If you’re looking for food banks in Orange County, CA, below we’ve featured 10 for your perusal.
1. First Presbyterian Church of Orange
Located in Orange, CA, the First Presbyterian Church of Orange provides two weekly food distribution services to those individuals and families living in and around Orange who are suffering from low income and food insecurity. Each pantry service provides a pre-packaged grocery bag of nonperishable food items to supplement what households already have at home. When possible, bags are also packed with fresh produce and dairy.
You can help the pantry by donating to the church online and selecting ‘food pantry’ from the drop down menu for ‘allocated fund.’ If you’d like to volunteer or donate food items, or if you have any other questions about the pantry, contact them online.
2. Families Forward Food Pantry
In Irvine, CA, the Families Forward charity provides food assistance to eligible families living in Orange County. Pre-registered households visit Monday through Friday to collect a grocery bag of nonperishable food items (as well as dairy and fresh produce when available) once a week from the center. No family is turned away as long as they live in Orange County and register for assistance.
You can help the food pantry by volunteering to stock shelves, prepare grocery bags, or drive to collect food from the local food banks. Food donations are accepted at the center midday, Monday through Thursday. You can also donate money directly to the pantry to help fund their services. Contact them to find out more about what they offer.
3. Friendly Center
The Friendly Center, located near Chapman University in Orange, began in 1924 to help local farm workers and their families and has evolved to become a county-wide support system for those in need due to poverty. As part of this support, they offer supplemental groceries to families two Wednesdays a month, as well as emergency food supplies should a family need it.
Food donations and volunteers are always welcome at the Friendly Center, and you can donate money to the center online. To find out more about the Friendly Center and how they help others, contact them here.
4. Laguna Beach Food Pantry
What began in 1993 to help victims of the Laguna Beach fires evolved in the early 2000s to focus on feeding those in Laguna Beach suffering from food insecurity. The food pantry runs like a farmer’s market where shoppers can visit once a week and choose their own groceries from shelves stocked with nonperishable items, as well as fresh produce, dairy, meats.
You can support the pantry by volunteering to collect food, sort and stock food on the shelves, or even just greet shoppers. You can also donate food or money to the food pantry to help them feed residents in and around Laguna Beach. Contact them if you need more information.
5. Mariners Church
In Irvine, the Mariners Church operates a food pantry Tuesday through Friday, distributing prepackaged food bags of nonperishable foods, as well as fresh produce, meats, and dairy. Simply show up and demonstrate your family’s need to be served.
Helping the Mariner’s Church pantry is easy: you can donate money or volunteer your time. To find out more about the pantry or how to donate food items, contact them here.
6. Trinity Guild
The La Purisima Catholic Church in Orange runs the Trinity Guild, a food distribution service helping lessen the impact of food poverty in Orange County. On Monday, Friday, and alternate Wednesday mornings, prepackaged grocery bags are distributed from a bespoke area inside the church. There is also a mobile pantry in the parking lot on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday mornings of each month.
Donations of fresh produce or nonperishable items are accepted in the church offices during pantry hours. Monetary donations by check are also accepted during pantry hours; they accept mobile donations by text only. Contact them to find out more about the food bank and how to volunteer.
7. Solano Catholic Church Food Bank
East of Lake Forest and Mission Viejo, in Rancho Santa Margarita, is the Solano Catholic Church Food Bank. Every Saturday morning, the church parking lot becomes a food distribution service, offering low-income residents in the local area with prepackaged grocery bags of shelf-stable foods.
Solano Catholic Church accepts food donations of shelf-stable foods anytime in their food bank bin outside the church; fresh foods such as meats, produce, dairy, or eggs can be dropped off at the church on Fridays or Saturdays. Monetary donations can also be made at the food bank or online. Those interested in volunteering at the food bank can register their interests here. For any other questions, contact them using any of the methods at the bottom of their webpage.
8. Share Our Selves
The food pantry at Share Our Selves (SOS) in Costa Mesa is open Monday through Friday from 8:30-5:00 and distributes prepackaged food bags to low-income families living in Orange County. These bags include fresh foods such as produce, meat, and dairy, as well as dried and canned foods, all donated or purchased from local restaurants and the Second Harvest Food Bank.
SOS accepts food donations, as well as donations of clothing, hygiene items, and baby items, during open hours. They also accept monetary donations either by check or online. Volunteers can register to help at the pantry here. Contact them via their social media pages.
9. North Orange Christian Church
In the Olive area of Orange, CA, the North Orange Christian Church provides a food pantry and a food distribution service from the church. Once a week, Orange County families in need can visit either the church food pantry or The Storehouse, a separate church ministry, to collect a prepackaged grocery bag with enough nonperishable foods to supplement a family’s grocery shop.
Both The Storehouse and the church food pantry accept food donations from the community at the church office Monday through Friday afternoons but ask only for these needed items to be donated: such as canned soups and meat, spaghetti noodles and sauce, boxed pasta and cereal, as well as peanut butter and jelly. Supporters can also donate money to the ministry here. Contact them to find out how to volunteer at the pantry or for any other information.
10. Crossline Church
Crossline Church in Laguna Hills offers a food pantry to families of Southern Orange County suffering from food insecurity. Three days a week, families can visit the pantry to collect food items such as canned foods, dried goods, meat, produce, and dairy, and even diapers.
If you want to help by volunteering at the pantry, complete a registration form at the bottom of this page. If you want to donate items to the pantry, you can find a list of their accepted items here. You can also help by donating to the pantry directly here. If you want to find out how to receive help or have any other questions, contact them here.
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