Free food help in Houston: where to start.

Need food today?

1. Find a pantry near you

   Go to the Houston Food Bank's Find Food Map and type in your ZIP code. It shows hours and locations for pantries, meal programs, and other food sites. For help finding food, you can also call the Food Bank at 832-369-9390.

   Source: Houston Food Bank, Find Food Map

2. Call before you go

   The Food Bank asks you to contact the pantry before you visit to check its hours, services, and requirements.

   Source: Houston Food Bank

3. Or dial 2-1-1

   2-1-1 Texas is free and helps you find local help, including emergency food. If 2-1-1 won't connect, call (877) 541-7905. You can also chat online in English or Spanish.

   Source: 211texas.org

Food pantries and the Houston Food Bank

The Houston Food Bank works with partner pantries and meal programs across the area. Its Find Food Map is the best place to start. Main number: 713-223-3700. (Houston Food Bank, Find Help)

TEFAP: free emergency food from a federal program

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) gives free food to people with limited income during an emergency, first come, first served. To find it, open the Find Food Map, click More information on a listing, and look for "TEFAP." Then call that site for its dates and rules. At the site, ask to apply for TEFAP. Depending on what's available, you may be able to leave with food the same day. (Houston Food Bank, Neighbor Newsletter, January 2026; Find Help)

Every pantry runs a little differently. Hours, how often you can visit, and what they ask for can be different from one place to the next. That's why it helps to call first.

SNAP food benefits (the Lone Star Card)

SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, once called food stamps) helps people with low incomes buy food. Benefits go on a Lone Star Card, which works like a debit card at any store that accepts SNAP. You can also use SNAP to buy food online. (Texas HHS, SNAP)

What you can and can't buy

• Yes: fruits and vegetables, milk and dairy, bread and cereal, meat, fish, and chicken, and seeds and plants that grow food.
• No: tobacco, alcohol, vitamins, medicine, or things that aren't food.
• New since April 1, 2026: SNAP can't be used for candy or for most sweetened drinks in Texas.

Source: Texas HHS, SNAP

Who can get SNAP?

• People in households with low income. Texas HHS has a chart of monthly income limits by family size on its SNAP page. As a general idea, it lists $2,152 a month for 1 person and $4,421 for a family of 4.
• Most people ages 16 to 59 must follow work rules, like looking for a job or being in a work program. Some people don't have to, such as people with a disability or people caring for a child under 6.
• If everyone in your home is 60 or older or has a disability, there is an easier application (called TSAP) that gives benefits for three years at a time.

Source: Texas HHS, SNAP

Not sure if you qualify? Apply anyway. The state decides, not us. YourTexasBenefits.com also has a short prescreening tool. (Your Texas Benefits)

How to apply

1. Apply online, by phone help, or on paper

   Apply at YourTexasBenefits.com or with the Your Texas Benefits app. You can also apply with a paper form (Form H1010) at a local benefits office, by mail, or by fax. For free help with the application, dial 2-1-1 (or 877-541-7905), pick your language, then press 2. Interpreters are available in over 150 languages.

   Sources: Texas HHS, Contact; Texas HHS, Form H1010

2. Send your papers

   Upload them in your Your Texas Benefits account, take them to a benefits office, or mail or fax them. The state will tell you which papers it needs. See What to bring below.

   Source: Texas HHS, Benefits Application Next Steps

3. Get your Lone Star Card

   If you're approved, your card comes from your local benefits office or by mail. Questions about the card? Call the Lone Star Help Desk at 800-777-7328.

   Source: Texas HHS, Lone Star Card

WIC for moms, babies, and kids under 5

WIC gives healthy foods, nutrition advice, and breastfeeding support. It's for people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or had a baby in the last six months, and for parents, stepparents, guardians, and foster parents of children under 5. Dads can sign their kids up too. You must live in Texas. (Texas WIC, Apply)

• Already on Medicaid, SNAP, or TANF? Then you already meet WIC's income rules, and your application can go faster. If not, you may still qualify. Texas WIC posts its income chart on its apply page.
• How to apply: start online at TexasWIC.org, or call 800-942-3678. A local WIC office will set up your first appointment.
• At the appointment: you'll meet with a nutrition expert. WIC will measure, weigh, and check the iron level of each person applying.
• Breastfeeding help: a 24/7 hotline at 855-550-6667.

Sources: Texas WIC, Apply; Texas WIC

Free school meals and summer meals for kids

During the school year

• Kids can get free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch at school if the family's income is within federal limits. You can check before you apply at SquareMeals.org/AmIEligible.
• If anyone in your home gets SNAP or TANF, all the students in your home qualify.
• Children in foster care, in Head Start, who are homeless or runaways, or in migrant families may also qualify.
• Each school district runs its own meal program, so ask your child's school how to apply. You can apply any time during the school year, and again if your job or income changes.
• Questions? The Texas Department of Agriculture helps in English and Spanish at 877-TEX-MEAL (877-839-6325).

Sources: Texas Department of Agriculture, Eligibility for School Nutrition Programs; USDA, School Meals Model Application page

In the summer

Summer meals are free for kids and teens 18 and younger at sites across Texas. To find a site near you:

• in summer only (June 1 to August 30, per the Texas Department of Agriculture), text FOOD to 304-304;
• use the map at the Summer Meal Site Map on SquareMeals.org; or
• dial 2-1-1.

