There are a variety of ways to get free food for your family through community partners in the Lexington Area.
- God’s Pantry Food Bank – God’s Pantry Food Bank has 4 pantries in Fayette County open Monday – Friday. A referral is needed to visit St. Luke Pantry, Central Pantry, and Cambridge Pantry. Please call 859-259-2308 to schedule a referral.
*A God’s Pantry location is open inside the Northside Library. Open Monday – Friday from 12:00 -2:00. No referral needed. Families can shop for what they need for their families. - Glean Kentucky – Glean Kentucky is supporting the agencies who are staying open and starting to work with others to develop different delivery models for fresh produce. Click HERE for a map of food locations (some may be outdated so call ahead before you go). You can also apply to receive free produce HERE.
- Lexington Rescue Mission – Free breakfast from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. and hot, nutritious lunches from 12 to 1 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Breakfast and lunch are free and open to anyone in need. All meals are served at our Outreach Center at 444 Glen Arvin Avenue.
- Meal Hand Out at FoodChain will now be: Dinner (anyone) Monday, Wednesday, Friday 5:30-7pm. 501 W. Sixth St, Suite 105 (where Jefferson St. meets West Sixth St.)
- Lexington Public Library Northside Branch and Marksbury Family Branch – Snacks Monday-Friday, 3-5 pm, Saturdays 3 – 4 pm
- SNAP Benefits – The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps low-income people buy food for healthy meals at participating stores. Kentucky SNAP benefits increase household food buying power when added to the household’s income. *Kentucky SNAP Requirements – Any household meeting basic income and other requirements may be able to receive SNAP benefits.
These lists are updated frequently but are subject to change at any time. We do not guarantee that all are current at all times so please call ahead to confirm.
2025 Meals
Catholic Action Center – Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 27, 2025 4:30 pm – 6 pm Take-out, drive-thru, NO eat in service
FoodChain – Thanksgiving meal distribution on Monday, November 24, 2025 from 4-6pm at FoodChain, 501 W. Sixth St. Lexington, KY 40508
Lexington Rescue Mission – Wednesday, November 26, 2025, service from 3 – 4 pm, meal from 4-6 p.m. at 535 W 2nd Street
Lighthouse Ministries – Thanksgiving meal – Noon, Saturday, November 22, 2025
Christmas lunch – Noon, Saturday, December 20, 2025.
Malone’s/Porter Memorial Baptist Church – Take out meal – Call 859-272-3441 to reserve a pickup time on Thanksgiving, November 27, 2025 between 11 am – 12:15 pm at the church. Registration will max at 200 families.
Nathaniel Mission – Thursday, November 20, 2025, Sit-down meal with a program that highlights afterschool kids.
Doors open at 5:30, meal starts at 6
Limited capacity (120 folks max), only for neighbors living along the Versailles Road Corridor. 1109 Versailles Road, Lexington
Salvation Army – Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 27, 2025 from 12:00pm -1:00pm at Salvation Army, 736 West Main Street.
Lextran – Free rides on Thanksgiving. See Facebook for updates.
SNAP Benefits
SNAP supports kids with the food they need to learn and helps our school. SNAP provides monthly grocery benefits to families to buy food at local stores and helps our school receive more funding. Learn if you are eligible for SNAP by visiting mrelief.com or texting Food or Comida to 74544. To apply, visit https://feedingky.org/snap/
Summer Meals for Students
Summer P-EBT
Summer P-EBT
The Summer EBT program provides grocery benefits to families with school-aged children in our community. Last year, Summer EBT helped over 395,000 kids in Kentucky get the healthy food that they usually enjoy while they’re in school!
- Summer EBT is for school-aged children in households that are at or under 185% of federal poverty guidelines.
- Families receive $120 per eligible school-aged child for groceries (on an existing EBT card or new Summer EBT card)
- Most eligible families will be automatically enrolled, but some will need to apply.
- In CEP school(s), families who aren’t receiving SNAP, KTAP, income-based Medicaid or Kinship Care may need to apply. (This is new, not all CEP students will receive a card- the ones who are not directly certified from the above programs, will have to complete a S-EBT application with DCBS)
- Families can check here if they need to apply, or if they should receive Summer EBT automatically: feedingky.org/sebteligibility
Families can learn more about Summer EBT in Kentucky at bit.ly/KY-SummerEBT “
*Non-CEP schools, if your student qualified directly (through the above DC programs), they would receive benefits automatically. If your household completed a Free/Reduced application for meal assistance, DCBS has requested that data from districts, so you should not need to complete the S-EBT application.
If you have any questions contact DCBS (S-EBT program distributers) at: (855)509-8959.
Beneficios de P-EBT del Verano
$120 de beneficio para cada estudiante
Las familias con niños que asisten escuela con ingresos de 185% o menos del nivel de pobreza o que asisten una escuela de CEP pueden calificar
Aplica en línea hoy
bit.ly/KY-SummerEBT
Los niños de 6-18 años antes de la fecha 1 de agoto, 2024 que reciben beneficios de SNAP, KTAP, o “Kinship Care” durante el año escolar 2024-2025 estarán inscritos automaticamente en el programa y no necesitan que aplicar.
Lexington Farmers Market Double Dollars Program
