No cost Food Help in Rhode Island: SNAP, WIC and Food Banks

The Rhode Island Community Food Bank works with 140 food pantries and meal sites. Everyone is welcome, no matter your income, background or immigration status. Use the map on its website to find one near you, and call ahead to confirm hours. You can also dial 211.

Official page: rifoodbank.org/find-food

You can apply online, on paper, by phone, or in person at the Department of Human Services. Call DHS at 855 697 4347. The Food Bank's SNAP Outreach team visits pantries around the state to help you fill out the form, in English and Spanish. Individuals may qualify if income is under 185 percent of the Federal Poverty Level.

Official page: rifoodbank.org/snap-outreach

Yes, you may still qualify. This includes people staying in a shelter, a motel, or someone else's home for less than 90 days. For SNAP mail you can use the address of an authorized representative, or have it mailed to a shelter.

Official page: rifoodbank.org/snap-outreach

Summer EBT, also called SUN Bucks, gives $120 per eligible child, one time each year. Families with school age children who already get SNAP, TANF, Medicaid or free school meals automatically qualify. Other families can apply with an alternate income application. This comes from the Food Bank's resource directory, so ask DHS about the current year.

Official page: rifoodbank.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Regional-Directory-Final.pdf

The Commodity Supplemental Food Program gives seniors a monthly box of USDA food. Right now enrollment is at capacity and new applications can't be processed. You can ask to be added to a contact list by calling Kadir Carcamo at 401 230 1708.

Official page: rifoodbank.org/senior-food-boxes