Emergency Food Assistance, for everyone in your family.

Emergency Food Assistance, for everyone in your family.

Emergency Food Assistance, for everyone in your family.

All Are Welcome

We provide some relief from the stress of making choices, your choices between food and other basic needs.

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 adults, a photo ID (a driver’s license or Illinois State ID card).
  2. For children, a medical card or birth certificate or current school year record.
  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
  • 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 as choice selections and prepackaged at our satellite Broadway location. You may use either of our locations twice 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-4:00pm 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 grant funded 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 a part of RRVP. Kibble Korner is an all-volunteer organization that provides food for hungry Winnebago County pets.

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.

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) twice 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

After COVID restrictions end the RRVP will resume providing connection with additional services our clients may need at our 421 South Rockton Ave location. These services have currently been interrupted. When they resume, their schedule will be posted in the RRVP lobby, and will also be available by calling the RRVP at 815-965-2466. Typically, the resources may include:

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