This meal resource list was compiled with the intention of decreasing food insecurity in the Greater Cleveland area by directing people to resources for affordable (and sometimes free) meals. This resource was last updated on June 11, 2020. If you have a recommended meal resource listing, or if you’d like to recommend a change to an existing listing, please fill out the form at the bottom of this page.
Celebrate Your Plate
Celebrate Your Plate is an initiative of the Ohio Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - Education (SNAP-Ed). SNAP-Ed helps low-income people around Ohio make healthy choices by offering economical, healthy recipes… along with tips on shopping and cooking. Celebrate Your Plate is a wonderful resource for planning low-cost, tasty meals.
Greater Cleveland Food Bank
The largest hunger relief organization in Northeast Ohio, the Greater Cleveland Food Bank seeks to bridge the meal gap by securing nutritious meals for families who struggle to put food on their tables. The Greater Cleveland Food Bank helps families by way of food distributions and helping eligible families enroll in the Ohio Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This organization also collaborates with other organizations around the county - including hospitals - to offer screening programs for those facing food insecurity (with an emphasis on patients with chronic conditions).
Get help applying for SNAP benefits here.
Learn more about the Food Bank’s Food as Medicine Program here.
Hunger Network
The Hunger Network is a network of local food pantries and hot meal programs.
Search the Hunger Network map here to find a food pantry or hot meal site near you.
Lakewood Community Services Center
Lakewood Community Services Center offers food assistance to its area residents by providing hot meals 16 days per month, monthly senior Meals on Wheels, and a summer lunch program for K-5 students.
Meals on Wheels
Adopted by numerous organizations in Cuyahoga County, Meals on Wheels is a nationwide program that provides meals to seniors with limited mobility. Meals are provided directly to seniors’ homes on a sliding scale payment method, depending on the income of the senior. Many locations also provide other potentially needed services, such as transportation to appointments. Some organizations offering Meals on Wheels locally, to name a few, include:
Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging
East End Neighborhood House
Hillcrest Meals-on-Wheels
Meals on Wheels Shaker Heights, Beachwood, and University Heights
Parma Heights Senior Center
Senior Citizen Resources, Inc.
West Side Community House
North Union Farmers Market
With multiple locations throughout Northeast Ohio, North Union Farmers Market offers healthy, fresh, local produce sold directly by farmers and accepts EBT cards. Even more, shopping for fresh produce can often be accompanied by health screenings and live music. Locations include: Crocker Park, Shaker Square, Chagrin Falls, Cleveland Clinic Main Campus, Legacy Village, Pinecrest, and Van Aken District. Crocker Park and Shaker Square offer indoor markets during winter.
Trinity Cathedral
Trinity Cathedral’s APATT (A Place at the Table) serves up a hot lunch on Sundays when most social service organizations are closed. For decades, Trinity Cathedral has provided this “no questions asked” nutritious meal in a warm, welcoming environment.
United Way of Greater Cleveland
United Way of Greater Cleveland partners with community collaborator programs to provide individuals and families access to healthy, affordable food.
View United Way of Greater Cleveland’s community collaborator feeding programs here.
University Settlement
Mainly serving the residents of the Broadway Slavic Village neighborhood on the southeast side of Cleveland, University Settlement offers food delivery to seniors, weekly hot meals, and an on-site food pantry that neighbors can visit once a month. Even more, it offers a variety of supportive programming to youth, families, and seniors.
Learn more about University Settlement and its programs here.
Westlake Food Pantry
The Westlake Food Pantry provides a monthly emergency three-day supply of non-perishable food to Westlake residents in need of food assistance.
WIC (Women, Infants, & Children) Program
The WIC Program is designed to assist income-eligible pregnant and postpartum women (along with infants and children up to age five) by providing healthy foods and formula, education, access to healthcare, and breastfeeding support.
Learn more about Ohio WIC here.
Find a WIC location using zip code here.
Interested in recommending a meal resource or an edit to an existing resource?
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