Improving communitywide access to affordable and healthy food is one of Salt Lake City’s primary goals. Food is at the heart of our health, sustainability, and community identity. SLCgreen is working to address inequities that limit access to fresh, nutritious, and culturally-relevant foods.
Please see the resources detailed here for more information about food and other emergency resources available across Utah.
Where to Get Food Now
- United Way 2-1-1: This is the primary source for connecting Utahns to up-to-date information on Utah food pantries, food box programs, food delivery programs, SNAP, WIC, and nutrition. To learn more, visit their website, text your zip code to 898-211, call 211, or email 211ut@uw.org. Many languages supported.
- The Salt Lake City Education Foundation is coordinating meals for Salt Lake area families. Note: Staff will not be screening individuals to verify need or residency at this time. For up-to-date information or meal assistance, please call 801-301-6476.
- Utah Community Action provides emergency food assistance for income eligible community members.
- Emergency Food Delivery is available to qualifying residents through Comunidades Unidas (801-487-4143) and International Rescue Committee (801-328-1091).
Additional Food Assistance Resources
- United Way 2-1-1: This is the primary source for connecting Utahns to up-to-date information on Utah food pantries, food box programs, food delivery programs, SNAP, WIC, and nutrition. To learn more, visit their website, text your zip code to 898-211, call 211, or email 211ut@uw.org. Many languages supported.
- Find food pantries in your area on FeedUT.org.
- Utahns Against Hunger: Provides information regarding SNAP/Double Up Food Bucks, School Meals, WIC Program, Emergency Food, and Food Assistance for Seniors.
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP):
- Sign up for SNAP benefits through the Department of Workforce Services.
- Smith’s Food & Drug pick-up services are available for SNAP recipients.
- USDA approves Utah to accept SNAP benefits online. Online benefits are available with Amazon and Walmart.
- If you had food spoil due to a power outage, you can request replacement benefits. Please call: statewide 1-866-435-7414; Salt Lake: 801-526-0950.
- Utah Community Action: Provides food Assistance for income eligible community members.
- Farmers Markets: The Downtown Farmers Market accepts SNAP and Double Up Food Bucks.
- Relief Pack: Local restaurants have partnered to provide meal packs to community members in need.
- Leave It To Us: No-Fee COVID-19 Shopping Service for Seniors.
- Salt Lake County Meals on Wheels for older adults.
- Schools: Contact your school district to find information about food access programs available to your family. For up-to-date information or meal assistance for families with children in school, please call 801-301-6476.
- Pet Food: Salt Lake County Animal Services’ Pet Crew Pantry periodically offers pet food to owners in need. Check website for dates and times. Salt Lake City’s Best Friends Lifesaving Center also provides a pet food pantry.
Where to Donate
Food Donations:
- For surplus prepared foods:
- Waste Less Solutions will coordinate the donation of perishable food and facilitate delivery to front-line service providers in-need. Contact danaw[at]wastelesssolutions.org
- Crossroads Food Pantry can take foods to hand out to clients (like sandwiches or burgers). Contact Jessica Roadman at jessica[at]crossroads-u-c.org
- Midvale Family Center – Donations welcome. Please call first.
- Donate non-perishable and some perishable food: Utah Food Bank hosts multiple food drop off locations. See what types of food they accept. You can even host a virtual food drive with your family, church, or community.
- For inedible food: Restaurants or other businesses with excess inedible food may drop off food at Wasatch Resource Recovery’s anaerobic food digester.
Financial Donations to Food-Related Relief:
- The Utah Food Bank, which supplies many of the pantries in our community and more.
- Salt Lake County Meals on Wheels, which supplies delivered meals to older adults.
- Donate to the Utah Community Savory Relief Pack Fund to make Relief Packs available to those who need it.
- Donate to Utahpayitforward.com to help local restaurants provide meal kits to those in need.
- Donate to Frontline Foods’ Salt Lake City Chapter to provide healthy food from local kitchens for healthcare workers.
