On August 1st, 2024, my uncle and aunt went to a food distribution site to collect food. Arriving…read moreearly, they placed a cart in line to hold their spot while they went elsewhere to get more food. When they returned, they found a woman had cut in line and was repeatedly pushing their cart aside. They tried to ignore her and resumed their place in line. However, the woman, for some unknown reason, seemed to think my uncle was in her way and shoved him with her hands, causing him to hit his head on a pot and fall to the ground, bleeding. He was unconscious by the time the ambulance arrived. We hope the food distribution site can identify this woman and help us seek justice. Please be cautious if you encounter her! The site itself is convenient, and the volunteers are wonderful, but some customers can be a problem.

It's a bit pointless when they force someone to choose food or no food because they open late and…read moredidn't tell anyone. Also be very careful product sits out in sun no proper refrigerator, got sick last time off some spoiled pre-packed jicama. Some health code violations going on. Very diff than Berkeley food pantry whom follows health code and food safety standards. Emery assistance are actually wasting food as a lot of the food is expired which means you either eat expired food and perhaps get sick or throw away. So on top of perishables sitting out in sun and previously expired your asking for a food borne illness They really need to go check out how berk food pantry does things.

their breakfast usually suck, but their lunches are top notch. Thank you for everything!read more

Likely best free Bay area breakfast oatmeal/grits…read more Likely best free Bay area macaroni and cheese. Though likely dependant of cook. You may complain garbage bins everywhere but, there is recycling and compost. IMPORTANT. Right outside, Farmer's Market.

Nothing feels as good as it does to give back to the community in joint efforts to make a positive…read moredifference and lend a hand to those in need. I would like to compose this review to spread awareness of this incredible Non-Profit! At this point in my life journey, I feel it is an absolute necessity to do whatever I can in some small way to show my appreciation for all I am blessed with and in turn, hope to inspire others to do the very same. This said, I was very happy to have been a recent participant with a very big volunteer opportunity organized by HandsOn Bay Area along with my employer, Kaiser Permanente in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day - instead of the "day off" mentality for the holiday, it is a day of service in his name for a wonderful MLK day ON! Volunteers within my organization were able to sign up and were greeted to a very warm reception by BFN's very own Executive Director, Sara Webber. Sara graciously gave us a brief tour and summary of how BFN was established and how they serve as the primary hub and distribution center for all who are in need of food - be it those who work hard and are employed and just down on their luck, to schools who offer meals to children in the Berkeley area, to those seniors who are retired and simply just don't have enough money to live on their Social Security and the expenses of life. There is such a sense of pride and human compassion that goes into everything at BFN. We happily got to work on various tasks within the warehouse including painting the large community room under the instruction of a local painter who offered his services, spreading mulch in the outdoor property and planting lemon trees as well as weeding, assembling industrial shelving that would be utilized in storing some of the canned goods, etc. Here is a direct exerpt from BFN's website that better describes what they are all about: Our Work The Berkeley Food Network (BFN) was founded in 2016 as an innovative, community-centered network of agencies that provide services to the food insecure residents of Berkeley, both housed and homeless, in order to close documented gaps in access to food in Berkeley. In its first year, BFN worked to develop and strengthen its network by increasing BFN membership to more than 40 organizations, hosting quarterly member meetings to raise concerns and share information, delivering trainings to member organizations, coordinating donated food deliveries among various member organizations, and laying the groundwork for a physical distribution hub. This year, BFN is working to expand its coordination of network-level services by opening a physical distribution hub and food pantry, by partnering with advocacy organizations to deliver food to populations not reached by existing services, and by continuing to facilitate network-level collaboration to coordinate services for different populations and share best practices. Food Sourcing and Distribution Hub BFN is working to establish a food sourcing and distribution hub that will be at the core of our work to end hunger in Berkeley. We aim to provide higher quality food, greater quantities, and more variety, including ample fresh foods, to all Berkeleyans who need food. We'll provide both groceries and prepared meals for our city's homeless and marginally housed community members. We will source culturally appropriate foods to accommodate clients' food preferences and reduce waste. BFN will operate an on-site client choice pantry offering healthy shelf-stable foods; fresh dairy, produce, and bread; frozen meat; and prepared foods. The BFN pantry will be open longer hours than other pantries in Berkeley in order to serve populations who find it difficult to attend existing pantry distributions. We'll help smaller food aid programs by transporting food to the places where people need food and expanding access to free food. And we'll work to ensure safe food handling practices every step of the way. Along with food from the Alameda County Community Food Bank, BFN will facilitate donations from local grocery stores, restaurants, and urban farms through a robust recovered food program. We'll offer a convenient and accessible recovery facility with operating hours that match the needs of local businesses. In addition to improving access to healthy and delicious food for food-insecure Berkeley residents, BFN's food recovery program will help Berkeley reduce the amount of edible food sent to landfill, thereby reducing greenhouse gases." As you can see, BFN offers vital services with a heart and amazing humans who run the daily operations. It was such a blessing to have been a part of a positive collaboration of peers and can't wait to lend a hand again! If you are looking for a way to give back in the area, I cannot recommend BFN highly enough!

