A food pantry staff member helps a client with his selections.

Image by USDA

Visit our Food Pantry links for daily pantries & meal sites in Lewis County.

Use your SNAP benefits EBT card to pay at grocery stores and farmers' markets.

A group of children have lunch in the school cafeteria.

Image by USDA

The National School Lunch Program provides healthy, low-cost or free meals each school day.

Your EBT/Food Stamp/SNAP card is welcome at a farmers' market near you!

Food Assistance Programs

Making ends meet during difficult times can be easier with help from the right programs and other community resources. Cornell Cooperative Extension works with many local food assistance programs to help families, individuals and seniors find and access food resources that best meet their needs.

Local Programs:

2023 UPDATED FOOD PANTRY LIST (5/31/23 PDF)

Auburn Hunger Task Force offers free lunches daily at several locations in Auburn, NY.

Daily Food Pantries & Community Meals: Find listings of daily food pantries, community feeding sites and summer food service in Cayuga County on this page from Food Bank of Central New York.

Mobile Food Pantries with Food Bank of CNY

Senior Nutrition Services. The Cayuga County Senior Nutrition Program offers congregate dining for those over 60 at Schwartz Towers, Stryker Homes, and the Boyle Center 5 days a week. Meals on Wheels are delivered to those in Cayuga County that are eligible for that service. Please call 315-253-1550 for more information.

Food Bank of Central NY distributes food and other grocery products to more than 165 member agencies that then serve people in need, such as food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and other hunger relief organizations in Central New York.

State & National Programs:

MyBenefits.Gov - New York State residents can visit this web site to find out if you are eligible for help through SNAP (formerly Food Stamps), Nutrition Education, Temporary Assistance, HEAP, WIC, School Meals and Summer Meal Programs.

SNAP - (formerly Food Stamps) benefits help working people, seniors, the disabled and others who have limited incomes to feed their families.

The SNAP-to-Market website helps you find NY Farmers' Markets where you can use your SNAP benefits (formerly Food Stamps) and explains how to make Farmers' Market purchases with them. You'll also find information on when fruits and vegetables are in-season at your market, and recipes to use with produce you buy.

WIC - the Women, Infants & Children’s Supplemental Food Program provides nutritious foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and referrals to community services for pregnant women, breastfeeding moms and babies, moms with a baby younger than six months, and also infants and children who are younger than five years old including foster children, children living with caretakers such as dad, grandparents or other family members. Find out if you are eligible for WIC and other WIC resources on the Cayuga County Health Department website.

CCE-Cayuga's SNAP-Ed educational program series and lessons help families and households to stretch their food dollars to make healthier choices and eat better for less! The SNAP-Ed NY Program helps individuals and families who have limited resources to gain the knowledge and skills to make healthier food and activity choices.