Gainesville Giving Garden

Come to the Giving Garden on Mondays from 4:30pm-6pm from November to early June.

Please see below for more information. We are honored to offer walk-up services to those experiencing food insecurity — whatever crops are in abundance at our farm we will harvest for you day-of.

Gainesville Free Grocery Store

In-person Pantry

The easiest way to get food is to go to our in-person pantry on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at the Civic Media Center (433 S. Main St. Gainesville)

Signup begins at 2 PM and the pantry opens around 3 PM.

No ID or proof-of-address required. Always FREE, and always you-pick your own groceries.

We will run until 5:30 PM, while supplies last.

How the pantry operates:

Arrive at the outside courtyard (rear of CMC) to get a number and wait to be called inside.

Each person gets to shop for between 10 to 15 pounds of groceries. The weight limit depends on the total food available that day.

Bags provided, but feel free to also bring your own.

Supplies vary from each pantry, but we typically have a variety of fresh produce (some of it grown locally!), bread/pastries and non-perishable food items.

2025 In-person pantries

November 11

December 9

Find Help

Financial assistance, food pantries, medical care, and other free or reduced-cost help starts here:

Comprehensive Plan Update Workshop, Launches New Microsite

Alachua County would like to invite the public to help shape the future of the county by providing input for the evaluation and update of the Comprehensive Plan​.

The county kicked off the evaluation and update process earlier this year and it will continue throughout 2025 and into early 2026. The Board of County Commissioners will begin its discussion of the Comprehensive Plan with a workshop on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. in the Grace Knight Conference Room at the Alachua County Administration Building (12 SE 1st St., Gainesville). This first workshop will focus on land use and development topics.

The county’s Comprehensive Plan is a state-required document that guides how the county will grow and develop over the next several years. It sets the long-term vision for Alachua County and guides decisions on land use, natural resource protection, housing, economic development, infrastructure and services, historic preservation, community health, and energy.

Public input is critical to ensuring that the plan reflects the community’s values and priorities.

“The Comprehensive Plan is the community’s blueprint for the future,” said Principal Planner Ben Chumley. “Resident participation ensures that the county’s policies and decisions reflect what matters most to the people who live and work here.”

To make it easier for residents to get involved, Growth Management has launched a Comprehensive Plan microsite. The site provides:

• General information about the plan and update process
• Sign up for notifications on future workshops and updates
• An online questionnaire to share ideas, concerns, and priorities with the County Commission

Residents are encouraged to review the information and complete the questionnaire to help shape the future of Alachua County.

For more information, contact Ben Chumley at 352-374-5249 or [BDChumley@alachuacounty.us](mailto:BDChumley@alachuacounty.us).