving on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Grocery Distribution: Saturdays at 12:45pm |
| UMass Amherst/ Amherst Survival Center for UMass students and staff, and their households | Campus Pantry 472 N Pleasant Street, entrance is behind the building facing the parking lot (413) 545-8880 | Free Groceries: Can shop 1x/week Pantry Hours of Operations: Tuesday: 1pm – 7pm Thursday: 1pm – 7pm Friday: 12pm – 4pm Saturday: 10am – 4pm Closed: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday Remember your UMass ID and a reusable bag. |
MONTHLY MOBILE MARKET
Reminder: All year, on the first Wednesday of the month from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm, the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and the Amherst Survival Center host a mobile market at the Boulders (in south Amherst) parking lot, where free vegetables and fruits are distributed. All are welcome, please bring your own bags. More information on the AMHERST monthly mobile market here. You can also find the schedule for all mobile markets across western Massachusetts here.
These services are provided by the following organizations:
- Amherst Senior Center
- Amherst Survival Center
- First Baptist Church of Amherst
- Food Bank of Western Massachusetts
- Granby Senior Center
- Granby to Go
- Neighbors Helping Neighbors
- Not Bread Alone
- Amherst Survival Center Campus Pantry at the University of Massachusetts
These organizations rely on community support and donations. If you are interested in donating time, funds or food, please contact them directly.