If you need food help, the fastest first call is 211 (United Way) - it's
the county's clearinghouse and many pantries require a 211 referral. Beyond
that, this page lists the free and low-cost food options in Hamilton County.
SNAP / food stamps: apply through the Department of Human Services
(DHS) (tn.gov/humanservices). The local office is at 5600 Brainerd Rd, Suite 602-A (also where
many other assistance programs are) - phone (423) 634-6200 for Food
Stamps/SNAP help.
Pantries vary a lot in hours, frequency, and whether they need a referral or
ID - call ahead. The Chattanooga Area Food Bank's
Find Food map covers
200+ partner pantries, meal sites, and mobile distributions with hours and
what to bring. Quick rules of thumb:
Green pins: pantries. Gold pins: SNAP/DHS office, health-dept food vouchers,
and the free store. Click a pin for address and directions.
| Pantry | Location | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abba's House | 5208 Hixson Pike, Hixson | 2nd Tuesday of month, 9:30-11:30am | (423) 877-6462 (abbashouse.com); also has employment/recovery/clothing services on site |
| Action Church | 1312 Spring Creek Rd, East Ridge | Tuesdays 1-4pm | Once/month; photo ID required; (423) 567-4547 |
| Bayside Baptist Church | 6100 TN-58, Harrison | 1x/month, appointment required | Call office Mon-Thu 8-5, Fri 8-12 to schedule; ID required; (423) 344-8327 (baysidebaptist.org) |
| Bethlehem Center - Partnership Pantry | 200 W 38th St, Alton Park | Tue-Fri 10am-1pm | Choice pantry; twice/month; ID required; (423) 266-1384 |
| Brainerd Community Food Pantry | 4315 Brainerd Rd | 2nd & 4th Wednesday, 4:30-6pm | (423) 497-5881 |
| BX Food Pantry | 4011 Austin St | 3rd Wednesday, 10am-12pm | Every distribution welcome; (423) 643-4978 |
| Cempa Food Market | 1000 E 3rd St, Suite 300 | Call (423) 265-2273 (cempa.org) | ⚠ Listed "must be HIV positive" - Cempa has since expanded into a full community health center serving everyone, so call to confirm current eligibility |
| Chatt Foundation | 727 E 11th St | Hot meals daily (see above) | Also snacks and food boxes; (423) 756-4222 |
| East Ridge Church of Christ | 951 McBrien Rd, East Ridge | Tuesdays 8am-2pm | Once per 4 months; photo ID required; (423) 894-7221 |
| East Ridge Community Food Pantry | 1601 Prater Rd, East Ridge | 1st & 3rd Wednesday, 10am-2pm | Walk-ups welcome, ID preferred; phone (423) 777-3148 (a second listing has (423) 892-8451 - verify) |
| Father's Table Pantry (East Brainerd Church of Christ) | 7745 E Brainerd Rd | 3rd Wednesday, 3-5pm | ID requested; (423) 892-1389 |
| Fellowship Baptist Church | 5335 Clemons Rd | Call Pastor Chris to arrange pick-up, 7 days/week | (423) 774-6058 |
| First Baptist Church Soddy-Daisy - Good Shepherd Food Bank | 10185 Dayton Pike, Soddy-Daisy | Wednesdays 10am-1pm | Once/month |
| Foxwood Food Center (Chattanooga Area Food Bank) | 3209 Wilcox Blvd | Mon-Thu 9am-4pm, Fri 9am-12pm | Once per 30 days; walk-ins welcome, no referral needed; (423) 622-1800 |
| Greater Emmanuel Apostolic Church | 400 Tunnel Blvd | 3rd Thursday, 11am-2pm | ID requested but not required; (216) 858-6789 |
| Hamilton Co Baptist (HACOBA) | 4501 Virginia Ave | Tue/Thu/Fri 10am-1pm | Must call 211 first for referral; entrance in back; (423) 637-8187 |
| Hamilton Co Health Dept - Community Assistance | 921 E 3rd St, 3rd Floor | Call (423) 209-8374 | Emergency food vouchers for East Ridge Sav-A-Lot; must come in person; vouchers expire in 4 days |
| Joyful Sound Church of God | 3912 4th Ave | Food boxes Tue 11-12; meals Wed/Sat 12-1pm | (423) 503-3428 |
| Metropolitan Ministries | 4001 Rossville Blvd | Tue-Thu 9am-4pm (closed 12-1pm lunch) | Once per 30 days; walk-ins welcome; (423) 624-9650 (met-min.org) |
| New Life Seventh Day Adventist | 2099 E Main St | 2nd & 4th Tuesday, 3:30-5:30pm | (423) 313-6529 |
| Project Rescue (Standifer Gap SDA) | 8310 Standifer Gap Rd | Thursdays 10-11:45am | (423) 892-4362 |
| Red Bank Community Food Pantry | 3800 Dayton Blvd, Red Bank | 1st & 3rd Thursday, 4:30-6pm | (423) 877-2881 |
| Redemption to the Nations Church | 1908 Bailey Ave | Mon-Thu 9am-4pm | Food bags at office across from church; (423) 591-7886 |
| Restoration Outreach Center (Faith Family Chattanooga) | 2505 E 43rd St | 3rd Saturday, 10am-1pm | Walk-ins welcome; every distribution; (423) 475-0229 |
| Soddy Daisy Food Bank | 255 Depot St, Soddy-Daisy | Mon 3:30-5:15pm, Thu 8:30-10:45am | Once per calendar month; serves zips 37343, 37379, 37373, 37304; (423) 760-3489 |
| St. Elmo United Methodist | 4626 St. Elmo Ave | Mon & Fri 11am-12pm (except 2nd Fri); 2nd Sat 10-11am | Weekly visits allowed; (423) 490-7039 |
| St. Thaddaeus Episcopal | 4300 Locksley Ln | Saturdays 2-4pm | No visit limits; open to anyone regardless of address; (423) 892-2377 |
| St. Timothy's Episcopal - The Open Pantry | 630 Mississippi Ave, Signal Mountain | 3rd Saturday, 10am-12pm | Everyone welcome, no ID; (423) 886-2281 |
| St. Vincent de Paul - Chattanooga | (delivery) | Call (423) 999-6332 | Food boxes delivered to those in need, 7 days/week |
| Thankful Baptist Church | 980 N Orchard Knob Ave | 3rd Saturday, 11am-1pm | (423) 622-1839 |
| Trinity Lutheran Church - Choice Pantry | 5001 Hixson Pike, Hixson | 3rd Saturday, 10am-12pm | Lower level; (423) 870-1236. ⚠ Older listings say "001 Hixson Pike" - the correct address is 5001 |
| Wauhatchie Methodist Church | 3401 Cummings Hwy | 3rd Wednesday, 10am-12pm | Outdoor drive-through + walk-ups; (423) 825-5766 |
| Westside Missionary Baptist Church | 4001 Hughes Ave | Wednesdays 1-3pm (June-Nov only) | (423) 756-8737 |
Two free clothing/clothing-adjacent options in town, both verified:
Pantry hours and eligibility change - call ahead or use 211. If a listing is
wrong, update it here.
Last updated: September 2026 — web-verified (added official websites for phone-only resources).