Key takeaways
- Food banks are free and open to people of any immigration status
- Using a food bank does not affect your immigration application, permits or citizenship
- Most ask for some ID and proof of address, but many will still help you the first time without it
- Find your nearest one with Food Banks Canada’s locator, your city’s food bank or by calling 2-1-1
- Community meals, school food programs, student food banks and community fridges are other free options
What is a food bank?
A food bank is a charity that gives free groceries to people who need them. Most food is donated by people, farms and stores. In big cities, a central food bank collects food and sends it to many smaller food programs run by churches, mosques, temples, community centres and schools. These smaller places are where you pick up food.
You usually get a few days of groceries: canned food, pasta, rice, cereal, and often fresh vegetables, bread, milk or eggs. Some programs let you choose your items like in a small store. Others give a packed bag or box, sometimes called a hamper.
Food banks are very common in Canada. Food Banks Canada counted close to 2.2 million visits to food banks in March 2025 alone, double the number in 2019. Nearly 1 in 5 clients had a job. Needing help with food does not mean you failed. Rent and food costs are high, and the first months in a new country are expensive.
Can newcomers and temporary residents use food banks?
Yes. Food banks serve people based on need and where they live, not on immigration status. International students, workers, visitors, refugee claimants, permanent residents and citizens can all use them.
Using a food bank does not affect your immigration status. Food banks are charities, not government programs. They do not report clients to IRCC. Getting food help is not the same as receiving social assistance, and it does not appear in any immigration file.
International students: many colleges and universities run their own free food bank or grocery program for students. Ask your student union or international student office.
How to use a food bank: step by step
- Find the right location. Many food programs serve only certain postal codes. Use the locator on your city’s food bank site, Food Banks Canada’s find a food bank tool, or call 2-1-1.
- Check the hours. Many programs open only one or two days a week. Some ask you to book or register online or by phone first.
- Bring documents if you have them. Common requests are photo ID for you (a passport is fine) and ID for each family member, plus proof of address such as a lease, a bill or a letter. If you just arrived and have nothing, say so. Most places will help you once and tell you what to bring next time.
- Bring bags. Reusable bags, a backpack or a small cart make it easier to carry food home.
- Tell them your needs. Ask about halal, kosher, vegetarian, baby food, diapers or allergy-free items. Many programs try to help, but supply depends on donations.
Most programs let you visit about once a month, though some allow more often. Ask at your first visit.
Food banks in major cities
These central food banks list their local pick-up locations. Check their websites for the program closest to you, as hours change often.
| City | Main food bank | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto | Daily Bread Food Bank; North York Harvest Food Bank in the north | Search by postal code for member agencies near you |
| Vancouver area | Greater Vancouver Food Bank | Register, then pick up at a community hub |
| Calgary | Calgary Food Bank | Request an emergency food hamper, then pick it up |
| Edmonton | Edmonton’s Food Bank | Hampers through partner depots |
| Montreal | Moisson Montréal | Supplies community groups; call 2-1-1 for the one near you |
| Ottawa | Ottawa Food Bank | Find a local food bank by address |
| Winnipeg | Harvest Manitoba | Food banks across Winnipeg and Manitoba |
| Halifax | Feed Nova Scotia | Network of member food banks |
Smaller cities and towns usually have one main food bank. Search “food bank” plus your town name, or call 2-1-1.
Other free and low-cost food programs
- Community meals. Free hot meals at churches, gurdwaras (langar), mosques, missions and drop-in centres. Gurdwara langar is open to everyone, of any faith.
- School food programs. Many schools serve free or low-cost breakfast or lunch. Ask your child’s school.
- Student food banks. Run by student unions at most colleges and universities.
- Community fridges. Public fridges where anyone can take food, in many cities.
- Good Food Boxes and markets. Some cities sell fresh produce boxes at low prices.
- Discount apps. Apps such as Flashfood and Too Good To Go sell food near its best-before date at lower prices.
- Community gardens. Rent a small plot for a low yearly fee and grow your own vegetables.
For help lowering your grocery bill, see the newcomer budget calculator and our list of free and discounted things.
What to expect on your first visit
Your first visit is usually a short registration. A volunteer asks for your name, address, household size and sometimes your monthly income and rent. This is used to plan how much food to give and to report totals to funders. Your answers are kept private.
Then you receive food or choose items. Volunteers are there to help, not to judge. You can ask questions in simple English, and many food banks have volunteers who speak other languages. If you have a baby, ask about formula, baby food and diapers. If you have no kitchen yet, ask for food that does not need cooking.
Some food banks also connect you to other help, such as tax clinics, clothing banks, and help applying for benefits. Ask what else they offer.
If you need food help for more than a few weeks
A food bank is a short-term help. If money is tight for longer, these can make a bigger difference:
- Benefits. The Canada Child Benefit and the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit can add hundreds of dollars a month for families. See government benefits for newcomers.
- Job help. Free employment programs can speed up your job search. See Job Bank and employment programs.
- Settlement workers. A settlement worker can help you apply for benefits and find low-cost housing. See free settlement services.
- Emergency help. If you have no food or no safe place to sleep tonight, call 2-1-1. See emergency help.