Emergency Food Assistance, for everyone in your household.

Emergency Food Assistance, for everyone in your household.

Emergency Food Assistance, for everyone in your household.

All Are Welcome

Please come in. We can offer assistance of food for you, your family, and even your beloved pets.

No one should go hungry.

The Pantry provides emergency food assistance.

We provide healthy, nutritionally balanced emergency food to families, individuals, and elderly who need assistance. To qualify you must provide:

  1. For head of household, a photo ID (a driver’s license or Illinois State ID Card).
  2. For all other household members, name(s) and date(s) of birth.
  3. Proof of address. If your address is not current on your ID, use a current utility bill with your name on it, or your lease with your name and address.

We provide a four-day food supply for each person in the household, consisting of:

  • Meat
  • Available produce
  • Available dairy items
  • Milk for eligible households (children under 18, adults over 65)
  • Bread, rolls, buns or other bread product
  • A desert or snack item
  • Canned and packaged dry goods, including:
    • Cereal
    • Grains (rice or other whole grains)
    • Dried beans
    • Canned vegetables
    • Canned or dried fruit
    • Canned soup
    • Available miscellaneous items

The Pantry distributes food at its main location on South Rockton Avenue and choice selections and prepackaged at our Broadway location. You may use either of our locations once a month. Note: The Pantry locations are closed all major holidays.

Fresh food and more

RRVP Seasonal Garden

Our seasonal garden, which is located at 421 South Rockton Avenue offers fresh produce in season. Master Gardeners are on hand from 1:00pm-3:30pm to assist clients in the harvesting process. Many local gardeners bring their excess harvest to the Pantry. Some plant a row just for us.

Broadway Seasonal Garden

The University of Illinois Extension and volunteers are raising seasonal produce at a nearby location. The surplus garden veggies are available inside the 1100 Broadway location during distribution hours, Monday through Friday, 10:00am to noon.

Thanksgiving Food Box

The Rock River Valley Pantry provides a Thanksgiving holiday food box to families. Families of two or more living at the same address are eligible for this program.

You must register to receive this box. Registration is typically held the third week of October, with box distribution the Saturday before Thanksgiving. To register you must provide a photo ID and proof of family members living at the same address. Acceptable forms of proof of family include, for adults, a photo ID (a driver’s license or Illinois State ID card), and for children, a medical card or birth certificate or current school year record.

For more information, please call 815-965-2466 in early October.

Emergency Pet Food Assistance

Kibble Korner Pet Food Pantry shares space in the RRVP though it is not operated by RRVP.

To apply for emergency food for your pet, you must complete an application and show a current rabies vaccination/registration form with a valid tag number. You are allowed pet food once a month, six times per year. Food will be provided for up to two dogs and/or cats per household. Once registered, no additional pets can be added.

Kibble Korner Pet Food (inside Rock River Valley Pantry)
421 South Rockton Avenue
Rockford IL 61102
Pet Food Distribution: Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday 8:30am – Noon

Client FAQs

Where are you located and what time do you open?

We distribute food from two locations, Monday through Friday:

What do I need to show in order to register?

You will need photo ID at time of registration.

What do I receive?

You will receive up to four days of nutritious food appropriate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, for each client.

How often can I go to the RRVP?

Clients may use either of our locations (not both) once a month.

What else do you offer?

At our main location on South Rockton Avenue, we provide space for Jazzy’s Kibbles Korner, a pet food pantry. It is open Monday -Wednesday mornings from 8:30am to noon. Pet food is available to animals that are registered with Winnebago County Animal Services.

Additional Resources Available

Several community agencies provide resources in the RRVP lobby during food distribution. Typically, the resources may include:

  • SNAP preregistration
  • U of I Extension programs
  • Medicare information
  • Prairie State Legal Services