← All services

Downtown Eastside, Vancouver

Free & low-cost food in the Downtown Eastside

Find community meals, groceries and food programs in and around Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Check the location and access requirements with the organization before visiting.

Need a shelter space? Check the current BC 211 shelter list. For seasonal openings, check the City’s shelter page.

Help finding services: call 211 or text 211. Navigators: 9 am–9 pm weekdays, excluding holidays. Emergency: call 911.

Some services are outside the neighbourhood or require an appointment or referral. Check access details with the organization before visiting.

Find a service

22 listings

Food & meals DTES / Strathcona

Ayx Community Bus

Volunteer peer-run outreach project provides vulnerable Downtown Eastside and Strathcona area community members with bottled water, coffee, snacks, harm reduction supplies, resource navigation and referrals, and basic clothing donations when available.

Location
Address not published by 211
Hours
Contact the service for current hours.
Listing DTES-223Report a change

Food & meals DTES / Strathcona

BCSPCA Charlie's Pet Food Bank

The BC Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BCSPCA)

Outreach program in the Downtown Eastside provides free pet food and pet supplies to people with pets who are homeless, low-income, or seniors.

Location
Jacob's Well, 543 Powell Street, Vancouver
Hours
Food and pet supply distribution hours are 11 am to 1 pm on Tuesdays.
Resource
Listing DTES-212Report a change

Food & meals DTES / Strathcona

DTES Emergency Supply Hub

Offers food hampers, home goods, clothing and toiletries, seasonal supplies, and recovery navigation support.

Location
144 East Hastings Street, Vancouver
Hours
Serves a hot meal at 159 East Hastings Street (near Insite OPS ) from 1 pm to 4 pm every other Wednesday.
Contact
604-679-4019
Call 604-679-4019 Resource Directions
Listing DTES-216Report a change

Food & meals DTES / Strathcona

Food Programs - Strathcona

Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation

Breakfast Program offers breakfast before school for students of Lord Strathcona Elementary.

Location
Strathcona Community Centre, 601 Keefer Street, Vancouver
Hours
Contact the service for current hours.
Contact
604-713-1838
Call 604-713-1838 Resource
Listing DTES-220Report a change

Food & meals DTES / Strathcona

Jacob's Well

Faith-based organization provides a variety of services to the Vancouver Downtown Eastside community.

Location
543 Powell Street, Vancouver
Hours
Offers a Community Kitchen where members of the community gather to plan, cook, and eat a meal together from 4 pm to 7 pm Wednesdays.
Contact
604-681-4898
Call 604-681-4898 Resource Directions
Listing DTES-213Report a change

Food & meals DTES / Strathcona

MFBCS - Vancouver

Muslim Food Bank and Community Services Society (MFBCS)

Serves meals at 140 East Hastings Street from 4 pm to 7:30 pm Monday to Friday, 1 pm to 4:30 pm Saturdays, and 1 pm to 3 pm Sundays; includes statutory holidays.

Location
140 East Hastings Street, Vancouver
Hours
Serves meals at 140 East Hastings Street from 4 pm to 7:30 pm Monday to Friday, 1 pm to 4:30 pm Saturdays, and 1 pm to 3 pm Sundays; includes statutory holidays.
Contact
1-866-248-3868 Local 1
Call 1-866-248-3868 ext. 1 Resource Directions
Listing DTES-218Report a change

Food & meals DTES / Strathcona

Potter's Place Mission

Provides a 12 noon lunch (attendance at 11 am church service required) and a 9 pm dinner (attendance at 9 pm church service required) seven days a week.

Location
21 East Hastings Street, Vancouver
Hours
Provides a 12 noon lunch (attendance at 11 am church service required) and a 9 pm dinner (attendance at 9 pm church service required) seven days a week.
Contact
604-537-8717
Call 604-537-8717 Directions
Listing DTES-219Report a change

Food & meals DTES

Watari Wellness Hub

Watari

Hot meals, showers, laundry, counselling, cultural programming and housing navigation for houseless people in the Downtown Eastside and people connected with Watari supports.

Location
320 Alexander Street, Vancouver
Hours
Monday–Friday, 8 am–6 pm; weekend hours vary.
Contact
604-254-6995

Check specific program times and weekend opening hours with Watari.

Call 604-254-6995 Resource Directions
Listing DTES-077 · Details reviewed: 2026-10-20Report a change

Food & meals DTES

WISH Drop-In Centre

WISH Drop-In Centre Society

Cis and trans women, Two-Spirit, non-binary and gender-diverse active street-based sex workers.

Location
330 Alexander Street, Vancouver
Hours
Tuesday–Saturday nights, 6 pm–6 am the following morning. Closed Sunday after 6 am until Tuesday at 6 pm.
Contact
604-681-9244

Meals: dinner 6–8 pm; snack 1–4 am; breakfast 6 am. The operator limits drop-in access to active sex workers. This is separate from WISH’s shelter.

Call 604-681-9244 Resource Directions
Listing DTES-082 · Details reviewed: 2026-10-20Report a change

Help keep this guide useful

Something changed? Report a correction. Know a service missing from the guide? Suggest a service. Both links open an email to contact@downtowneastside.org.

This guide is compiled from publicly available sources. We do our best to keep it up to date, but cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Hours, eligibility and availability can change. Confirm details directly with the organization before visiting. DowntownEastside.org does not operate these services or reserve spaces.

Have a story for us?

Send a tip, a document or a question to the editor.

Contact the editor

Coverage

The publication