Food 

An up-to-date version of hours of operation can be downloaded and printed. If you are in need of food, housing, utility assistance, child care, after school programs, elder care crisis intervention and much more assistance, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, dial 2-1-1 or search online at www.211ct.org

Finding food shouldn’t be a struggle—but for many in our five-town region, it is. That’s why we’ve compiled the resources below: to connect you with reliable information about local food pantries, community meals, and emergency resources. Whether you’re in need of immediate help or looking for ongoing support, the listings here are meant to guide you to the assistance you deserve. Valley United Way is committed to making sure no one in our community goes hungry—and this information is a starting point.

Food Banks and Pantries

Seymour Oxford Food Bank
20 Pine Street
Seymour, CT 06478
203 888-7826

Spooner House
30 Todd Road
Shelton, CT 06484
203 225-0453

Community Gardens

Ten community gardens across the Valley are about to launch their 2025 growing season. Valley Community Gardens is a collective of communal growing spaces created to empower residents to make healthier choices and increase access to fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs. Gardens are open to all and require no buy-in or plot rental.

The towns of Derby, Ansonia and Shelton all have functioning community gardens that allow residents to ‘rent a plot’ in order to grow and manage in their own space; however, waiting lists for a plot can be lengthy.

The Valley Community Gardens, originally installed in 2017 by Valley United Way and later managed by Massaro Community Farm, are run communally, inviting anyone to participate in the entire garden, harvesting as they need or donating items to the nearest food pantry. Gardens are run by volunteer leaders who help coordinate instruction-led days in the garden, as well as ensuring gardens have basic supplies like seeds and seedlings, tools and access to water.

“We know that gardening knowledge has often skipped a generation,” says garden facilitator, Caty Poole, who served as Executive Director at Massaro Community Farm from 2012-2023. “People often see community gardens and think, ‘I’d like to do that but don’t know how’ or ‘I can’t do that by myself’.”

By operating gardens communally, residents can glean knowledge from others, build their skills together and share in the watering, weeding and harvesting when life gets a little busy. Garden spaces also provide a respite from the pressures of daily life and create opportunities for residents to know their neighbors. Scientific evidence indicates that getting one’s hands in the soil increases serotonin and dopamine levels, decreasing stress and boosting mood. Not to mention the bonus of free food. Food pantries are having difficulty maintaining inventory as more working families rely on them to put meals on the table.

Each garden keeps its own schedule of garden-led instruction times when someone is available to assist as needed. Schedules will be posted on the group’s Facebook page and may change depending on the season. Garden leaders are also hoping to host a series of rotating activities to invite neighbors out this season, which could include garden yoga, how-to food preservation methods and kids activities.

Below is list of gardens active for the 2025 season:

Ansonia
-Beaver Brook: 96 Central St.
-Salvation Army: 26 Lester St.

Derby
-Griffin Hospital: 130 Division St.
-5th & Olivia Streets
-Derby Public Library: 313 Elizabeth St.

Seymour
-Seymour Community Center: 20 Pine St.
-Trinity Episcopal Church: 91 Church St.
-Little Free Pantry on Skokorat: 58 Skokorat St.

Shelton
-Good Shepherd Church: 182 Coram Ave

Oxford
-Immanuel Lutheran ECLA Church: 25 Great Hill Road
-Coming this summer: Little Free Pantry @ 130 Bee Mountain Rd, Oxford

Those interested in getting involved – which can include everything from building/maintaining garden beds, mowing, planting, watering, weeding, leading a workshop or transporting produce to the nearest food pantry are asked to email at valleycommgardens@gmail.com.

Facebook/Valley Community Gardens
Instagram: @Valleycommgardens

CT Food Share