HopeBox NY

New York State · Food packages

A taste of home for someone inside.

Sponsor a food package for a person in a New York State prison. You choose the package, we order it from an approved vendor, and it’s delivered to them under DOCCS rules.

Sponsor a Package How it works

How it works

  1. 1 Choose a package

    Pick a package size and, if you like, name the person you want it to go to. Or let us match it with someone who rarely gets one.

  2. 2 We order and ship it

    We buy the food from an approved vendor, and the vendor ships it directly to the facility, following DOCCS package rules.

  3. 3 It reaches them

    The facility’s package room checks it in and passes it to them. It’s a small sign that someone outside is thinking of them.

Our recommended package

One package with everything a person inside needs: 18 items of protein, easy meals, a drink mix and snacks.

Recommended

Essentials Package

$52.99

Proteins (7)

  • StarKist Tuna Creations: Hot Buffalo, Deli Style Tuna Salad, Ranch
  • Bumble Bee Tuna: Lemon & Pepper, Light Tuna in Water
  • Chicken of the Sea Wild Alaskan Pink Salmon
  • BBQ Beef Jerky

Easy meals (3)

  • Ben’s Original Ready Rice: Garden Vegetable, Jasmine
  • Barilla Ready Pasta Penne

Drink (1)

  • Crystal Light Wild Strawberry drink mix (10 packets)

Snacks & sweets (7)

  • Cheez-It Original, Pringles Original
  • Pop-Tarts Strawberry, Famous Amos cookies, Sour Patch Kids
  • Oreo cookies (2), Welch’s Fruit Snacks (2)
Sponsor this package

About DOCCS package rules

New York State DOCCS only accepts packages that are shipped directly from vendors (by USPS, FedEx, UPS and similar). Families and friends can no longer mail packages themselves or bring them to visits, under Directive #4911. Some programs, including Shock Incarceration, drug treatment, work release, CASAT and I-ASAT, don’t allow packages at all, and DOCCS keeps a list of vendors it does not approve.

That’s why we place every order through a vendor and check the current rules before each one ships.

DOCCS: Mail & Packages Directive #4911 (PDF)

About us

HopeBox NY is a community effort based in Brooklyn, New York. We believe a package of good food is a small, real way to remind someone they haven’t been forgotten. Many people inside rarely or never receive one. We make it easy for anyone to change that, and we handle the rules and the logistics.

Questions

Can I send a package to someone I know?

Yes. Add their name, DIN and facility on the form. If you don’t know their DIN, you can look it up with the DOCCS Incarcerated Look-Up.

What if I don’t know anyone inside?

Leave the recipient blank. We’ll send your package to someone who rarely receives one.

What goes in a package?

Food items from an approved vendor’s catalog that DOCCS allows, like snacks, staples, coffee and treats. Exact contents depend on what the vendor stocks and what the facility permits.

How long does delivery take?

It depends on the vendor and the facility’s package room. We’ll let you know when your package has been ordered and shipped.

Are there limits on packages?

Yes. DOCCS sets limits on how often a person can receive packages and how much they can weigh, and the rules can change. We check them before every order so your package isn’t turned away.

Contact

Questions, ideas, or want to volunteer? We’d love to hear from you.

Hopeboxny@gmail.com