Join me in providing healthy and affordable food to the Ohio State community.

Although my giving page is no longer active, you can still donate. If you would like to provide any additional support, please do so here and specify you would like your gift to benefit Best Food Forward.

Hi there! My name is Christina Allen, and I am a Human Nutrition and International Studies double major with minors in French and Business from Burke, Virginia. As a Morrill Scholar actively engaged in diversity-based leadership, service and social justice, I am passionate about strengthening food security to fortify communities. I am currently the co-President of Best Food Forward, a student organization that provides healthy and affordable food to the Ohio State community. Additionally, I am the President of Students for Educational Equity, a group that mobilizes university students to better K-12 education in the Columbus area. I am also honored to serve as the Sergeant at Arms for the SPHINX Senior Class Honorary. When I am not studying or leading a club meeting, you can find me teaching hip hop yoga classes at the (now virtual) RPAC! 

My interest in food security began with my own struggles with food. My childhood was filled with unexplained brain fog, aching joints and digestive issues. At 10, I was diagnosed with Celiac disease, and when I stopped eating gluten, my symptoms disappeared. Seeing the impact that food had on my life, inspired me to explore its power to build or break communities. This curiosity blossomed into a passion to improve food security in my community and drove me to become a leader in Best Food Forward.

About 15% of Ohio State students struggle with hunger every day. Best Food Forward strives to make healthy produce more affordable and accessible to the Ohio State community. We do this through the power of bulk buying. We harness the power of numbers to purchase produce in bulk directly from the wholesaler to minimize mark-ups and provide a package to our customers at about 50% of the cost of grocery stores. We host bulk-buys bi-weekly on Saturdays where our buyers (or BFFs as we like to call them) can pick up their orders and enjoy brunch with us. To date, we have saved our buyers over $30,000. 

COVID-19 has challenged us to reimagine how we can provide easy access to affordable food in a safe manner. Your donation will fund the essential tools to enable our organization to transition to an outdoor and distanced environment so we can continue to carry-out our mission. The need for healthy and affordable food is greater than ever, and I ask that you join me in making Ohio State a healthier and more vibrant community of BFFs.

If you want to learn more about Best Food Forward or order from us, you can find more information here.