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Frequently asked questions
Food, friendship, and how to help — answered
Everything neighbors, families, referral partners, volunteers, and donors ask us most, for all five counties we serve. Still stuck? Call (215) 464-2224.
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What are you looking for?
I need food
Getting free meals and groceries
How to get free home-delivered meals or find a food pantry in Philadelphia and the four surrounding counties.
- How do I get free meals delivered in Philadelphia?
- Apply for our Food + Friendship home-delivered meal program. Call (215) 464-2224 or submit the online application, and a staff member will follow up to confirm your needs, your address, and how many meals you would like each week. There is no cost and no income paperwork.
- Who is eligible for free home-delivered meals?
- Homebound neighbors across Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties — most often seniors, veterans, and people living with disabilities or serious illness who cannot easily shop or cook for themselves. If you are unsure whether you qualify, call us and ask; we would rather talk it through than have you go without food.
- Are there free meals for seniors in Philadelphia?
- Yes. Most of the people we serve are older adults living alone. Seniors enrolled in Food + Friendship receive a weekly delivery of home-cooked frozen meals plus a friendly visit from the same volunteer, so someone is checking in every week — not just dropping off food.
- Are there free meals for veterans in the Philadelphia area?
- Yes. Our veterans program delivers weekly meals to homebound veterans and pairs many of them with volunteers who are veterans themselves. Veterans, family members, VA social workers, and veteran service organizations can all start a referral.
- How do I find a food pantry or soup kitchen near me?
- We supply food to 500+ partner pantries, shelters, soup kitchens, senior centers, and faith communities across Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties. Use our Find Food page for guidance on locating the closest partner site, or call us and we will point you to one near your address.
- How much do the meals cost?
- Nothing. Meals, groceries, and visits are always free. Our programs are funded entirely by donors, volunteers, and food partners.
- How long does it take to start receiving meals?
- Most applications and referrals are reviewed within about a week. After that, timing depends on volunteer route coverage in your neighborhood. We will always tell you honestly where you stand rather than leave you waiting without an answer.
- Can you accommodate special diets or food allergies?
- Our kitchen prepares balanced, sodium-conscious meals and can accommodate many common dietary needs, including diabetic-friendly, low-sodium, and no-pork requests. Note any restrictions on the application and we will do our best to match them.
- Which counties do you serve?
- We serve all five counties of Greater Philadelphia: Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties. Availability of home delivery varies by neighborhood based on volunteer route coverage, but our partner pantry network reaches every county.
- Do I need to be a US citizen, or show income documents?
- No. We do not require citizenship documentation, immigration status, or income verification to receive food from Caring for Friends.
Refer someone
Referring a neighbor, patient, or client
For family members, social workers, case managers, discharge planners, clergy, and neighbors.
- Can I refer someone else for meals?
- Yes. Social workers, case managers, hospital discharge planners, clergy, family members, and concerned neighbors can all submit a referral. You only need the person's name, address, phone number, and a short note about their situation.
- How do hospitals and health systems refer patients at discharge?
- Our Food Is Medicine partnerships give discharge planners and care managers a direct referral path so a patient leaving the hospital has meals waiting at home. Contact our team to set up a standing referral process for your unit or practice.
- What happens after a referral is submitted?
- A staff member reviews the referral, calls the neighbor to confirm needs and delivery details, and then matches them to a volunteer route. You will hear back about status rather than being left wondering.
- Can an agency or pantry get food from Caring for Friends?
- Yes. We distribute food to more than 500 partner agencies across Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties, including pantries, shelters, senior housing sites, schools, and faith communities. Reach out through our partner referral page to start the conversation.
Volunteer
Volunteering with Caring for Friends
Cook at home, pack food in our warehouse, or deliver meals and friendship on a weekly route.
- How do I volunteer in Philadelphia to help feed the homeless and homebound?
- Start at our Volunteer hub and choose the path that fits: cooking meals at home, packing and sorting in our Northeast Philadelphia warehouse, assembling snack bags for street outreach, or driving a weekly delivery route.
- Can I make meals for homebound neighbors or people experiencing homelessness in my own kitchen?
