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.

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.

I rarely leave reviews like this, but what my 70-year-old father and I experienced at Berkeley Food…read moreNetwork was deeply disturbing and completely inconsistent with the "dignity" and "community care" image this organization publicly promotes. My father, who previously underwent open-heart surgery, waited in line for HOURS to receive food assistance. I arrived about 10-15 minutes later so we could enter together, something that had previously been allowed without issue. Instead, a volunteer named Sara B. stopped us and aggressively enforced what staff and management later admitted was merely a "verbal policy" requiring continuous physical presence in line. When I respectfully asked for a written copy of the policy being enforced against my elderly father, none could be produced because apparently it was never formally written or communicated. What shocked me even more was management's response. Rather than showing compassion, flexibility, or basic human decency toward a medically vulnerable senior citizen who had already waited for hours, facility manager Fruhar Safa became defensive, dismissive, and more focused on asserting authority than resolving the situation fairly. We were repeatedly told my father should simply go stand back in line again after already waiting for hours. This organization constantly speaks publicly about equity, dignity, and care for vulnerable communities. But based on our experience, the reality on the ground felt very different. If this is how elderly people with serious medical histories are treated while seeking basic food assistance, the public, donors, and community partners deserve to know. Organizations serving vulnerable populations should be held to a higher standard -- especially when they receive public trust, donations, and community support. They practice the opposite of what they preach no matter what they say on the website. I believe the federal funding and donors could be well spent somewhere else than this organization. The quality of their foods is mediocre too.

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

This review is a little overdue. While I appreciate the food provided by the organization, I had…read moreunpleasant experiences with the intake staff. It's already hard enough to have to ask for food assistance, but some of the staff signing people in were rude and condescending particular a tall, slender Asian woman. I've since improved my financial situation, but if I ever experience another financial hardship, I would hesitate in getting help from this foodbank. I hope things have improved there by having volunteers and staff who have empathy and compassion.

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.

Very much appreciated the people are angels straight from Heaven so thankful they really go out…read morethey way!

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.