At Berkeley Food Network, we consider every individual that receives food from us a member of our network. And our community members know best what they need for their families. Instead of pre-selecting what each pantry visitor takes home, we’ve designed our food pantries to emulate farmers’ markets and grocery stores that promote individual choice and encourage community members to select the items and quantities they want. This approach to food assistance fosters dignity and reduces stigma while helping eliminate food waste.
9th Street Pantry
Located at our West Berkeley Warehouse, the 9th Street Pantry is our largest pantry distribution supporting over 1,200 households a week. Its innovative grocery store layout demonstrates BFN’s commitment to promoting individual choice in food assistance.
Every Tuesday and Thursday, community members are greeted in the 9th Street Pantry’s Welcome Room. Our Welcome Room is a comfortable waiting area where members can access additional services such as CalFresh enrollment, employment resources, and books in multiple languages while they wait to shop. With the support of our volunteers, pantry members then browse the stocked shelves of dry and canned goods, tables of fresh produce, and fridges of meat and dairy, selecting what they need for their families.
Neighborhood Pantries
Many experience transportation barriers or other challenges preventing them from accessing our 9th Street Pantry. We collaborate with community organizations to bring food closer to them through our Neighborhood Pantry Program. These include schools within Berkeley and Albany, senior housing complexes, and community centers.
BFN volunteers work alongside high school students or volunteers from our community partner organizations to run a series of neighborhood pantries in high-need neighborhoods. By partnering with organizations such as schools and senior housing facilities to host pop-up pantries, we are lowering barriers to healthy food access.
To view our public pantry hours and locations visit our:
