Get a free meal
Meals paid for ahead of time by people in your community, served free at restaurant partners in the Phoenix metro, Arizona. No ID, no paperwork, no questions about why.
Right now
The live count of restaurant partners and meals loads when you open this page.
Three ways to get a meal
1. Reserve online
Use a phone or computer to pick a restaurant partner and reserve a meal. You get a meal code.
- Needs a free account with an email address. No password needed: we email you a code to sign in.
- Show your meal code at the counter within 2 hours.
- One meal per person per day.
2. At the counter
Some restaurant partners have a Pay It Forward tablet at the counter. Tap it and a meal code shows on the screen.
- No account and no phone needed.
- Show the code to the staff right away.
- Look for “Tablet at the counter” in the list.
3. Through a community partner
Some shelters and outreach teams pick up meals from restaurant partners and hand them out to the people they serve. Staff at some can also reserve a meal for you and give you the meal code on a slip, or have a tablet you can use without an account.
- Nothing to sign up for, and no phone needed.
- Ask a shelter, food program or outreach team you already know if they have Pay It Forward meals. A meal they reserve for you is held for 4 hours.
- Not sure where to start? Dial 211 for shelters and food programs near you.
No ID, no paperwork, no questions about why
If you're hungry, the meal is yours. Each one was paid for by someone in the community who wanted to help. Please take one meal a day, so there are enough to go around.
Other help near you
Shelter, food, medical care and 24-hour crisis lines in the Phoenix metro, Arizona, with every number tap-to-call. Anywhere in Arizona, you can also dial 211.
Questions
Do I need an account to get a meal?
Only to reserve online. That takes a free account with an email address, so we can keep it to one meal per person per day and show you your meal code. There's no password to remember: we email you a code to sign in. At a restaurant with a Pay It Forward tablet at the counter, or through a community partner, you don't need an account.
Does it cost anything? Do I have to prove I need it?
No. The meal is free: people in the community paid for it ahead of time. There is no ID, no paperwork and no questions about why.
How long is my meal held?
2 hours from when you reserve it online. From the tablet at a restaurant's counter, 15 minutes, since you're already there. When a community partner's staff reserve it for you, or you use a community partner's tablet, 4 hours. Show your meal code at the counter before then. If the time runs out, the meal goes back to the pool for someone else, and you can reserve again.
How many meals can I get?
One meal per person per day. The day starts over at midnight, Arizona time. A reservation that runs out without being picked up doesn't count.
What if there are no meals right now?
Meals are added as people give, so please check back later. In the meantime, our help pages list free food, shelter and other services near you, and you can dial 211 anywhere in Arizona.
I don't have a phone. Can I still get a meal?
Yes. Look for a restaurant partner with a tablet at the counter, or ask a shelter or outreach team that works with Pay It Forward. A community partner's staff may be able to reserve a meal for you and give you the meal code on a slip, or have a tablet you can use without an account.
Where does Pay It Forward work?
Pay It Forward is starting in the Phoenix metro, Arizona, including Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe and Chandler, and it's built to work anywhere in the US. The restaurant partners taking reservations are listed on the Find a meal page.
Run a restaurant, shelter or outreach team?
More partners means more neighbors get a meal close to home.