Housing & Shelter
Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens
Brooklyn · Queens
Food pantries, housing, mental health and senior services; serves all faiths.
Food & Basic Needs in Queens
Food help includes food pantries, soup kitchens, free community meals and help signing up for SNAP. Most pantries don't ask for ID or proof of income, though some only serve people who live nearby.
Tip: check hours or call ahead before you go. Many pantries are open only on certain days, and some run out early.
Queens has fewer local listings than Manhattan or Brooklyn, so the citywide services below, many of which work by phone, fill much of the gap.
3 services based in Queens, plus 11 citywide
Based in Queens
Employment & Job Training
Queens Community House
Queens
Multi-service settlement house with adult education, food pantry, youth and older adult programs.
Citywide services
These serve people from every borough, often by phone, online or at more than one office.
Food & Basic Needs
Food Help NYC
Citywide
Online directory of free food locations including pantries and soup kitchens by diet.
Benefits & Financial Help
NYC HRA - SNAP (Food Stamps)
Citywide
Monthly food benefits on a debit card for people with limited income.
Food & Basic Needs
GrowNYC
Citywide
Runs Greenmarket farmers markets, farmstands and Fresh Food Box sites across all five boroughs; locations accept EBT.
Housing & Shelter
Thrive for Life Prison Project
Citywide
A faith-based organization offering housing, continuity-of-care support, and education for formerly incarcerated individuals at Abraham House and Ignacio House. Residents can access scholarships to partnering colleges and job-readiness and career-development support, plus help finding permanent affordable housing; a food pantry operates Saturdays at its Bronx location (340 Willis Avenue).
Food & Basic Needs
City Harvest - Mobile Markets
Citywide
Free fresh produce distributions in neighborhoods across NYC.
Food & Basic Needs
Hunger Free America - National Hunger Hotline
Citywide
Hotline that finds nearby food help and assists with SNAP and WIC.
Food & Basic Needs
NY WIC Program
Citywide
Healthy food, formula and nutrition help for pregnant people, new parents and kids under 5.
Benefits & Financial Help
NYC Aging (Department for the Aging)
Citywide
Older adult centers, meals, caregiver help and case management.
Healthcare
NYC Health Climate and Health
Citywide
As a result of climate change, extreme weather events such as heat waves, heavy rainfall, and storms are occurring more frequently and becoming more dangerous—increasing the risk of illness, injury, or death.
Food & Basic Needs
NYC WIC Program
Citywide
Healthy food, formula and nutrition help for pregnant people, new parents and children under 5.
Housing & Shelter
The Salvation Army Greater New York
Citywide
Shelters, food programs, and adult rehabilitation (residential work therapy) centers.