- Yes — this is how Caring for Friends started in 1974. Volunteers cook extra portions at home, freeze them in approved containers, and drop them off. We provide the guidelines, containers, and drop-off instructions.
- Is there an age minimum to volunteer?
- Volunteers under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Most kitchen, packing, and sandwich-making shifts are open to teens and adults, which makes them a good fit for families, school groups, and service-hour requirements.
- Do you offer group volunteering for companies, schools, or faith groups?
- Yes. We host corporate teams, university and K-12 groups, and parish or congregation groups for half-day shifts packing food, assembling snack bags, or making sandwiches. Group sizes and dates are arranged in advance.
- What does a volunteer driver commit to?
- A typical route is one trip per week, roughly two hours, delivering to the same small group of neighbors so real relationships form. Routes cover all five counties and we match you to one near where you live or work.
- Do volunteers need background checks or training?
- Volunteers who visit homes complete a short onboarding and the clearances required for that role. Warehouse, kitchen, and food-packing shifts require only a brief orientation on the day of your shift.
Donate
Donating money, food, and goods
Where your dollars go, how to give food, and how to run a food drive.
- Where can I donate food in Philadelphia?
- Food and in-kind donations can be dropped off at our Northeast Philadelphia facility at 12271 Townsend Road. We accept shelf-stable groceries, bulk and wholesale food from businesses, and rescued product from grocers and distributors. Call ahead for large or refrigerated donations so we can meet you at the dock.
- What food items do you need most?
- Shelf-stable staples move fastest: canned proteins, pasta and rice, canned vegetables and fruit, soup, peanut butter, cereal, and individually packaged snacks for snack bags. We cannot accept expired, home-canned, or opened items.
- How much of my donation goes to meals?
- Because volunteers cook, pack, and deliver, donated dollars stretch unusually far. Our current program-expense ratio and audited financials are published in our annual report, which is linked from the Impact section of this site.
- Is my donation tax-deductible?
- Yes. Caring for Friends is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit and contributions are tax-deductible as allowed by law. You will receive a receipt by email for online gifts.
- Can I set up a monthly donation?
- Yes. The Friends Circle is our monthly giving program. Recurring gifts let us plan kitchen production and delivery routes months ahead, which is the most efficient way to fund meals.
- How do I host a food drive?
- Our Host a Food Drive page walks through picking a date, choosing a most-needed item list, promoting it to your office, school, or congregation, and scheduling drop-off. We will send materials and a contact person.
- Can I donate stock, an IRA distribution, or leave a gift in my will?
- Yes. We accept appreciated stock, qualified charitable distributions from IRAs, donor-advised fund grants, and bequests. See Stock, IRA & Planned Giving or contact our development team.
- Can I give in memory or in honor of someone?
- Yes. Tribute gifts can be made in memory or in honor of a loved one, and many employers will match your gift — doubling the number of meals it funds.
About us
About Caring for Friends
Who we are, how we started, and how the model works.
- What is Caring for Friends?
- Caring for Friends is a Greater Philadelphia nonprofit founded in 1974 that delivers free home-cooked meals, groceries, and weekly friendly visits to homebound neighbors, veterans, and people experiencing homelessness across Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties.
- What does “Food + Friendship” mean?
- Every delivery includes a visit. The same volunteer returns each week, learns the neighbor's name and story, and notices when something is wrong. Food solves hunger; the friendship addresses the isolation that so often comes with it.
- How is Caring for Friends different from a food bank or Meals on Wheels?
- We are both a distributor and a direct-service program: we move rescued and donated food to 500+ partner sites like a food bank, and we also cook, pack, and hand-deliver meals with a weekly visit to individual homebound neighbors.
- How many meals do you provide each year?
- Roughly 6.1 million meals a year, supported by 10,000+ volunteers and 500+ partner organizations across the five counties.
- How can I contact Caring for Friends?
- Call (215) 464-2224 during business hours, email info@caringforfriends.org, or use the contact form on this site. Our facility is at 12271 Townsend Road, Philadelphia, PA 19154.
Didn't find your answer?
Call (215) 464-2224 during business hours or send us a message — a real person will get back to you.