Food Access
Any student may sometimes have difficulty accessing a sufficient quantity of nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life.

Urgent Help

Student Financial Aid Emergency Loans

San Francisco-Marin Food Bank Emergency Food Program

  • Provides a three-day supply of food for people in crisis
  • Visit sfmfoodbank.org/find-food or call 2-1-1 for locations
  • Service available to all San Francisco residents (with ID) one time in a 12-month period

Food Pantries and Free Meals

Get a current list of free food pantries and free meals offered around San Francisco at freeprintshop.org.

Ongoing Assistance

Student Food Market at UCSF

  • Offers a variety of fresh produce and other healthy staples, free of charge, to any current UCSF student who needs it
  • Registration is required, and this is not a drop-in program.
  • Hosted at: 
    • Parnassus - Student Success Center in Millberry Union, 100w, from 4 to 6 p.m. every Thursday
    • Mission Bay - Student Services in Mission Hall, 1300, from 4-5 p.m. every Thursday 

CalFresh Program

  • Government-funded food assistance program that issues monthly electronic benefits that can be used to buy most foods at many markets and food stores
  • Some students are eligible to receive up to $194 per month in benefits
  • See the CalFresh Student Guide for application instructions and eligibility details
  • The online application takes only about 10 minutes to complete
  • If you have questions regarding eligibility or assistance with Federal Work Study verification documents, please contact Student Financial Aid

Food 4 UCSF Students App

  • Sign up to receive an alert on your cell phone when there is free food available after catered events on campus
  • If you have a food allergy or dietary restrictions, please be cautious when using this service - food may not always be labeled, and providers cannot guarantee the absence of any common allergens in the food offered
  •  If you are a UCSF event organizer, please be encouraged to register as a food provider.

San Francisco-Marin Food Bank

  • The Food Bank not only provides emergency assistance, as described above, but also weekly groceries and free food pantries in neighborhoods around San Francisco and the Bay Area
  • To access these programs, call 2-1-1 or use the online food locator
  • Anyone who feels they need it will qualify for assistance from the Food Bank, and most of its programs require participants to provide only very basic information
  • Service available to all San Francisco residents (with ID)

Student Health and Counseling Services (SHCS)

  • Provides students with health care and wellness services, including nutrition services and workshops
  • Find recipes and meal plans that will help you eat well on a budget
  • Visit the SHCS website for resources, to make an appointment, or to see hours and locations