If I could give this place 0 stars I would! Do not use this facility if you want to be treated with…read morebasic human decency. The Berkeley Food Network operates like a cold, corporate warehouse rather than a true community resource. I personally found myself in a situation where I have to use food banks, and the actual client experience on the ground at BFN is completely unusable. They force elderly, disabled, and vulnerable residents to stand outside in grueling lines for hours. I believe they train their volunteers in aggressive line management that is entirely inappropriate--a practice brought on solely by the failure of their own operations. Frontline staff enforce arbitrary, unwritten "verbal policies" to power-trip over people rather than showing basic compassion. I have officially reached out to the Alameda County Community Food Bank and have made them aware of the serious problems at BFN. I have also let friends and family members who are in a position to donate to the Alameda County Community Food Bank know exactly what I have experienced firsthand at BFN. This place is in direct violation of the equity standards required by public grants, and funding sources need to audit this organization immediately. I have now seen other places that do not have these problems, meaning I am forced to leave Berkeley and go to Emeryville just to get proper assistance. I am so grateful to First Presbyterian Church and the Emeryville Citizens Assistance Program (ECAP) for restoring my dignity and faith. I go to First Pres early for commodities, and the drive-through is incredibly well-run, orderly, and efficient. If I can get my place held in line as I like to choose what I need, I will gladly help out with the food bank operations at First Pres because they treat people like human beings. I also have to add that the church pantry on Sacramento Street was not working for me either--the mystery bags, the lack of being able to choose your own food, and the massive amount of carbs were way too stressful. Avoid BFN like the plague and stick to places like ECAP and First Pres that offer real choice and respect. What makes this even worse is that BFN has access to appointment-scheduling software that could eliminate these multi-hour wait times tomorrow. They deliberately refuse to turn it on because a long, miserable line wrapping around the block creates a visible crisis that looks good for fundraising and 'clicks for bucks.' They choose crowds and data metrics over the physical health of vulnerable citizens.

As of Summer 2025 For privacy, try to be respectful to…read moreeveryone But just to show how many people do need the Food Bank and do need help Donated before but after seeing that many people waiting for their turn, I needa do more Writing this review in hopes more people notice this place too and offer whatever they can for those in need

650 West Ranger Ave Alameda, CA 94501…read more(@ Alameda Point) April is Earth Month, and I heard that food donation is a great way to reduce food waste. It also helps the community by helping those in need. So I decided to donate to the Alameda Food Bank. The Alameda Food Bank (AFB) is located at Alameda Point, aka "The old Navy Base." It's currently in an old warehouse. According to the website, they are open M-W-F. https://www.alamedafoodbank.org/ The process of donating items was pretty easy. You just walk in, place your donations in the marked bin and that's it. I thought someone would check it first, so I asked staff what to do. A supervisor came over and simply said leave it in the bin. It's so easy, I'll be doing again!

I'm interested in volunteering and will be getting in touch with this organization to help make a…read moredifference.

This is a great opportunity to give back to the community! Its nice to volunteer without having to…read moresign up for a long standing commitment. You definitely feel your efforts valued from those who need it.

I love being a member of Lake Merritt UMC. The church is a warm and welcoming group. It is really…read morea comfortable place to worship even if the view of Lake Merritt from the sanctuary can be a distraction on Sunday mornings! If you haven't seen the giant Tiffany mosaics in the sanctuary, then they alone are worth the trip. This is also a fabulous venue for events. Many groups rent the facility for a myriad of events. Lake Merritt UMC regularly hosts concerts, weddings, meeting, reunions, recitals, and family gatherings.

Great find in the East Bay for a church that cares about the community it is located in. Notably,…read morethe sanctuary is beautiful - featuring stunning Tiffany mosaics and a gorgeous view of the Lake. The children and youth programming are good and I am hopeful that this service can grow with the congregation. The Sunday morning service is pleasantly short, the music good, and the preaching thought provoking and relevant to everyday life. Bonus: fellowship time after the service is a great time to meet folks & relax with a really nice spread of snacks and surprisingly good coffee made to order ala your neighborhood cafe. Check out this great church community - welcoming, relevant, community-service minded, and a much needed spiritual respite from the work-week.

Food insecurity is scary, but Berkeley Food Pantry is a balm. I've visited a few times when I was…read moreunemployed or between paychecks. The staff are efficient, friendly, & treat everyone with respect. You get 4 bags of groceries, including fresh bread, seasonal produce, a meat or fish, and shelf-stable milk, as well as pantry staples, like beans rice, & pasta. The staff will check you in quickly and take the groceries to your car. A lifesaver!

I went with a friend who is going through some hard times. They give everyone 4 bags of food, and…read morethere are a lot of good things in those bags: fresh bread, eggs and fruit - not just rice, beans and canned goods. Highly recommended if you are having trouble stretching your food budget. You need to live in Berkeley or Albany, otherwise no questions asked. Everyone working there was extremely nice as well.

I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Solano Food Bank via Kaiser Permanente…read more First let me say, WOW! What an operation. Upon driving up you can't help but notice that their building is HUGE! It's as big as a Costco! Tons of trailers were docked getting filled up by the many volunteers. They even had a Amazon trailer at the loading/unloading dock. There were approximately 30+ volunteers. We all gathered at the picnic tables inside the warehouse. Coffee, Tea, and snacks were provided - nice touch. We all worked together to load many boxes of food that were sent on a rolling conveyor belt with volunteers all along it. I was a team of 2 that stacked the boxes on multiple pallets before a forklift driver whisked them away. It was so awesome to be apart of. If you ever have a chance to volunteer please do so.

A great service to the community and the crowd we were serving in Oakley was very thankful and…read morekind. William did a great job managing everyone around the food truck and giving easy to follow instructions.