September was Hunger Action Month. Hunger Action Month is designed to invite folks to engage in the difficult work of preventing and ending hunger in our country. At Berkeley Food Network, we are acutely aware of hunger in our community. With the need for our services tripling during the pandemic and continuing to grow throughout […]
The largest increase in SNAP’s history comes just before temporary boosts expire Last month, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released an updated version of the Thrifty Food Plan. This rubric combines food prices, nutritional guidance, and common dietary preferences to calculate SNAP benefits. The latest revision to the Thrifty Food Plan will lead […]
As the weather warms up and the days grow longer, thankfully, more and more people are getting vaccinated and returning to work. We are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, a time when we can leave the coronavirus pandemic behind and return to our “Before Times” pre-COVID lives: socializing, traveling, […]
My name is Taiyo Scanlon-Kimura, and I am the new Research & Advocacy Manager at BFN. It is a privilege to join this organization at a momentous time. You may be asking: “what role does research and advocacy play at a locally focused food nonprofit?” BFN proved in the past year that its model is […]
April is National Volunteer Month! None of the programs at Berkeley Food Network, would be possible without the dedication and selflessness of our phenomenal community of volunteers. Our volunteers ensure that fresh and healthy food is available to all members of the Berkeley and Albany communities— but more than that, volunteers empower BFN to expand […]
One Year Later Stepping back to look forward. It’s hard to believe that it’s only been a year since a small group of Berkeley Food Network staff, board members, and volunteers met in my office at the BFN warehouse to discuss how we would continue to serve our clients safely during the expected COVID-19 shelter-in-place […]
Watch this video about BFN’s work in 2020. Our thanks to all of you who helped to make it happen!
Are you able to donate to help us in our efforts to feed everyone who needs access to free food during this period of COVID-19 containment? We want to ensure that we are able to continue to serve our 5,000+ regular monthly food recipients, as well as continue to meet increased need. In particular, we […]
The grant will allow the organizations to expand distribution sites and help fulfill increased need for food-insecure residents during the pandemic.
Berkeley Food Network has tripled its efforts during the COVID-19 emergency response. $600,000 Bayer Fund grant will grow innovative partnership between Alameda County Community Food Bank and Berkeley Food Network. Berkeley, Calif. – May 19, 2020 – As the COVID-19 pandemic has driven unprecedented surges in demand for food assistance, Berkeley Food Network (BFN) and […]
Isalia Guerrero never expected to have trouble putting food on the table. As a house cleaner with a steady clientèle, a husband who worked 60 hours a week, and two of her three children holding part-time jobs, the family always had plenty to eat. But the COVID-19 pandemic has upended the order of Guerrero’s life […]
A native Rhode Islander, Holden’s passion for food was cultivated in the kitchen of his parent’s natural foods restaurant. His culinary journey has included time spent as an oyster farmer, cook, and youth educator. These experiences have instilled a deep desire to work towards a food system that establishes equity and access for all. Holden […]
We are hard at work turning excess recovered food in to delicious nutritious meals to distribute through our mobile and on-site pantry distributions. These meals are individually packaged and frozen and are particularly useful for people who have difficulty cooking for themselves or who are strapped for time. These meals are very popular and many […]
By Evan Hazelett, BFN Research and Advocacy Manager December 8, 2020 The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown into sharp relief the realities of poverty, food insecurity, housing instability, and racial injustice in the United States. Since May, an astounding 8 million Americans have slipped into poverty. Black, Latinx, indigenous, and immigrant households have been hit particularly […]
On Thursday, September 19, hundreds gathered in a large warehouse on University Avenue to celebrate the Berkeley Food Network’s (BFN) transition from operating out of rented food storage facilities to a more permanent…
Hundreds of people gathered in a large warehouse on University Avenue Thursday evening to celebrate the building’s transformation from a…
We are very pleased to announce that we have been selected to lease the City of Berkeley-owned warehouse property at 1001 University Avenue to serve as our food sourcing and distribution hub. We are currently in lease negotiations with the City. Our food sourcing and distribution hub will have four functions: A distribution point for […]
Andy Olson – Making Local and Organic Accessible to Everyone When Berkeley Food Network member Anders Olson graduated from UC Berkeley in 2010 in the midst of an economic slump, he thought long and hard about how his work in the world might make a difference. His father encouraged him to think like an entrepreneur […]
After a successful convening of local agencies, the Berkeley Food Network team has determined the next steps and roles. Next steps include creating a formal membership structure, the initiation of training sessions for members, and establishing network-level services. The primary roles for the Berkeley Food Network will be To be a leader for collaboration among […]
Berkeley Food Network Convenes Local Agencies for first meeting In March Berkeley Food Network convened a gathering of individuals and agencies that are addressing food security in Berkeley. The meeting explored ways to coordinate and build on the work currently being done to meet the needs of the food insecure in Berkeley.
