There are about 7,500 homeless people living in San Francisco, and a larger number in the greater Bay Area. With rising housing and living costs, it’s not getting easier for people living on the street.
Fortunately, there are also lots of local organizations providing services to those in need. We’ve compiled a list of many of the places, sorted roughly by geography, that provide regular hot and fresh meals. This list primarily focuses on the organizations and services that provide multiple hot meals each week or daily meal service. There are many more places that provide a weekly or monthly meal, as well as food banks that distribute groceries and fresh food. Project Homeless Connect has a fairly comprehensive listing of homeless services if you’re looking for more information, and the independent county food banks are valuable resources for fresh food pick-ups. If we missed an organization that provides a place for homeless residents to get a regular hot meal, please let us know in the comments below.
Most of these organizations are also in need of volunteers and/or donations. Contact them directly to sign up or to inquire about what they specifically are looking for.
San Francisco
Glide
330 Ellis Street [map]
San Francisco, CA 94102
Ph: (415) 674-6000
Hours:
Breakfast: Daily, 8am-9am (seniors’ breakfast 7:30am-8am)
Lunch: Daily, noon-1:30pm (bagged lunches on Sat, Sun)
Dinner: Mon-Fri, 4pm-5:30pm
Begun in 1969, Glide provides meals daily in the dining room, plus special meals around the holidays and a number of other services.
St. Anthony’s
121 Golden Gate Ave. [map]
San Francisco, CA 94102
Ph: (415) 241-2600
Hours: everyday, 10am-11:30am for seniors and families with children; everyday 11:45am-1:30pm for everyone
The dining room also hosts two monthly food distribution programs, as well as clothing programs, a medical clinic, and a social work center.
Mother Brown’s Kitchen
2111 Jennings St. [map]
San Francisco, CA 94124
Ph: (415) 671-1100
Hours:
Breakfast: Mon-Fri, 7am-9am
Dinner: Mon-Fri, 5pm-7pm; Sun, 4pm-6pm
The United Council of Human Services operates Mother Brown’s Kitchen, which started as a small mobile food operation 20 years ago. The organization also runs food pantries in Oakdale and Sunnyvale.
Martin de Porres House of Hospitality
225 Potrero Ave. [map]
San Francisco, CA 94103
Ph: (415) 552-0240
Hours:
Breakfast: Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, 5:30am-7:30am (hot tea, bread available at 5:30am; oatmeal served at 6:30am)
Lunch: Tues-Sat, noon-2pm
Breakfast: Sun, 9am-10:30am
Meals are served daily, and typically the courtyard and dining room open early to allow people to come in off the street. Showers and hygiene products are available Tuesday and Thursday mornings.
Curry Senior Center
333 Turk St. [map]
San Francisco, CA 94102
Ph: (415) 885-2274
Hours:
Breakfast: Daily, 6:30am-9am
Lunch: Daily, 10am-1:30pm
Curry Senior Center is primarily focused on providing a place for low-income seniors to make connections with other people and get the health services they need. Meals are served daily (and bingo is available on weekends).
S.F. Rescue Mission
140 Turk St. [map]
San Francisco, CA 94102
Ph: (415) 292-1770
Hours:
Breakfast: Mon-Fri, opens at 10:30am
Dinner: Mon-Fri, 4pm
Based out of a church with different services, from a ministry to a health and wellness center, S.F. Rescue Mission provides meals, groceries, and hot food delivery.
East Bay
St. Vincent de Paul of Alameda County
9235 San Leandro St. [map]
Oakland, CA 94603
Ph: (510) 638-7600
Hours: Tues-Sat, 10:45am-12:45pm
The largest dining room in Alameda County, St. Vincent’s serves a daily hot meal.
Cityteam
722 Washington St. [map]
Oakland, CA 94607
Ph: (510) 452-3758
Hours:
Breakfast: Daily, 7am
Dinner: Sat-Thurs, 6:30pm; Fri, 5:30pm
Along with a dining hall in San Francisco and one in San Jose, Cityteam operates a daily dining hall in Oakland. (Check all the hours before going to the other locations.) Cityteam is a Christian nonprofit providing services to the homeless and impoverished.
Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa County
There are five LFCC-operated dining rooms, and one partner dining room. Check the website for all locations.
Ph: (925) 293-4792
Hours: Mon-Fri, 11am-12:45pm
Based in Martinez, Loaves & Fishes provides daily meals at a half-dozen dining rooms around Contra Costa County. The organization also distributes fresh groceries.
Food Not Bombs
Ph: (510) 644-4187
Hours: Meals served Mon-Fri, 3pm, at People’s Park; Sun at 14th and Jefferson, Oakland
Cooked at local residents’ houses, meals are typically served at the park. Schedule can vary. Call for more info.
North Bay
St. Vincent de Paul Society of Marin County
820 B St. [map]
San Rafael, CA 94901
Ph: (415) 454-3303
Hours: Everyday, 6am-1pm
The dining room in San Rafael is open every day to provide a free kitchen and open pantry. The non-profit also has housing services and works with partner shelter organizations.
St. Vincent de Paul of Sonoma County
610 Wilson St. [map]
Santa Rosa, CA 95401
Ph: (707) 584-1579
Hours: Daily, 11:30am-12:30pm
The dining room serves a hot lunch meal every day of the year. The organization also operates a job training program, food pantry, and thrift store.
Committee on the Shelterless – Petaluma Kitchen
900 Hopper St. [map]
Petaluma, CA 94952
Ph: (707) 765-6530
Hours: Daily, 11:30am-1pm
The Committee on the Shelterless serves a daily hot lunch at its Petaluma Kitchen, as well as hands out weekly food boxes.
South Bay
North Peninsula Food Pantry and Dining Center of Daly City
31 Bepler St. [map]
Daly City, CA 94014
Ph: (650) 994-5150
Hours: Mon, Tues, Thurs, 5pm-6pm
The North Peninsula Food Pantry and Dining Center is on the smaller end of homeless dining rooms — serving just about 70 people during dinner in the cafeteria — but it also operates a food pantry in conjunction with Second Harvest.
Cityteam
1174 Old Bayshore Hwy. [map]
San Jose, CA 95112
Ph: (408) 288-2153
Hours: Daily, 5pm
Cityteam operates a men’s shelter in San Jose, along with the dining hall, which provides daily hot dinner.
Eastside Neighborhood Center
2150 Alum Rock Ave. [map]
San Jose, CA 95116
Ph: (408) 251-0215
Hours:
Lunch: Mon-Fri, 11:15am-12:15pm
Dinner: Mon-Fri, 4pm
A Catholic neighborhood community center with educational and wellness programs, the nightly dinner is actually provided through Loaves & Fishes, which no longer operates its own walk-in dining room, but instead cooks and distributes meals to other nonprofits and organizations. (Contact Loaves & Fishes for a full list of potential meal partners.)