- Donate to the Utah Farm Bureau’s Farmers Feeding Utah program which provides fresh, locally sourced food to those in need by purchasing food directly from local farmers who are struggling at this time.
- Nourish to Flourish provides fresh, nutritious meals to local organizations and supports local restaurants. Find out ways you can get involved as a volunteer, restaurant owner, or service partner.
- Neighbors Helping Neighbors: Free grocery and supplies delivery assistance.
Resources for Farmers, Restaurants, & Food Industry Workers
The COVID-19 Pandemic has impacted farmers and food service workers. Below are additional resources for farmers and food industry workers. Please check with the organizations regarding the availability of these programs.
For Farmers:
- Utah Farm Bureau’s Farmers Feeding Utah helps connect Utahns in need with fresh, locally grown food that is purchased directly from local farmers.
- USDA Coronavirus Food Assistance Program for farmers
- National Center for Appropriate Technology’s ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture has complied a list of resources for farmers in the United States.
- Utah State Extension is creating a COVID-19 resource page for farmers and has resources for direct market farmers for Utah and the western region.
- GrantWatch: A search engine connecting nonprofits and small businesses to grant opportunities.
- E-Commerce Webinar Series by the University of Vermont: For selling online, implementing EBT, and more!
- Community Garden resources:
- Cultivating Success Best Practices for Community Gardens During COVID-19 webinar.
- North Carolina State Extension COVID-19 for Community Gardens website.
- Purdue University Extension Gardening: A Guide for Community Gardens During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- WRC COVID-19 FAQ for Community Gardens pdf (updated 3/26/20)
- Food Safety on the Farm and Community Garden during COVID-19
For Restaurants & Food Industry Workers:
- One Fair Wage Emergency Fund provides emergency funding to service workers currently unemployed due to COVID-19.
- GrantWatch: A search engine connecting nonprofits and small businesses to grant opportunities.
Support Local Farmers and Restaurants
Support local farmers and food businesses financially by buying locally.
- CSAs: Community Supported Agriculture provides members with shares of fresh produce. Check Utah’s Own and CSA Utah for information about CSAs.
- Farmers Markets: Stay up to date with Salt Lake Farmers Market news here.
- Support Local Restaurants: Find restaurants that are offering take out throughout Utah at supportutahdining.com and https://curbsideutah.com/.
- Incubator Kitchens:
- The Spice Incubator Kitchen launched a Food Box program that delivers. This supports our incubator kitchens and start-up refugee businesses.
- The Square Kitchen also hosts occasional pop-up events for purchasing food from its vendors.
Additional COVID-19 Related Resources
- Salt Lake City resource page on COVID-19, including operations updates.
- Emergency Rent Relief is available.
- Information from the State of Utah on COVID-19.
- Salt Lake County information on COVID-19.
- Multi-lingual resources on COVID-19 from the Utah Division of Multi-Cultural Affairs.
- USDA: Stay up to date with the USDA’s coronavirus response.
More Ways to Help
Volunteering:
The following organizations are accepting volunteers at this time. It is crucial that all volunteers are without COVID-19 symptoms and have not likely been exposed to protect the health of employees, other volunteers, and the community.
- Waste Less Solutions for food rescue.
- Utah Crisis Food Response for assisting in food delivery to individuals.
- Neighbors Helping Neighbors: Free grocery and supplies delivery assistance.
See “Where to Donate” above if you’re looking for food or financial donation information.
Other ways to support local food access:
- Grow Your Own Food: Wasatch Community Gardens’ resource page and Utah State University Extension’s gardening resources page offers information about growing your own food. You can also get seeds from the Salt Lake City Public Library’s Seed Library.
- Dining with Discretion: Learn more about how to reduce your household’s carbon footprint and waste less food.
- Composting: Salt Lake City residents can reduce waste by putting compostable materials in the brown yard waste bin. Check with your municipality about curbside compost, or start your own compost pile.
Questions or Concerns?
SLCgreen’s Food and Equity Program and our statewide partners are trying to understand the changing food needs in our community. If you have additional questions or know of other resources, please reach out to slcgreen@slcgov.com.