Great Plates: Free meals delivered to seniors
Last updated February 8, 2021 at 2:14 PM
California’s older adults can get three free, restaurant-quality meals through Great Plates Delivered. This home delivery program helps them stay safe at home during the pandemic.
On this page:
How to get meals
Find out if you qualify
You may qualify for Great Plates if you:
- Are age 65 or older, are 60-64 and have been diagnosed with or exposed to COVID-19, or are considered high risk by the CDC
- Live by yourself or with one other program-eligible adult
- Are not currently receiving assistance from other state or federal nutrition assistance programs, like CalFresh/SNAP or Meals on Wheels
- Have difficulty accessing food or preparing your own meals
- Earn 600% or less of the federal poverty limit
- Live within a county or city participating in the program
Sign up for delivery
Contact a Great Plates administrator in your city or county and ask about free home delivered meals for seniors:
- Alameda County: call 800-510-2020 or 510-577-3530.
- City of Bell Gardens (Senior Center): call 562-334-1779 or email rescobedo@bellgardens.org
- Contra Costa County (Helpline): call 800-510-2020
- City of Elk Grove: call 916-627-3331
- City of Lodi: call 209-369-1591 or email meals@loelcenter.net
- City of Los Angeles (Dept of Aging Hotline): call 213-263-5226, 9am – 5pm
- Los Angeles County: call 211, email greatplates@wdacs.lacounty.gov, or https://wdacs.lacounty.gov/greatplates/
- Marin County: call 415-456-9073
- Mendocino County: call 707-463-7900, 877-327-1799, or email mendocinocounty.org/greatplates
- Monterey County: call 831-755-4447 or 831- 755-4430 or email SilvaS@co.monterey.ca.us
- City of Moreno Valley (Hotline): call 951-413-3280
- City of Oakland: call 510-238-FOOD (3663), email: greatplates@oaklandca.gov, or apply for meals online
- Nevada County (Adult Services Office): call 530-265-1639
- City of Parlier: call Eva Beltran at 559-646-3545 ext. 242, or email ebeltran@parlier.ca.us
- City of Perris (Public Health Hotline): call 951-435-7206
- City of Rancho Cordova (Customer Service Line): call 916-851-8700
- City of Rancho Mirage (COVID Hotline): call 877-652-4844 or email greatplates@ranchomirageca.gov
- Riverside County (Office on Aging Line): call 800-510-2020, 8am – 5pm
- City of Sacramento (Hotline): call 916-330-1444
- San Bernardino County (Hotline): call 888-743-1485
- San Diego County: call 800- 339-4661, or apply for meals online
- San Joaquin County: program suspended as of June 10, 2020.
- Santa Cruz County: call 831-454-4406 or email hsd_greatplates@santacruzcounty.us
- City & County of San Francisco (Dept. of Disability & Aging Helpline): call 415-355-6700
- County of San Mateo (Hotline): call 800-675-8437
- City of Seaside (Senior Services Office): call 831-899-6809 or 831-899-6821
- Ventura County: call 805-477-7300, email Lois.vcaa@ventura.org, or apply for meals online
More details about receiving meals are available in the participant FAQ (PDF).
How to provide meals
If you’d like to supply meals or help administer the program, review this info and submit your request.
- Program guidance (PDF)
- Data reporting questionnaire (DOC)
- Local administrator FAQs (PDF)
- Restaurants FAQs (PDF)
- Guidance for food facilities (video)
About this program
On April 24, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the launch of a first-in-the-nation Great Plates Delivered program, a meal delivery service for California’s older adults.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance (PA) program has authorized the Great Plates Delivered program through March 8, 2021.
Great Plates Delivered has two purposes:
- Help seniors and other adults at high risk from COVID-19 to stay home and stay healthy by delivering three nutritious meals a day
- Provide essential economic stimulus to local businesses struggling to stay afloat during the COVID-19 crisis
Additional resources
- Enter your location into 211.org to find local services, such as nutrition, financial, health care, and housing assistance. Every community has an Aging and Adult Info Line to connect to aging and adult services. Connect with yours at 800-510-2020.
- Visit the California Department of Aging’s COVID-19 page for a list of resources for older and other at-risk adults.
- Do you suspect someone is being neglected or abused? Call Adult Protective Services at 833-401-0832.
- Suspect fraud? AARP has a Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 877-908-3360.
- Concerned about someone with dementia or Alzheimer’s or their caregiver? Call the Alzheimer’s Association at 800-272-3900.
Reach out to California’s COVID-19 hotline for questions about coronavirus at 833-422-4255 (833-4CA-4ALL).