Site times can change, so call to check before you go. (TDA, Summer Meal Programs; TDA, Summer Meal Site Map; TDA Food and Nutrition Dashboard, 2025–2026; TDA, How to Find a Meal Site (June 1 to August 30))

The Houston Food Bank also runs kids' programs at some schools and sites (School Market, Kids Cafe, and Summer Feeding). Ask your child's school if it takes part. (Houston Food Bank)

Meals for seniors

If you're 60 or older, or you help care for someone who is, these are good places to start.

• Harris County Area Agency on Aging (start here) 832-393-4301
  Part of the Houston Health Department. It runs senior nutrition programs for adults 60 and older in Houston and Harris County through a network of community agencies. That includes hot meals five days a week at community and senior centers, home-delivered meals for older adults who are homebound or have a disability, and rides to community meal sites for those who qualify. Call to find out if you, a friend, or a family member can get meals.

  Sources: Harris County Area Agency on Aging; Houston Health Department, Senior Nutrition Programs

• Houston Food Bank Senior Box 713-223-3700 (Food Bank main line)
  A free monthly box of shelf-stable food for income-eligible seniors 60 and older, from a federal program (the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, or CSFP).

  Source: Houston Food Bank, Senior Box

• SNAP, with an easier application for seniors Dial 2-1-1, press 2
  If everyone in your home is 60 or older or has a disability, you can use the Texas Simplified Application Project (TSAP). It makes applying easier and gives benefits for three years at a time instead of six months. See the SNAP section for how to apply.

  Source: Texas HHS, SNAP

Meals delivered at home

For older adults who can't easily leave home, home-delivered meals (often called "meals on wheels") are one option. The Area Agency on Aging provides them through a network of community agencies. Call 832-393-4301 to find out if you qualify. You can also dial 2-1-1. (Houston Health Department; 211texas.org)

One provider you can also contact directly is Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston (IM Houston), which delivers daily meals at no cost to qualified seniors in parts of Harris and Galveston counties. To qualify, you must be 60 or older, be homebound, have a need for help with meals (for example, trouble getting around or a limited income), and live in a ZIP code they serve. To sign up, call 713-533-4978. (IM Houston, Meals on Wheels; IM Houston, Contact Us)

More help for older adults, like rides and Medicare counseling, is in our senior help guide.

What to bring

To a food pantry

Each pantry sets its own rules, so ask when you call. For its special food distributions, the Houston Food Bank asks people to bring a photo ID, if they have one. For TEFAP food, be ready to share your name, home address, phone number, any public help you get, and your total household income. (Houston Food Bank, Neighbor Newsletter; Houston Food Bank, Special Distributions)

For SNAP

You don't need everything on this list. The state will tell you what it needs. But having these ready can help your case go faster:

• ID: a driver license or Texas ID card
• Proof you live in Texas: a utility bill, rent receipt, or letter from your landlord (not a relative)
• Income: your last two pay stubs, or award letters for Social Security, unemployment, or VA benefits
• Bank accounts: your newest statement
• Housing costs: rent or mortgage receipts and utility bills
• Other costs: child care receipts, child support papers, and medical bills
• Citizenship or immigration papers, if the state asks

Source: Texas HHS, Benefits Application Next Steps

For WIC

The WIC office will tell you what to bring. It usually includes proof of your address, any benefits you get, your income, and ID. Bring each family member who is applying. (Texas WIC, Apply)

Phone numbers in one place

• 2-1-1 Texas Dial 2-1-1
  or (877) 541-7905 · Press 2 for SNAP help

  Source: 211texas.org; Texas HHS

• Houston Food Bank: help finding food 832-369-9390
  Find Food Map · Main line 713-223-3700

  Source: Houston Food Bank

• Lone Star Help Desk (SNAP card) 800-777-7328
  Card questions

  Source: Texas HHS

• Texas WIC 800-942-3678
  Breastfeeding hotline 855-550-6667 (24/7)

  Source: Texas WIC

• School meal questions (TDA) 877-839-6325
  877-TEX-MEAL · Summer meals (June 1 to Aug. 30): text FOOD to 304-304

  Source: TDA

• Harris County Area Agency on Aging 832-393-4301
  Senior meals (age 60+), including home-delivered meals

  Source: Houston Health Department

• Emergency 9-1-1
  If someone is in danger right now

Sources

We used official sources and the websites of the organizations listed. All were checked on October 12, 2026.

1. Texas Health and Human Services: SNAP Food Benefits
2. Texas Health and Human Services: Lone Star Card
3. Texas Health and Human Services: Contact (2-1-1, Option 2)
4. Texas Health and Human Services: Benefits Application Next Steps
5. Texas Health and Human Services: Form H1010, Texas Works Application
6. Texas Works Handbook: A-140, Expedited Service
7. Your Texas Benefits
8. Texas WIC and Texas WIC: Apply
9. Texas Department of Agriculture: Eligibility and Verification for School Nutrition Programs
10. USDA Food and Nutrition Administration: School Meals Model Application (how to apply for school meals)
11. Texas Department of Agriculture: Summer Meal Programs and Summer Meal Site Map; TDA Food and Nutrition Program Dashboard 2025–2026 (text FOOD to 304-304); TDA brochure: How to Find a Meal Site (June 1 to August 30)
12. Houston Food Bank: Find Help, Find Food Map, and Senior Box
13. Houston Food Bank: Neighbor Newsletter, January 2026 (TEFAP)
14. Houston Food Bank: Special Distributions
15. Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston (IM Houston): Meals on Wheels and Contact Us
16. Houston Health Department: Harris County Area Agency on Aging and Senior Nutrition Programs
17. 2-1-1 Texas (Texas Health and Human Services Commission)

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