Food Pantry

Everyone is welcome at Gather to Grow’s food pantry where each week 500+ guests choose from a wide range of fresh and cultural foods through our “pantry store.” 

The food pantry is located at Gather to Grow’s home at 208 Bates Street in Lewiston.

Hours of operation are:

Tuesdays 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm and Fridays 9:30 am – 12:00 pm.

Community members are welcome to visit the food pantry one time per week per household, either Tuesday OR Friday.

Tuesdays are our busiest day, especially between the hours of 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm. We encourage people who have flexible schedules to visit after 3:30 pm on Tuesday or after 10:00 am on Friday. Scroll down for more details on how the pantry process works. 

What We Offer

• A grocery style food pantry where people can choose their food 
• Fresh fruits and vegetables: canned goods, dry goods, frozen meat, bread and when possible eggs & milk*
• Language support and translation: Gather to Grow staff speak a wide range of languages including French, Lingala, Portuguese, Spanish, Somali and Swahili. For languages we cannot speak we use translators to support communication

What We Ask of Guests

• Visit our food pantry only one time per calendar week (Monday thru Friday) either Tuesday OR Friday, not both days
• Do not send others from your household to shop at the pantry the same day or the same week you have already visited
• Take only the food you will use and enjoy to limit waste and leave enough for others
• Bring a reusable shopping bag for your food when you visit if possible

How the Food Pantry Works

The entrance to the food pantry is in the back of the building at 208 Bates Street.

Upon arriving, you will receive a number. On Tuesdays, numbers are given out beginning at 11:00 am. On Fridays numbers are given out beginning at 8:00 am.

Once the pantry opens, numbers are called and you and other guests will enter the building where they check-in at our registration desk with their name. After registering, you will wait in our waiting area until your number is called one final time. You’ll then enter our pantry store and choose groceries.

First Time Visits

The first time you visit the food pantry you will be asked to provide the following information: name, address, date of birth, number of people in your household, number of children in your household. 

You do not need to show proof of residence or income. It is helpful for you to bring identification (ID) for your first visit. No one is turned away for not being able to provide some or most of this information.

Why Numbers?

For a time, we used to run the food pantry without people receiving numbers. However, our food pantry has grown and we now see a lot of people in a very short amount of time, speaking many languages, that we have found that numbers help all of us stay more organized, calm, and comfortable.

Find Food

Food Resource Guide – English

Food Resource Guide – Portuguese

Lewiston Auburn Food Pantries – Multilingual

State-wide Food Map – English

Volunteer

Our Food Pantry is people powered! We move more than 10,000 lbs of food through our building every week. If you are able and interested to help please take a moment and fill out our volunteer application. We are especially looking for help receiving and unloading food on Mondays between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm.