If you’re in need of food and looking for a list of the top food banks in Idaho, you’ve come to the correct place. Read on to learn about 10 of them!
1. CityHope Food Pantry
Since the early 1980s, the food pantry at CityHope church has been providing food boxes to the struggling residents of the Boise and the surrounding areas. Unlike other food pantries, which require families and individuals to first apply and be deemed eligible before visiting the pantry, CityHope accepts anybody who comes to them seeking supplemental food; they only ask that those who can spare it donate $5 to help support CityHope’s outreach programs.
There are many ways you can support CityHope’s mission: you can donate money directly to the cause in one of three ways found here; you can drop off donated food anytime during their open hours, Monday through Thursday from 9:30-11:30; or can contact them directly to find out how to volunteer at the pantry or if there are other ways you can support their cause.
2. Vineyard Boise Food Pantry
Located in the Garden City area of Boise, Vineyard Boise Food Pantry operates twice a week, providing once monthly food boxes to eligible families and individuals in Ada County. Much of the produce included in the food boxes comes from Vineyard Boise’s own garden, tended by church and community volunteers. This allows the food pantry to use its government and donated funds to provide more variety of nutritious and supplemental foods in the food boxes themselves.
If you’d like to donate food to the food pantry, Vineyard Boise accepts donations at the center on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 8am-1pm. If would prefer to donate money, you can do so online here or contact the food pantry coordinator by email.
3. Community Food Basket
In 1980, a group of churches in the Idaho Falls area recognized a growing state of food insecurity in their area. They established the Community Food Basket—Idaho Falls (CFBIF, for short) to ensure that everyone, regardless of income or living situation, had a place to turn for food when they needed it. Open five days each week, CFBIF offers families and individuals with emergency food provisions up to 6 times over a 6-month period.
Over 75% of all food provided by the CFBIF is donated to the food pantry; if you’d like to be part of that 75%, a list of what they need most can be found here. You can also donate money directly to the food pantry by following the instructions at this page. If you’d like to volunteer to distribute food, check out the information at this page, or contact them via the information on any of their webpages if you have other questions or need more information.
4. Heart 2 Hand Bingham Food Pantry
Originally opened as North Bingham County Community Food Bank in 1994 by the Shelley Community United Methodist Church, Heart 2 Hand Bingham Food Pantry reopened in 2020 as a separate nonprofit devoted entirely to feeding the needy and struggling in Bingham County. Their mission is to ensure that every person or family in the Shelley and Firth communities who needs food assistance has access to it.
You can help Heart 2 Hand by donating food, money, or your time. If you’d like to donate food, you can do so by dropping by the pantry in Shelley on Tuesdays between 9:30am-10:30am or 5:30pm-7:00pm. If you can’t make these times, there are donation bins outside the pantry where you can leave nonperishable items at anytime. If you would like to donate money to Heart 2 Hand, you can do this through PayPal, at the pantry during opening times, or by check mailed to the pantry itself. You can also contact them directly via their contact page.
5. The Giving Cupboard
Located just outside of Rigby, The Giving Cupboard aims to give struggling individuals families with one less worry by providing food boxes of nutritious, fresh foods once a month. They also provide families with toiletries and baby-care items, as well as cleaning supplies and toilet paper. Since 2020, The Giving Cupboard has gone mobile, offering a food and goods delivery service to those unable to reach the pantry in person.
As a fully private, nonprofit charity, The Giving Cupboard operates on donations from the community and businesses. You can find out how to donate money or food at this page. If you want to donate your time as a volunteer, join their Facebook page or email the volunteer coordinator. If you have any other questions, contact them via their online form.
6. Meridian Food Bank
Dan Clark opened the Meridian Food Bank in 1999 after a church trip showed him just how many homeless and struggling individuals go without food every day. It quickly grew from a ‘meals on wheels’ to the vital food distribution center it is today, feeding nearly 4,000 people from Treasure Valley area each month, sometimes twice a month. Unlike other food pantries who limit food bags to a week’s worth, Meridian Food Bank allows visitors to take as much food as they need each time they visit. They even have a lunch program that ensures children on reduced or free meals eat during the weekends and school breaks.
To find out how to donate food, check out their food donation lists on this page. If you’d rather make a cash donation, you can drop it off at the pantry or donate via this website. You can find out how to volunteer on this page, or if you have any other questions, contact them via the information found at the bottom of their website.
7. Hope Food Pantry
The Hope Lutheran Church’s food pantry in Eagle offers food sacks to needy individuals and families each month. No registration or church membership is required; during Monday to Wednesday lunchtimes, struggling individuals can just show up and discuss what they need with the pantry volunteers. They even offer free hot, sit-down lunches during the summer months.
As they are just a small outreach ministry in a small church in Eagle, any help, whether it be through volunteering, food donations, or monetary donations, goes a long way. Contact them using their online form at the bottom of their webpage to find out how you can help.
8. Star Outreach Food Bank
Since 2008, the Star Outreach Food Bank in Star has provided local families and seniors with emergency food provisions to bridge the gap between one month and the next. These monthly food boxes include dried goods, nonperishable items, dairy, produce, and frozen meats. While there are no income restrictions on who can access the food bank, visitors do need to provide proof of address and identification to ensure everyone gets their allotted share.
Star Outreach Food Bank is always in need of support from community members. You can help through volunteering, monetary donations, or food drop-off during pantry hours. You can also contact them if you want to find out any more information about this great service.
9. Rock Creek Food Pantry
The Rock Creek Food Pantry in Kimberley has provided food to the struggling families of the Kimberley and Hansen areas since 2013. Whatever the reason for their need, the Rock Creek Food Pantry is open and available to the community twice a month and functions as a ‘choice pantry,’ where visitors can choose the foods they take home from a supermarket-style set-up.
You can find out how to support the Rock Creek Food Pantry (including how to donate money, food, or time) by reading the guidelines at this page. You can also email them directly if you need any more information or have a special request.
10. Blackfoot Community Dinner Table
Since its opening in 2008, the Community Dinner Table (CDT) in Blackfoot has provided a range of food services to those less fortunate and struggling to put food on the table. From their kids’ and holiday programs to their Tuesday night hot dinner, the CDT has worked tirelessly to keep people from going hungry. The weekly food pantry distributes one pre-prepared food box per household to ensure that every person in Blackfoot and Bingham counties are fed each day.
Because CDT runs mostly on volunteer work and donations from the community, any help you are willing to give goes a long way. Click here to make a monetary donation or click here to find out how to donate food or other needed goods. If you’d like to help in person, find out how at this page. If you have any other questions, contact them directly.
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