Berkeley Student Food Collective

WE WORK TO PROVIDE HEALTHY, SUSTAINABLE, AND AFFORDABLE FOOD FOR THE EAST BAY COMMUNITY.

OUR LIVING CLASSROOM STOREFRONT: OUR LIVING CLASSROOM STOREFRONT IS OPEN TO ANYONE AND IS OPERATED BY THE EFFORTS OF 175 WEEKLY VOLUNTEERS EACH YEAR WHO MAINTAIN IT IN VARIOUS PROGRAMMATIC AND OPERATIONAL CAPACITIES. IN ADDITION TO ITS MYRIAD AND CONSTANTLY UPDATED EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS AND SIGNAGE PERTAINING TO FOOD SYSTEMS AND FOOD JUSTICE, IT SERVES AS A MEETING SPACE FOR BOTH THE PUBLIC AND OUR VOLUNTEER MEMBERS. WE FOCUS ON FEATURING THE FOOD & STORIES OF FOOD PRODUCERS USING THE REAL FOOD CHALLENGE GUIDELINES, WHICH PRIORITIZES FOOD GROWN FROM PRODUCERS USING SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION PRINCIPLES, ARE LOCALLY PRODUCED, HAVE HIGH NUTRITIONAL VALUE, ARE FAIRLY TRADED, OR ARE FROM COMPANIES OWNED BY PEOPLE FROM MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES. AT THE ONSET OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, OUR BOARD OPTED TO SHUTTER THE STOREFRONT TEMPORARILY, AND WE HAVE NOT CONDUCTED BUSINESS OUT OF IT SINCE MARCH OF 2020.

COMMUNITY KITCHEN: ROUGHLY ONE THIRD OF OUR MEMBERSHIP VOLUNTEERS IN OUR SMALL COMMUNITY KITCHEN, PREPARING NUTRITIOUS MEALS FOR OUR STOREFRONT, WHICH ARE THEN OFFERED ON A SLIDING-SCALE WHICH ALLOWS CUSTOMERS TO PAY WHATEVER THEYRE ABLE TO PAY FOR THEIR MEALS. THIS PROGRAM IS SUPPLEMENTED WITH EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING AROUND HOW THE FOOD WE COOK IN THE KITCHEN RELATES TO BROADER FOOD CULTURES AND CULINARY HISTORY; WE DEVELOPED CURRICULUM AROUND THESE TOPICS WITH A IN CONSULTATION WITH A PROFESSIONAL FACILITATION GROUP, AORTA, AND MANDATE THAT OUR MEMBERS ATTEND AT LEAST ONE ASSOCIATED WORKSHOP. AT THE ONSET OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, OUR BOARD OPTED TO SHUTTER THE STOREFRONT TEMPORARILY, AND WE HAVE NOT CONDUCTED BUSINESS OUT OF IT SINCE MARCH OF 2020.

MEMBER & COMMUNITY EDUCATION & TRAINING:OUR VARIOUS COMMITTEES, ALL LED BY MEMBER-VOLUNTEERS AND SUPPORTED BY OUR STAFF, REGULARLY PLAN AND FACILITATE DIFFERENT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND EVENTS, INCLUDING LARGE EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS MANDATORY FOR OUR VOLUNTEER MEMBERS WHICH COVER THE HISTORY AND PRACTICE OF COOPERATIVE ENTERPRISE, INEQUITY IN THE FOOD SYSTEM, AND METHODS OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AROUND FOOD JUSTICE. FURTHER, OUR BOARD RECEIVES TRAINING AND EXPERIENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES ON HOW TO MANAGE GRASSROOTS-LED PROJECTS, FACILITATE MEETINGS, AND DEVELOPING COMMUNITY DOING FOOD JUSTICE WORK. THEY THEN USE THIS EDUCATION TO MANAGE THEIR RESPECTIVE VOLUNTEER COMMITTEES. AT THE ONSET OF COVID-19, MOST OF THIS PROGRAMMING WAS MOVED ONLINE, AND OUR LEADERSHIP CONTINUED TO RUN PROGRAMS ON ZOOM AND VIA SOCIAL MEDIA, INCLUDING WORKSHOPS, NEWSLETTERS, RESOURCE GUIDES, SOCIALS, AND MORE.

