A Cup of Sugar works because neighbors trust each other. These guidelines exist to keep you and everyone you meet safe — please read them before you post, respond or arrange a meetup.
You are meeting people you may not know. A few simple habits make that much safer.
Choose a well-lit, busy spot — a grocery store entrance, library, café or park. Never arrange a pickup inside someone's home, and don't invite anyone into yours.
Pick a time when other people are around. Avoid isolated locations and late-night handoffs.
Bring a friend when you can, and always let a family member or roommate know where you're going, who you're meeting and when you expect to be back.
Share a nearby public landmark instead of your street address. Your exact location is never required to give or receive food.
This community is free. Anyone asking for payment, a deposit, gift cards, bank details or a verification code is trying to scam you.
If a person, message or situation feels wrong, leave. You never owe anyone an explanation, and no ingredient is worth your safety.
Shared food should be safe food. Please follow these before offering anything.
Give food you would eat yourself. Keep cold items cold, and don't pass on anything past its date, opened, damaged or improperly stored.
Label allergens and ingredients whenever you can. If you can't vouch for what's in something, say so clearly.
Please don't post home-canned goods, unpasteurized dairy, leftovers, recalled products, or anything you can't vouch for. When in doubt, leave it out.
If food you received made you sick or seemed unsafe, report the listing so we can remove it and warn others.
Breaking these rules can get a listing or an account removed.
Describe what you're offering or asking for accurately — quantity, condition, freshness and any allergens.
This is a giving community. No selling, no trading for money, no advertising or promotions.
No harassment, hate speech, threats, discrimination or pressuring anyone to meet.
No alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, medications, supplements, recalled goods or anything unlawful.
Use your own identity and don't impersonate anyone else.
If a listing or a member breaks these rules, report it so we can review and remove it.
By posting a listing, responding to one, or meeting another member, you agree to the terms below.
A Cup of Sugar is a free, volunteer-run platform where neighbors post and respond to offers and requests. It is not a grocery store, delivery service, food bank or charity, and no money changes hands through it.
Every exchange, meetup and agreement happens directly between the people involved. We don't arrange, supervise, deliver, inspect or guarantee anything shared through the app.
We don't run background checks, verify identities, or inspect any food or item posted. Listings are created by community members, and we don't review, endorse or confirm what they say.
Meeting people you don't know and accepting food from them carries real risks, including injury, illness, allergic reactions and loss. By using the app you accept those risks and agree that you are responsible for your own safety, decisions and conduct.
The platform is provided "as is" and "as available", without warranties of any kind, express or implied — including fitness for a particular purpose, or that it will be uninterrupted, secure or free of errors.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, the platform and the people who operate and volunteer for it are not liable for any injury, illness, death, loss, damage, cost or dispute arising out of your use of the app or any exchange arranged through it — whether based in contract, negligence or any other legal theory.
You are responsible for everything you post and for how you behave. You agree not to post anything unlawful, misleading, harmful or abusive, and not to use the app to harass, defraud or endanger anyone. You keep ownership of your content but grant us permission to display it in the app.
You agree to hold the platform, its operators and its volunteers harmless from any claim, loss or expense — including reasonable legal fees — that arises from your conduct, your content, or the food and items you share.
We may remove any listing or account at any time if it breaks these rules or puts the community at risk.
We may update these guidelines and terms as the community grows. Continuing to use the app means you accept the current version.
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, contact your local emergency services right away. If a listing breaks these rules, report it from the listing page.
Curious what the app keeps about you and who can see it? Read the privacy page.
Last updated September 2026. This page is plain-language community guidance and general information — it is not legal advice and doesn't create a lawyer–client relationship. Laws differ by location. If you run this platform and need terms you can rely on, have a qualified attorney review them for your situation.