Innovating Ways to Provide Food with Dignity
Berkeley Food Network is raising the standards on food recovery. Food recovery is just one of BFN’s food sourcing strategies, but a critical one. Last year, BFN received and distributed…
Elevating the Voices of our Community – The Vital Role of Volunteers
BFN’s volunteers are essential to our mission. Their contributions help us distribute healthy, high-quality food to 8,600 people each week through our pantries, home delivery programs, and partnerships with 30…
Building Community, Breaking Barriers
BFN’s 2023-2024 Annual Report Berkeley Food Network made significant strides last fiscal year in establishing itself as a beacon of support for the community. By strengthening our commitments and partnerships…
Farmer Feature: Rancho Siempre Verde’s Phoenix Food Project
Rancho Siempre Verde Farm rebuilds from fire with a compassionate purpose. On the night of August 16, 2020, the CZU Lightning Complex fire swept through the hills behind Rancho Siempre…
BFN Seeks Volunteer Ambassadors
Calling all advocates! Are you passionate about food justice, nutrition, and building a stronger community? Berkeley Food Network is looking for enthusiastic individuals like you to join our Volunteer Ambassador…
BFN Support Local Research to Expand Healthy Food Access
Berkeley Food Network’s 9th Street Pantry recently served as a test site for a future pilot intervention with the University of California Nutrition Policy Institute (NPI). This pilot intervention aims…
Spring 2024: Strengthening Community & Partnerships
With the rainy season over, we can officially declare it is Spring in Berkeley! The team at Berkeley Food Network has been busy the past few months laying the groundwork…
Meeting Basic Needs Post-COVID: Looking Forward to Collective Action
Last month, Berkeley Food Network hosted a private partner conversation in our Community Room to discuss the complexities of food insecurity, the role of food banks, and the anti-hunger and…
Volunteers Empowered with Trauma-Informed Training
Will they run out of food? Will there be enough eggs for my family? What about produce? These are common questions those receiving assistance ask themselves while waiting for their…
Berkeley Food Network & Community Kitchens Partnership
BFN & Community Kitchens Partner to Deliver 16,800 Prepared Meals to Local Seniors BERKELEY, Calif. — Alameda County District 5 Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas and Berkeley Mayor Adena Ishii joined…
FY2025 Annual Report is Live!
We are thrilled to share our new Annual Report, highlighting the impact we had over the last year. This truly was our most impactful year yet – more community members…
A Study of BFN Waste Could Make Local Food Recovery More Sustainable
Berkeley Food Network is the largest Food Recovery Organization (FRO) in Northern Alameda County, recovering nearly 400,000 pounds of edible surplus food from local businesses each year. So when our…
Welcoming Our New Executive Director, Andrew Crispin
With great excitement and optimism, we announce the appointment of our new Executive Director, Andrew Crispin, who began in this role at the beginning of this month. Andrew joined BFN…
Support Local: Donate Your Berkeley Bucks to BFN!
We are pleased to announce that we now accept donations of Berkeley Bucks! Berkeley Bucks is the city’s first e-gift card, valid at more than 115 restaurants, shops, businesses, and…
Double Your Impact this November: Donate to Matching Campaign
All November long, Daffy member Josh Hannah has pledged to match up to $10,000 in donations made to the Berkeley Food Network. This generous initiative is a collaborative endeavor to…
Announcing Interim Leadership at BFN
Senior Managers Andrew Crispin and Jonathan Kitchens step into the role of Interim Co-Directors. Seven years ago, our founding BFN Executive Director Sara Webber brought her vision and energy to…
Executive Director and Co-Founder Retires from BFN
Sara Webber founded Berkeley Food Network seven years ago to reimagine food assistance in Northern Alameda County. Dear Community, We would like to announce that our founding executive director, Sara…
BFN Volunteers Create A Culture of Dignity
Food is a universal need, and everyone has a right to it. Not only is food necessary for optimal health, but it is also how we express our individuality and…
Shifting Language and Power Dynamics
We’re adopting a new term to describe people using our pantry services. Read on to learn more. BFN is always designing ways to innovate and reduce the stigma around food…
Caring for Food is Caring for Community
BFN refines food sourcing and food safety standards to uphold the dignity of our members and partners. Keep reading to learn more. The mainstream food assistance model relies on sourcing…