OUR LIVING CLASSROOM STOREFRONT: OUR LIVING CLASSROOM STOREFRONT IS OPEN TO ANYONE AND IS OPERATED BY THE EFFORTS OF 175 WEEKLY VOLUNTEERS EACH YEAR WHO MAINTAIN IT IN VARIOUS PROGRAMMATIC AND OPERATIONAL CAPACITIES. IN ADDITION TO ITS MYRIAD AND CONSTANTLY UPDATED EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS AND SIGNAGE PERTAINING TO FOOD SYSTEMS AND FOOD JUSTICE, IT SERVES AS A MEETING SPACE FOR BOTH THE PUBLIC AND OUR VOLUNTEER MEMBERS. WE FOCUS ON FEATURING THE FOOD & STORIES OF FOOD PRODUCERS USING THE REAL FOOD CHALLENGE GUIDELINES, WHICH PRIORITIZES FOOD GROWN FROM PRODUCERS USING SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION PRINCIPLES, ARE LOCALLY PRODUCED, HAVE HIGH NUTRITIONAL VALUE, ARE FAIRLY TRADED, OR ARE FROM COMPANIES OWNED BY PEOPLE FROM MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES. AT THE ONSET OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, OUR BOARD OPTED TO SHUTTER THE STOREFRONT TEMPORARILY, AND WE HAVE NOT CONDUCTED BUSINESS OUT OF IT SINCE MARCH OF 2020.

COMMUNITY KITCHEN: ROUGHLY ONE THIRD OF OUR MEMBERSHIP VOLUNTEERS IN OUR SMALL COMMUNITY KITCHEN, PREPARING NUTRITIOUS MEALS FOR OUR STOREFRONT, WHICH ARE THEN OFFERED ON A SLIDING-SCALE WHICH ALLOWS CUSTOMERS TO PAY WHATEVER THEYRE ABLE TO PAY FOR THEIR MEALS. THIS PROGRAM IS SUPPLEMENTED WITH EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING AROUND HOW THE FOOD WE COOK IN THE KITCHEN RELATES TO BROADER FOOD CULTURES AND CULINARY HISTORY; WE DEVELOPED CURRICULUM AROUND THESE TOPICS WITH A IN CONSULTATION WITH A PROFESSIONAL FACILITATION GROUP, AORTA, AND MANDATE THAT OUR MEMBERS ATTEND AT LEAST ONE ASSOCIATED WORKSHOP. AT THE ONSET OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, OUR BOARD OPTED TO SHUTTER THE STOREFRONT TEMPORARILY, AND WE HAVE NOT CONDUCTED BUSINESS OUT OF IT SINCE MARCH OF 2020.

MEMBER & COMMUNITY EDUCATION & TRAINING:OUR VARIOUS COMMITTEES, ALL LED BY MEMBER-VOLUNTEERS AND SUPPORTED BY OUR STAFF, REGULARLY PLAN AND FACILITATE DIFFERENT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND EVENTS, INCLUDING LARGE EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS MANDATORY FOR OUR VOLUNTEER MEMBERS WHICH COVER THE HISTORY AND PRACTICE OF COOPERATIVE ENTERPRISE, INEQUITY IN THE FOOD SYSTEM, AND METHODS OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AROUND FOOD JUSTICE. FURTHER, OUR BOARD RECEIVES TRAINING AND EXPERIENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES ON HOW TO MANAGE GRASSROOTS-LED PROJECTS, FACILITATE MEETINGS, AND DEVELOPING COMMUNITY DOING FOOD JUSTICE WORK. THEY THEN USE THIS EDUCATION TO MANAGE THEIR RESPECTIVE VOLUNTEER COMMITTEES. AT THE ONSET OF COVID-19, MOST OF THIS PROGRAMMING WAS MOVED ONLINE, AND OUR LEADERSHIP CONTINUED TO RUN PROGRAMS ON ZOOM AND VIA SOCIAL MEDIA, INCLUDING WORKSHOPS, NEWSLETTERS, RESOURCE GUIDES, SOCIALS, AND MORE.