We are a grassroots organization that relies on donations to create community abundance. We can accept your support through donations of cash, food and supplies, or your time! Your donations contribute directly to local food security.
Donating Food
As of November 2025, we can accept food donations at Working Food (219 NW 10th Ave. Gainesville, FL) on Wednesdays from 10A-4P. If you have a larger donation you’d like to make but cannot come during those times, please email or text us to coordinate an alternate drop-off time.
You can also donate food on the same day as our food pantries at the Civic Media Center (433 S. Main St.) as early as 1 pm. On good weather days, you can drop off food in the courtyard, but please text us if you’ve left food so that we know and can bring it inside.
Guidelines for what we can and prefer to accept are as follows:
- Packaged food – Must be unopened and unexpired
- Canned proteins (beans, tuna, chicken)
- Grains (rice, pasta, flour, cornmeal)
- Shelf-stable milks
- Oils (vegetable, olive, etc.)
- Microwave ready meals
- Snacks (crackers, gummies, applesauce)
- Ground coffee and tea bags
- Baby food
- We always appreciate gluten-free products and vegan substitutes!
- Fruits and vegetables
- Must not be moldy or severely damaged
- We welcome farm or garden-fresh vegetables!
- Eggs
- We cannot accept farm-fresh eggs due to food safety guidelines
- Meat
- We cannot accept packaged meat due to food safety guidelines
- Prepared food
- We cannot accept fresh/homemade prepared food
If you’d like to run a food drive for us, email, Instagram DM, or call us!
Giving Money
Recurring donations help us create stability for people experiencing food insecurity. Recurring donations help us transform from charity and towards solidarity. $10 pays for a week of groceries for 5 families. $50 pays for a little more than a month for the same 5 families.
The easiest way to donate money is through our PayPal, Venmo, or CashApp.
You can also donate via check to avoid transaction fees. Checks can be written out to Free Grocery Store, Inc.
Check out our Events page or our Instagram for upcoming fundraisers, merchandise releases, or events!
Note: Free Grocery Store, Inc. is now a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization registered in the State of Florida! Donations to Free Grocery Store are tax-deductible.