Meet Andrew Crispin, Berkeley Food Network’s Distribution Programs Manager! Originally from New Hampshire, Andrew is still getting used to the Bay Area’s distinct lack of Autumn-centric culture. No such adjustment period was needed, however, when Andrew hit the ground running at BFN. In five short months, he has tallied a growing list of accomplishments and undertaken an ambitious plan to increase access to food assistance throughout Berkeley and Albany.
Broadly speaking, Andrew oversees all food leaving our warehouse, both through partner organizations and through BFN distributions like our On-Site and Mobile Pantries. “I hope we can tailor these programs to be more accessible to clients receiving food,” Andrew says, adding that his next big project is to identify new Mobile Pantry sites in underserved neighborhoods. If you’re affiliated with a location that you think would be a good candidate for hosting a BFN Mobile Pantry, please reach out—we’d love to hear from you!
For Andrew, the most exciting food that comes into the BFN warehouse is the rich variety of locally-grown, organic produce. “Organic farming is the most sustainable way to treat the land as well as protect farmers, growers, and packagers.” It’s also a meaningful offering to clients who don’t always have the budget to buy or cook organic.
After graduating with a Master’s in Nutrition from Boston University, Andrew headed west in 2021 with his fiancée, who was earning her Master’s of Public Health at Cal. Although he does miss some of his East Coast favorites (our breakfast sandwiches have nothing on Boston’s Bagelsaurus, according to him), Andrew is happily indulging in the Bay Area’s reputation as a foodie’s paradise—specifically, pizza at Square Pie Guys and noodles at Oakland’s Soba Ichi.
We’re thrilled to have Andrew on board, and eagerly look forward to seeing how he will continue to enhance and enrich our distribution programs in the future!